For 18 years, Omar le chéri, a comic hero created by Gilles Kraemer while he was living in Cairo, has become the mascot of an association. Professional journalists are his ironclad appetite for investigation, through workshops in schools, cultural or social centres…
Educational workshops
Workshop Omar Le Chéri – Alexandria – Bibalex © OLC – Gilles Kraemer
During these workshops, the young reporters discover journalistic techniques, before choosing a common subject. During the stage of information gathering, they form teams. Some young people, that do not like writing turn out to be at ease asking questions. The participation of skilled and flexible professional journalists, contributes to the quality of the result and highlight young people’s value. They give advice and assist in formating. After an intensive week of workshops, they give birth to publishing projects : the printed newspaper Tand’M and posts on blogs. The young people, including some with learning difficulties, feel great pride. The educational purpose is at the heart of the associative project and leads to training programmes for instructors and to sharing an on-line teaching toolbox.
Successful collaborations
Besides, the duo between professional journalists and young reporters is not the only tandem in the project. For Violaine Jaussent, assistant secretary general, the key to success lies in the complicit bond that is formed with the teacher or the instructor. His knowledge of the group provides support in facilitating the workshops, adapting the educational tools, and sharing tasks according to the talents and capabilities.
Worshop Tand’M – february 2015- CND © OLC- Violaine Jaussent
Since 2012, the collaboration with a French litterature teacher from Romain-Rolland school, in Clichy-sous-Bois brings Omar le Chéri, in a dance project. Here, the formula is quite different. Instead of being concentrated in a week with a small group, the actions are spread within the year for the whole class. Each one find the issue in which they are interested : interview of a dance professional, performance reviews, explorations of professions that surround the dance centre. The quality of the result demonstrates the involvement of each one.
Travelling workshops for a citizen practice
Omar le Chéri also like leaving for adventure in new places, in France (in disadvantaged areas of big cities or in rural areas), or in Mediterranean countries. Several workshops took place in Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, Palestine…
Training of instructors – Cairo © OLC – Gilles Kraemer
Worshop Tand’M – february 2015- CND © OLC- Violaine Jaussent
According to Gilles Kraemer: “The first objective is not to encourage new careers. We are actually intending to foster citizenship. Our objective is to show that French language can represent a tool for understanding the world and that simple discovery methods, such as interviews and inquiries can help us leaving our daily routine and meeting other people. The workshop develop citizen spirit by giving keys for young people to understand better and demystify the media.”
Violain Jaussent adds : « the meetings during the workshops also nourish the journalists’ perspective. Sometimes journalists are faced with unexpected questions on their profession and on the subjects that are dealt. The spontaneity brings us a feeling of freshness. »
