Voices from France: An Association Leader's Perspective

Aminata Diallo, who leads a youth engagement organization in Seine-Saint-Denis, shares her experience:

"The paradox of French civil society is that the state simultaneously needs us and fears us. They want us to integrate youth, provide services, build social cohesion. But the moment we become too vocal about structural problems, too organized around community identities, we're accused of communautarisme.

We navigate constantly between being service providers and advocates, between working with institutions and challenging them. The republic talks about equality but practices hierarchy. It celebrates engagement but suspects organization. Young people in the banlieues see this hypocrisy clearly.

What keeps me going is the incredible energy and creativity I see. Kids who've been written off organizing mutual aid during COVID, creating artistic expressions that capture social reality better than any sociology report, building solidarity across differences. They're inventing new forms of citizenship, even if the institutions don't recognize it yet. The challenge is connecting this grassroots innovation with formal democratic channels without losing its authenticity and power."