“We lived for nearly eighty years with the illusion of a world at peace. This imagination was shattered when Vladimir Putin decided to invade Ukraine. » Like a majority of observers, Vincent Crouzet, former “collaborator” of the DGSE, had not anticipated the return of war “ high intensity » on European soil, less than 2,000 km from France.
“We thought Putin was somehow a necessary evil, but not that he would go to war”supports the former spy. Eighteen months after the start of this conflict, Hamas carried out the attacks of October 7, the spark of a violent conflict “which had been brewing for many months”. And which is now setting the Middle East on fire.
The right information for a calm approach
Faced with these two major conflicts, Vincent Crouzet wrote the manifesto How to live in a world at war. “When the editor contacted me, it pushed me to question these conflicts and also to review some of my preconceived ideas to try to provide keys to understanding”he summarizes.
A work which allowed him to observe an apprehension of these conflicts oscillating between overvaluation and flight. In order to find a middle ground, he first recommends finding out about the subject and varying the sources, in order to avoid being immersed in circles of false information.
“We often see people, more or less young, distrusting so-called mainstream media and getting their information via social networks. When we should do the complete opposite. If we see information on the networks, I advise going to regional or national press information sites to check it”he says.
This multiplicity of sources of information should make it possible to better understand the motivations of the opposing camp. “You have to know how to question your ideas, without ever denying your values. Doing this work on yourself allows you to gain peace of mind. »
Commitment as a remedy
Above all, the one who spent twenty-four years at the DGSE with the aim of working for peace, recommends that young people – and at least young people – get involved. “Whether in an association, an NGO, in politics. People who get involved can thus become more or less peripheral actors in conflicts. Which can make it possible to live better with it »believes Vincent Crouzet.
This commitment can be made at several levels. “Just the act of voting is a strong act, which always helps strengthen democracy and therefore work for peace”assures the sixty-year-old.
Far from giving lessons, the one who is primarily aimed at adolescents and young adults, hopes through his sharing of experience to open a dialogue. “My book can allow an intergenerational debate. It can also help to regain confidence in ourselves. As during all my years at the DGSE, it is an act to work for peace. »
“How to live in a world at war” by Vincent Crouzet, éditions de la Martinière, ALT collection, €3.50.
