“Defending the values of freedom, secularism and republican authority”
Stéphane Rambaud, MP for Var, supports showing the film “L’abandon” in regional high schools to defend Samuel Paty’s memory and republican values.
REPUBLICAN VALUES Several years after his assassination, the memory of Samuel Paty remains an open wound for the République. The teacher, beheaded by an Islamist terrorist for teaching freedom of expression, embodies the sacrifice of those who defend the fundamental principles of the Nation. An initiative supported within the Conseil régional aims to use cinema as a medium for remembrance and civic education by proposing the screening of the film “L’abandon” to all high school students in the territory.
NEVER FORGET The project centers around a powerful work, “L’abandon”, described as a “necessary tribute to Samuel Paty, but also an essential reflection on the mechanisms of hatred, cowardice, and resignation that led to this tragedy.” The sponsors of this initiative insist on the disastrous role played by digital platforms in this drama, highlighting how “social networks can become weapons of designation.” The film is presented as a tool to decode the spiral that led to the irreparable, pointing the finger at the responsibilities of those who “abandoned a teacher who was nevertheless simple in his mission.”
“The goal is to learn from this tragedy so that forgetfulness never sets in and to intellectually arm younger generations against these threats,” recalls Stéphane Rambaud. He further insists: “Beyond the tribute, showing this film in a school setting pursues an eminently pedagogical ambition. It is about transmitting the memory of Samuel Paty, but also defending the French values of freedom, secularism, and republican authority.”
For the supporters of the project within the regional chamber, it is crucial that students can take ownership of these principles which form the basis of the French social contract. The initiative is designed as a discussion support for teachers, allowing them to address complex but essential topics with their classes for the training of enlightened citizens. The approach is based on a deep conviction, hammered home by its supporters: “Our young people must understand that the République only stands if we have the courage to defend what Samuel Paty embodied: the freedom to teach, the freedom to think, and the freedom to express oneself.”
“This regional initiative is also intended as a firm political response to the pressures exerted on the teaching profession and, more broadly, on society. The text supporting the project is unequivocal and reads like a manifesto. It strongly asserts that in the face of Islamism, in the face of intimidation, in the face of all those who want to impose silence through fear, France must never give in.”
By supporting the screening of “L’abandon”, the local authority intends to send a message of firmness and unwavering support to all teachers who, every day, carry on the mission of Samuel Paty. It is a commitment not to give up, not to remain silent, and to continue to keep the Enlightenment alive at the heart of the school of the République,” concludes the MP for Var, who is also a regional councilor for the Région Sud.