Open to young people around the world, the Freedom Prize is a device for raising awareness among 15-25 year olds about freedom, peace and human rights. Why is it important for you to participate in such a project?

One of the red threads in my life as a journalist has been giving young people a voice or creating devices that allow them to take it. The learning of citizenship is not only forged by taking courses on institutions or discovering "civic ethics". It must, as much as possible, be embodied by commitments that have an impact - whatever the scale. I am therefore impatient and curious to participate in the work of these young people from around the world. What I saw from the first edition shows their tremendous maturity and intelligence.

13 nationalities are represented on this jury. What can this diversity bring to the deliberations?

The essential idea that certain values ​​exist beyond differences of origin and place of life. The survival, in a troubled world, of some universal benchmarks. The simple fact that young people from 13 countries agree on a common definition of freedom amounts to lighting a small light in a time when obscurantisms seem to be progressing. This light also brings hope. I would add that it is not neutral that this price is organized by a region which suffered in its flesh so that freedom prevails over barbarism.

The jury that you chair will have to study 167 profiles received following the call for proposals "Our Freedom Prize 2020" and select 3 finalists. How do you understand this?

With immense respect for the members of the jury! It is up to them to define the criteria, then build arguments. The exercise is formidable.

As president of the jury, what do you want to bring to the 24 young members of the jury during these deliberations?

The profession that I have been practicing for thirty years - journalist - is affected in several ways by the concept of freedom. Freedom of expression, contribution to an enlightened democratic life, fight against "false news" ... But this freedom is not expressed in any way. It is framed by laws, by an ethical corpus ... I will be delighted, if they wish, to exchange with them on this. A second possible contribution is more technical: journalism teaches ways to access reliable information; some of these means can be used to assess what the people or organizations selected for the award are doing.

Finally, with the team that designed and animated the award, I hope to make a useful contribution to the maieutics that will allow the finalists to emerge.

Emmanuel Davidenkoff is editor-in-chief of Le Monde, where he coordinates both the Campus section and editorial diversification activities (O21 - Orientation in the 21st century, Le Monde Cities, etc.).

A long time specialist in education issues, he covered this sector in the generalist (Liberation) and specialized press (Phosphore, l'Etudiant where he was editorial director…) and on the radio (20 years of columns on France Info ). He has published several books including 'Réveille-toi, Jules Ferry, ils sont fous fou' (Oh! Editions, 2006) and 'Le tsunami numérique' (Stock, 2014).

He is also president of the Labo des Histoires, a 1901 association which offers writing workshops to young people, particularly from disadvantaged areas, in a dozen regions including Normandy.