Stéphane Gatignon : “To be an actor of the transition”

Stéphane Gatignon served as mayor of Sevran (Seine-Saint-Denis) from 2001 to 2018, a true figure in local politics. Highly committed to the suburbs, he recently founded Mouv’Up with Bernard Gainnier from PwC, aiming to promote the professional integration of young people from these neighborhoods.

What do you personally take away from this somewhat crazy year ?

Through my multiple activities, whether paid or voluntary (activist for me), I try to give meaning by attempting to rebuild social ties, mobilize all the good will that often feels “abandoned,” and participate in the new “green” industrial revolution. All of this in the suburbs, with young people, old people, elected officials, entrepreneurs…

What will this pandemic year change ?

This year of “madness” has simply amplified the ruptures that French and global society were already experiencing. Isolation, individualism, inequality, conspiracy theories, violence, have only intensified with the health crisis. Another world is emerging, and it is up to us to build it and make it clear that it will only be livable if everyone pitches in, openly and transversally, whether we are entrepreneurs, young people from the suburbs, association activists, or just human beings! I am witnessing a historic moment as a spectator, and I hope to become an actor!

What are you most proud of professionally this year ?

The flagship and essential project to contribute to the advent of this new world is Mouv’up. It is a civic-business whose central objective is to meet a company’s recruitment needs by identifying unemployed young people from the suburbs through association activists. The goal is to match young people with jobs and companies. Before that, we re-motivate the identified young person with a quick but effective internship combining sports and oral expression to help them secure the position. In short, a shot of over-motivation. Then we follow this young person during the 18 months of their employment. The association that accompanies the young person from their identification to the end of their 18-month contract is remunerated.

What news regarding you gives you faith in the future ?

We want to recreate social ties, mobilize the “people from below,” shake up companies and their operations… This is the new society we are building, together! In short, everyone must play their part to get through this, so “comrades” bosses, offer job positions to Mouv’up and let’s together build this new world!