An audio recording of this salon is now available. To request the file, please email Noah Flower: noah dot flower at alum dot dartmouth dot org.
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On October 25th of last year, the French police arrested two teenagers, one 15-year-old from Mali the other a 17-year-old from Tunisia. Both were French citizens. When they teens tried to escape an identity check, they were accidentally electrocuted in a substation. As the rest of the country found out about their deaths, a sudden outburst of violent civil unrest was triggered in several cities at once. Disaffected youths set cars on fire, destroyed local institutions, vandalized community shops and kept the police at bay. The mayhem went on for over two weeks.
How could this happen in France? They’re a pillar of the European Union and an exemplar of social services with free education, unemployment assistance, welfare for large families, wealth redistribution for the poor and free health coverage for all. Speculation ran rampant among the international community. Was it religious influence? Media sensationalism? Political clashes and humiliation of the youth living in the poorest and relegated territories in the suburbs? All played a part, but none could explain the whole situation.
It is a challenge to pinpoint the true origins of the complex rising tensions that led us to the riots. A long history has set the tone: urban development in the ‘50s, economic downturn in the ‘70s, social development of the suburbs in the ‘80s and the recent liberal/republican politics related to safety and repression of crimes.
At this Club of Rome, we will hold an open forum to discuss the social and political roots of this upheaval. Over the course of the evening we will examine the population involved in those riots, their living conditions, their potential agenda, their perspectives and the recent political action aimed at decreasing the tension of the French suburbs.
Biography:
Our speaker for the evening is Chiraz Zapf, a French citizen and native Tunisian. She grew up in the projects of a neglected urban area in the North of Paris. While attending public school, she donated time to her community and worked in northern France as an educator, interacting in a daily basis with low income families and youth who were primarily from immigrant families. Working with these communities involved after-school programs, helping youth with their own work development, supporting families in their social needs, encouraging youth led projects, and sometimes offering the simple support of being present and willing to listen. Chiraz worked for 10 years with these communities, struggling with them to achieve their projects, helping them become successful in their school and family life, avoiding stigmatization and labeling, offering her best guidance on how to avoid jail and gangs. Sometimes she experienced success, and other times there was little opportunity for change. Building on that experience, she carried out research and a course of study to gain a masters of education and social work with a specialty in youth development. After graduating, she moved to America with her husband to America. Chiraz’ professional, educational and personal experience gives her a uniquely informed perspective on the perspectives of the low-income immigrant youths in France. Their violence may not be excusable, but with her help we can understand the reasons for their discontent.
