Par
Clement Gousseau
Published on
Dec 8 2024 at 5:06 p.m.
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“Do we have the power to act to change things locally? » This was the subject of the debate of the second meeting of the Popular University of Transitions, organized Thursday December 5, 2024 at the Quai des Arts in Argentan (Orne).
Developed by the Terres d’Argentan intercommunality since 2023, this conference cycle aims to “give entry keys to the situation of our societyof our planet, of our region”, according to the community.
We wondered about the impact of such a conference: can new solutions, adapted to Orne, emerge? If yes, which ones? Point of view.
An interesting local cast
At the Quai des Arts, this Thursday evening, the first nice surprise of the evening lies in the presence of an area of premises.
If the specialists were until now rather privileged during the conferences of this Popular University, Ornais actors are this time very present: a representative of Hole Right, an association of Rânes which organizes cultural events in rural areas, a representative of the third place of Montormel, an association of support for rural communities in the creation of citizen grocery stores, Secours populaire…
Despite everything, the references to scientific studies are very present. It remained to be seen whether this conference would make it possible toaddress concrete questions.
Thoughts on local projects
The first part of the evening allowed highlight the different projects carried out by local actorsas well as their difficulties… From a reflection on volunteering to the need to revitalize rural areasdifferent topics were discussed.
The calendar of the People's University of Transitions
Five dates are scheduled for this 2024-2025 season, the 2nd Thursday of the month, with two variants for the months of January and March.
– Thursday October 3: Protecting diversity: why care?
– Thursday, December 5: Do we have the power to act to change things locally?
– Thursday January 30: Quality of social and human relations: the challenge of the century?
– Thursday March 27: Local health system, what solutions can we find?
– Thursday June 5: Green growth, degrowth… what professions, sectors and jobs for our territories?
A selection of works related to the different themes will be offered by the media library as well as the participation of the Mille et Une histoire bookstore during the sessions.
See all
Beyond the diversity of the profiles of the speakers, we can welcome the step back on different social issuesbased on the field experience of the different actors.
Long monologues
Despite everything, one of our main regrets lies in the “blablatization” of this evening. As when Anne Muxel, deputy director of Cevipof (Sciences Po Political Research Center), spoke in a long monologue of “the democratic paradox in France”, and “the impact of social networks on our behavior”.
Or when Julie Maurel, head of the Innovation and Territories of Open Democracy Center, returned to the etymology of “cens”, this fee paid “by some of our ancestors” to be able to vote. Was it really necessary?
It is a shame not to have encouraged exchangesthe debates between the different speakers.
Perhaps it would have been appropriate to return more to the Ornais projects, discussed in just 25 minutes over the two hours of the conference.
Exchanges, but for what solutions?
As the evening progressed, the Argentanian prism seemed to disappearfor the benefit of a ultimately very national analysis local issues.
It was mainly the experts who spoke out, to the detriment of Orne stakeholders and the promise of concreteness.
We left the conference a little hungry. We would have liked to leave this evening with proposalseven incomplete, rather than nourished by a discourse that is perhaps still too general.
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