FRG25 MLC – RESPECT-Democracy-Educational land area

At La Désirade, students actively participate in the management of a natural terrestrial area (the Bourg saltworks). They must manage and protect this space with a partner: the Tité association. To do this, they began by obtaining scientific information on the flora and fauna. Decisions regarding the maintenance, development, and protection of the area are made by the ATE children's council, a body where everyone has the right to express their views. Choices are made by vote or consensus, which allows the children to practice concrete forms of democracy. Students experience collective responsibility: they become the "little managers" of the area. They draft a charter setting out shared rules, like a mini-local constitution. Roles are assigned (guardian, ambassador, observer), which develops a sense of community and emphasizes the democratic distribution of responsibilities. A strong connection with local democracy. The Désirade ATE often involves the town hall, the French Office for Biodiversity, and local associations. The children discover how participatory democracy works: their proposals are presented to elected officials, discussed with residents, and integrated into field actions. This shows that democracy is not limited to elections, but includes citizen participation in land management. They experience a democracy that connects the local to the global: their small actions (cleaning, planting, awareness-raising) contribute to global issues such as protecting biodiversity or combating climate change.

Students progress in skills related to participation (independent speaking, argumentation), organization and cooperation (ability to work in a group, manage conflicts and find compromises). They also gain autonomy (organizing meetings themselves, writing reports, proposing projects).