In June 2018, French President Emmanuel Macron launched the so-called “service national universel” (universal national service), the principle of which was enshrined in the French Constitution on 18 July 2018. He intends to establish, in 2019, a compulsory service of one month for all sixteen-year-olds, which can be extended on a voluntary basis, in the non-profit, military, security, civic or even healthcare fields. As a result of a vast consultation conducted in order to define the terms and conditions of this universal national service, the debates that took place made it possible to identify the questions of costs, accommodation and supervision, as well as the binding nature of this service.

Independently of and beyond the French case, various themes have been addressed in numerous European countries about the “service to the Nation”, in various forms, such as the re-introduction of the military service in Sweden and Lithuania for geostrategic reasons, the issue of the spirit of civil defence in the wake of the terrorist threats, the need to relearn civic responsibility, the eventual benefits of social mix or the return to the rite of passage into adulthood.

Could the French universal national service be envisaged in Belgium? If yes, in which specific form? What about the re-introduction of a military service as a way to address the shortcoming of recruits for missions of national defence? Or preferably a compulsory civic service for social integration? Which degree of opposition or support will these projects arouse? Will they be able to solve, at least partially, the phenomenon of individualism, if not the societal ruptures?

In order to shed light on the French vision, we are pleased to welcome Colonel Jérôme Pellistrandi, editor-in-chief of the Revue Défense Nationale, published by the Comité d’études de défense nationale (Paris).

This conference will take place on Thursday 29 November 2018 at 17:00 hours in the conference centre of the Campus Renaissance (entrance: rue Hobbema 8, 1000 Brussels). The lecture will be given in French, with simultaneous translation into English and Dutch. Parking is available on the Cinquantenaire esplanade in front of the Royal Museum of Armed Forces and Military History. We are looking forward to welcoming you and kindly ask you to confirm your participation by registering online on the RHID website: www.rhid.be.

Pre-registration is mandatory to access the premises and must reach us not later than Friday 23 November 2018.

 

  

 

 

 

Programme:

 

16:30                             :           Welcome

17:00                             :           Conference and Q & A

18:30-19:30               :            Reception

inviten