Young people's views

Young people talk about their dive into an alternative lifestyle...

Julie had nothing to do that summer, so she chose to give us a hand.

Signing up for Chantier Solidaire motivated her. Originally only supposed to come for 2 weeks in July, she kept postponing her departure, until she eventually left the Community in mid-August.

"I am proud of what I have done! Here, I found a sort of crazy energy." Julie wasn't coping with her studies. She didn't think she was gifted at anything. At Chantier Solidaire she discovered her talent for hands-on activities. "I'm amazed! When I took part in setting up the dry toilets for the Festival, I was surprised by the result, and with myself." Julie left the Community with a smile, much more cheered up than before. She admitted, "At the end of it all, I've learnt much more here, after a few weeks, than I did during all the years I spent at secondary school!"

Julie had come to give us her time. The Community awakened her to real life.  

After 9 months of work experience spent without enthusiasm in an architecture office, Mathieu wanted to do something more 'human' in his remaining 6 weeks.

He signed up for Chantier Solidaire

Curious, Mathieu asked himself what 'alternatives' actually meant. He wanted to find out the thoughts of other people who were taught at Central, (he was starting his 3rd year there). "I gave my time. I really worked. However, I didn't get the impression I was actually helping, or being supportive; the Community taught me that. What's more, I feel great. It's been a while since I've smiled this much..." Mathieu came to find answers to his questions. With the "alternatives", he saw something different in the system. He discovered a more egalitarian model. "I was expecting it to be about globalisation. I am in a micro-alternative, which comes close to a more humane form of Capitalism. But is it possible to do otherwise?"

Starting with an alternative to blind Capitalism, the utopian project developed by the Communauté Emmaüs Lescar-Pau is based on exchange.