In 2025, the town of Vaulx-en-Velin renewed its partnership with Cartooning for Peace as part of the Local Action Plan to Combat Racism, Anti-Semitism and Discrimination.
For the seventh consecutive year, the initiatives put in place have helped young people to develop their critical thinking skills and learn to live together harmoniously, through the medium of editorial cartoons (in both school and extracurricular settings).
A one-day training session on teaching through editorial cartoons was organised in January 2026 for education professionals involved in the project or working in the Vaulx-en-Velin area (teachers, educators, youth workers, youth club coordinators and managers, and leaders and volunteers from local organisations).
The young people were then able to visit an educational exhibition, ‘Draw Me Gender Equality’ or ‘All Migrants!’, accompanied by their mentors.
Over the following months, the political cartoonists Jam and MMTK, working alongside a member of the Cartooning for Peace educational team, visited five secondary schools, two leisure centres, groups of non-native-speaking adults, and the local youth centre to run a total of 12 workshops (discussions or practical sessions on political cartooning).
These events gave different groups of people the opportunity to discuss the theme of the exhibition, explore the key issues surrounding freedom of expression, and learn about the profession of political cartoonist; they also enabled young people from leisure centres and local community organisations to try their hand at political cartooning.
● 122 young people (96 in schools and 26 in out-of-school settings), as well as 35 adults, took part in the workshops
● 17 professionals were trained in teaching through editorial cartoons: 4 youth workers or youth centre staff; an educator from the Mission Locale; a secondary school teacher; and 11 managers and volunteers from local organisations operating in the Vaulx-en-Velin area
The project came to a close with a drinks reception on Wednesday 10 June 2026, during a presentation event held at the René Beauverie School in Vaulx-en-Velin, attended by the young people and their families. Visitors were able to view around thirty drawings created by the young people during the workshops, as well as the exhibition “All Migrants!”.
The event was opened by Salima Betra, representative to the Prefect of the Rhône. Anne Lejeune, head of educational projects at Cartooning for Peace, then highlighted the benefits—for both young people and education professionals—of this long-standing partnership between the local council, the Cité éducative de Vaulx-en-Velin, and Cartooning for Peace. Sidi Sidibé, an educator at the local youth centre, highlighted the quality of the discussions during the workshops, which enabled young people to broaden their horizons through meeting the Iranian cartoonist Jam and learning about his migration journey. They were also able to express their views on current affairs through drawing. Azzedine Soltani, Deputy Mayor for Culture, Science and Major Events at Vaulx-en-Velin Town Hall, emphasised the importance of diversity and dialogue. Amel Jaouadi, Deputy Mayor for Youth, Employment, Integration and Vocational Training, and Laich Salimi, Councillor for Heritage Preservation and Promotion and Transport, also attended the event.
Several young people presented the cartoons they had created during the workshops. These cartoons depicted, in particular, the hardships of exile, the distress of people living in war-torn countries, and the discrimination they face on a daily basis.
Finally, the Cuban cartoonist Wimar, a member of Cartooning for Peace, recounted his journey into exile through his drawings, before creating a drawing live on stage with the audience’s participation. The drawing was inspired by words suggested as symbols of migration: a suitcase, a sad figure, a family, war, the unknown.
