Shooting practice at the Defence and Citizenship Day in the Sports Hall of the Louis Vanterpool Stadium.
MARIGOT--Defence and Citizenship Day (Journée Défense et Citoyenneté JDC) was held in its new format at the Emile Choisy School and in the sports hall at Vanterpool Stadium on Wednesday, June 10.
Territorial Councillor Martine Beldor, First Vice President Alain Richardson, Préfet Cyrille Le Vély and Lieutenant Colonel Steve Richard were present to support the young participants.
Martine Beldor encouraged the young participants to get fully involved in the life of their local community, emphasising the importance of civic engagement. She also highlighted the quality of the discussions and the young people’s enthusiasm for the new format, which aims to be more dynamic and appealing to the youth.
Designed to strengthen young French people’s commitment to their country, this awareness-raising day was structured around the principle of “7 hours – 7 highlights.” The programme included:
*A flag-raising ceremony accompanied by a reading of the “Charter of Citizens Rights and Duties”
*A laser shooting workshop
*Talent and aptitude tests
*A role-play exercise on defence issues
*A meal in the form of a military ration
Representatives from the Collectivité, the Préfecture, the Department of Education, and the Gendarmerie also attended the workshops, the aim being to highlight this compulsory stage for all young French people ages 16 to 25.
Citizenship and Defence Day replaces the former military service and offers an opportunity to discover the world of defence, careers in the armed forces and civic values. Nearly 800,000 French people are called up to undertake their Citizenship and Defence Day each year.
In Saint Martin, 105 young people were summoned on Wednesday, June 10, and eight JDC sessions are scheduled for 2026.
Martine Beldor commended the work of Thierry Gombs and Corine Pineau from the Department of Public Services for this immersive experience and the opportunity to gauge in real time the impact of the JDC on young people, beyond its compulsory nature.
