30/06/2009 - Donations of prescription glasses and mobile phones, a cross-channel bike ride and a charity forum: these and many other events marked Citizen Commitment Week at La Défense.

Corporate citizenship croissants, a chat with rugby star Fabien Pelous and a visit to the “Pass pour l’Emploi” employment forum were just some of the events that marked the Citizen Commitment week at la Défense from 15 to 21 June 2009.

Along with their solidarity and commitment, staff also brought along their smiles and a great atmosphere. Small practical actions, necessary for the world around us, alternated with more global events such as awareness conferences. There was something for everyone during this Group event: some staff gave a little of their time to help charities, whilst others participated in fundraising activities. One of the most interesting aspects was that we got to concretise our commitments by donating some of our time to the associations involved in this 2nd citizen commitment week.

I feel that it was this variety and freedom of choice that made the Week such a success. The success of the event at La Défense was symbolised by a fresco consisting of hundreds of handprints that embodied all the practical commitment.

In total, thirty-three countries took part in Citizen Commitment Week 2009: Romania, Brazil, Canada, Spain, France, Poland, the UK, etc. Asia Pacific and many other regions across the world were involved.

Overall, over 20,000 hours were donated by our employees.