UN RENOUVEAU DE LA PARTICIPATION ASSOCIATIVE ? L'engagement et le militantisme au sein du comité Attac Isère

2.1.2 The nature of engagement

« Once arrived to this truth, I discover the source of the human virtues easily; I see that, without the sensitivity to the pain and the physical pleasure, the men, without desires without passions, also indifferent to all, had known interest nobody ; that without personal interest, they had not gathered in company, had not made between them conventions; that there had been general interest, consequently not right or unjust actions; and that thus the physical sensitivity and the personal interest were the authors of any justice »

Helvétius, Of the Spirit, Delivers III

2.1.2.1 The reference to the citizenship

The rhetoric of engagement within Attac is, first of all, that of the citizenship. Association arises through its name like a movement turned towards «the assistance at the citizens ». The leaders of association regularly re-use this term within their speeches. It is necessary to relativize the place which grant inquired to this topic. The term of citizenship little frequently appears. However, the repetition of the term is not present equally between the talks^405(*). A criterion of distinction between them would be arbitrary. Among those which generally refer to figure a militant to it « professional » such as Bernard, or a noncommitted person like Laurent. On the other hand, among the representations related to the idea of citizenship, it is possible to distinguish two meanings. Initially, the idea of citizenship is used by inquired, about the economy. They oppose an economy « commercial » with an economy « citizen », described as more human^406(*). But especially inquired refer to the idea of citizenship to qualify their engagement. For example, Laurent and Luc indicate by this term a political engagement nonin favor, i.e. which would be apart from the operation of the political parties. Thomas also opposes the political speech to the word citizen. Finally Julie employs the term of citizenship in the idea of D-appropriation.

Inquired exclude from their representation of the citizenship the exercise of the political rights. Thomas is only surveyed to attach the vote to the citizenship. Sophie Duchesne, during an investigation into the representation of the citizenship, could observe that inquired «do very little place to the policy with the institutionalized direction [...] For the majority of the questioned people, all occurs as if political engagement were not an act of citizen, as if the policy were almost illegitimate in the field of the citizenship»^407(*). The citizenship to which referent surveyed would have a specific significance. Martine Barthelemy, qualifies this representation by the term of « associative citizenship » that it distinguishes from « political citizenship »^408(*). While the political citizenship with the direction first of the term would be in crisis, associative citizenship or it « active citizenship » a whole of allotted values would indicate, as we saw, with the associative movement^409(*).

Laurent : Blow while having a kind of will to imply me as a citizen, I never really did it because I do not want to lock up me. And there the movement Attac, it is that with what I returned more in agreement to engage in an action. It is a movement citizen which is carrying a prospect on the company and which has practical claims, it does not seek either to seize the power. It is a movement of influence, it is not a lobby, it is a movement of ideas and influence which is rather broad [...] It is a prospect [the movements citizens] for which I have sympathy, it is a feeling to invest itself in policy without making of the policy to the clean direction [...] The citizenship it is something of policy, Attac it is an engagement of citizen, anybody responsible. To take part in the public thing is to make of the policy. For me also of the policy to the ancient but so modern direction. It is not a political movement with the direction where it does not seek to conquer the capacity but it is nevertheless of the policy, it is a movement which has a political prospect, it is something of certain. It is an implication and a political engagement.

Luc : Because, I think that it is my opinion and it is divided by the members of Grenoble and I am sure, it is that Attac can be only one movement of citizens, I am against the adhesion of the political parties.

Thomas : There is Vallini. One it forever considering coming while saying to us here I would like to speak or while saying, I would like that one puts on the agenda the questions to the French National Assembly. Not need to make speeches but it is enough to behave as a ordinary citizen and that it delivers its information such as he received it.

Julie : For me what interesting it that that is called upon each citizen, I do not think that it is the specific one of Attac and to the level of Attac, there are already phenomena of be able, to keep the capacity. One can give them the right to speak but it is difficult on the level of Attac to play its part of citizen because I believe that it is always difficult for people who are with the head of something to preserve the cold head and to give the place to each one, i.e. it is difficult to hold of the national a certain number of things [...] The place of the individual and the citizen which wants Re-to also adapt also within its own association a form to be able, since it is nevertheless the objective of Attac, réapproprier as a citizen a form of being able [...] that interests me much to see how it evolves/moves and to see what occurs, how it will evolve/move and how each militant who is àAttac and who came Attac, because it was precisely the result of a call to awake the citizen who is of each one of us, how he will manage and how will make live that within the association which claims EC objective [...] This association passed by a particular skew, it tackled the problem of universalization under the aspect of the financial world and the other aspect which me appears paramount it is that it called upon the D-appropriation of the world by the citizen and I think that it is something of important.

Thomas: In 95 I have to vote for Arlette Laguiller and I had abstained from with the second turn. Finally I had voted white, me I always will vote white... I vote... I do not abstain from, I vote... But I vote white. Because it is a gesture citizen to vote white, you move but simply that wants to say that what one can proposes is not satisfied and there is another possibility.

Associative engagement is distinguished from the participation citizen within the meaning of the exercise of the rights and duties conferred on the individual by the political community. The model to which Attacant is attached would not be it not then that of the humane militant, like the Member of a league or the militant or of international Amnesty, of which the action would be deprived of interests. The altruism would be the explanatory principle which governs engament of the militant. Can one, consequently, affirm that Attac, just like ONG humanitarians, would constitute a moral company ?

* ⁴⁰⁵ For example, several inquired do not have, or quasiement not, recourse to this concept. Cecile and Isabelle do not use it (zero occurrence) and Luc refer to it very little (three occurrences). Others, like Fabien (3), Thomas (3) use it with some recoveries. Lastly, some, Laurent (9), Julie (9) and Bernard (10) refer to it rather frequently. In addition, Lionel criticizes the use which is made term («  I have reserves to as use the word of citizen, it is galvaudé so much as it does not mean any more large-thing  »).

* ⁴⁰⁶ This representation which is specific to Attac seems in direct bond with the presentation that association even makes of it. It does not appear to us in direct connection with the adhesion of to be surveyed.

* ⁴⁰⁷ Sophie Duchesne, the paradox of the citizenship, in Pascal Perrineau, political engagement. Decline or change  ? , Paris, Press of Sciences Po, 1994, pp. 185-214.

* ⁴⁰⁸ As recalled by Domenica Schnapper, the citizen is, initially it «  member of a political community  », it is defined by the exercise of its rights and its civic duties and by its participation in the decisions of the State, in the name of the general will. C

* ⁴⁰⁹ «  The use of «  associative citizenship  » or of the active citizenship  » by associations returns very directly to the analysis of the associative speech, autonomy, responsibility and creativity of the actors, news practice political and changes «  by bottom  »  ». Barthelemy (Martine), op.cit, p. 215.