This is the first time that Khadija, 18, has entered a barracks. It’s 9 o’clock sharp, and this biology student is standing with a hundred young people her age on the parade ground of the Saint-Germain-en-Laye camp, a place built by the Americans which is located west of Paris. The young people are divided into three groups, each wearing a blue, white or red vest, the colors of the French flag.
A soldier in uniform raises the colors while a person reads the Charter of Citizen Rights and Duties aloud. The text rings out loud and clear: “Man and woman have the same rights in all areas.†Then the young people sing the national anthem. The words “Come on, children of the homeland†rise somewhat timidly. It’s the start of Defense and Citizenship Day [JDC]a step which is obligatory for all young French people aged 16 and over [et jusqu'à 25 ans]including women. Khadija tells us she needs the JDC certificate to continue her studies.
France has an unusual way in Europe of recruiting its soldiers. The Defense and Citizenship Day aims to break down the young generation’s reservations about the army and immerse them in the daily life of soldiers.
Prepare to “intervene furtherâ€
Mis
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Founded in 1949 and managed by an editorial committee, theFrankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (nicknames HE DOES), is the conservative and liberal newspaper of reference in German business and intellectual circles.
More than 350 editors and nearly 90 national and international correspondents participate in its development. An important place is given to the processing of international and economic information. The Fazit Foundation, a non-profit foundation created by its journalists, holds the majority of shares, which makes the HE DOES largely independent.
Considered one of the largest daily newspapers in Germany, it is in line with major English-language titles such asThe New York Timesand leFinancial Timesand has won more than 1,200 journalism awards over the years. Despite a declining distribution in recent years, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung remains a reference in the media landscape across the Rhine.
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