The Association of Mayors of the Alpes-Maritimes and its president, Mr. Honoré COLOMAS, mayor of Saint-André la Roche and General Councillor, along with the Regional Union of French Cities Welcomes Provence, Alpes Côte d’Azur, and Corsica, and its president Pierrette GIMENEZ, signed a joint agreement on Tuesday morning. This collaboration highlights the complementarity of their actions in terms of welcoming newcomers. There are 12 AVF (French Cities Welcomes) in the Alpes-Maritimes department. The aim is to provide a service to individuals, families, and businesses by addressing challenges related to mobility. It is not always easy to find one’s place when arriving from another city.
This service involves establishing contact even before arriving in a new city, welcoming newcomers on site during sessions held by trained volunteers, and subsequently facilitating adaptation to the new environment. “This collaboration makes us very happy,” declared Pierrette Gimenez at the signing of the agreement. It is recognition for the association, even though it took a year to finalize this agreement. Honoré Colomas, on his part, promises to inform the 163 mayors of the Alpes-Maritimes to assist the AVF volunteers in their efforts. The AVF acts only in the main cities of the Alpes-Maritimes. The Association of Mayors in the region primarily assists the administrations of smaller communities with which it is often in contact. After a constructive discussion, the interest of intercommunality in terms of welcoming was unanimously recognized. “We must ensure that the newcomer immediately feels part of a community,” justifies Honoré Colomas.
Guided tours of the city, monthly meetings among new arrivals, multiple activities, and volunteers ready to address the needs of each newcomer: the AVF meets the expectations of the president of the mayors of the Alpes-Maritimes. Being on the same wavelength, the two associations will help each other for the benefit of both.
The articles of the agreement:
ARTICLE 1
The Association of Mayors of the Alpes-Maritimes acknowledges the URAVF, which groups 38 local AVFs (9200 members – 1250 volunteers – 1730 New Arrivals), and 12 AVFs in the Alpes-Maritimes department, for its mission of service to individuals, families, and businesses by providing solutions to mobility-related issues.
This service includes establishing contact even before arriving in a new city, providing on-site welcomes during sessions by trained volunteers, and then facilitating adaptation to the new environment and fostering new social connections.
ARTICLE 2
The Association of Mayors of the Alpes-Maritimes and the URAVF Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur and Corsica commit to disseminating this information among their members to promote continuity of contacts at the local level, allowing for the organization of joint and complementary actions.
ARTICLE 3
If needed, the Association of Mayors of the Alpes-Maritimes and the URAVF Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur and Corsica will review the progress of this agreement to refine its concrete implementation.
This agreement will remain valid unless terminated by either party with a three-month notice.
Regional website of the AVF:
[https://www.avf.asso.fr/minisites/Website/site/provencealpescotedazurcorse_accueil.php?PHPSESSID=7eed25de5a7e19dcfbf27d3de5b01ee6](https://www.avf.asso.fr/minisites/Website/site/provencealpescotedazurcorse_accueil.php?PHPSESSID=7eed25de5a7e19dcfbf27d3de5b01ee6)
Website of the Association of Mayors of the 06:
[www.associationdesmaires06.fr](www.associationdesmaires06.fr)
