[LUM#9] A Child of the Century
Thierry Escolar is undoubtedly a man of his time. As a student at the Institute for Preparation for General Administration (IPAG) and a graduate in political science and history, he is also a co-founder of the Montpellier-based humanitarian association Jeunesse s’engage.
“After philosophy comes action.” This quote from Victor Hugo has become the motto of the organization Jeunesse s’engage and “a way of looking at life” for its co-founder and president, Thierry Escolar. For over three years, this student has been organizing weekly food drives and outreach efforts for the homeless in Montpellier and Paris, conducting health prevention outreach among young people, and developing institutional and inter-organizational partnerships… In 2015 and 2016, he even assembled a team to travel to Palermo for two humanitarian missions working with migrant children.
“A way of looking at life”
It was during previous assignments in the Middle East and Egypt that this native of Montpellier, who grew up in working-class neighborhoods, had a revelation. “Seeing countries in ruins or under colonial rule, I realized in hindsight how fortunate we are to have institutions and civil servants—things we may disagree with, but which ensure peace and make society function.”
Back in France, he began a dual degree program in political science and history. Current events caught up with him, however, with the shock of the 2015 attacks as well as the growing precariousness in Montpellier. “We were seeing more and more people on the streets, and the migration crisis was starting to make headlines...” Thierry reflects,“in political science, you discover an interesting framework for understanding the world. We were strongly encouraged to put our learning into practice through collective projects.” Together with his friend Olivier Saunier,he then decided to found Jeunesse s’engage.
A third way
Their goal?“To offer young people a third way—a commitment that is neither religious nor partisan political. Simply to give them the opportunity to participate in a one-time initiative that might raise their awareness of our collective responsibility.” Since then,more than 500 young people have answered this call.
The political science student, for his part, switched to public administration because he believes that’s where he can “make a difference.” After working as a parliamentary aide, he is now doing an apprenticeship at the Ministry of the Interior:“Symbolically, given where I come from, a pay stub from the National Assembly or the Ministry of the Interior is just proof that it’s possible in France, too.” Soon, someone else will take up the torch at the helm of the association, but Thierry Escolar’s commitment remains unwavering.
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