In Marseille, the Melting Pot association introduces young people to democratic life

Founded in 2022 by Alexandre Pastor, the association is running a growing number of workshops in schools and community centres to tackle abstention among the youngest voters, with the support of the City of Marseille and the Fondation Bouygues Telecom.

How do you make teenagers who have never set foot in a polling station want to vote? That is the challenge taken on by Melting Pot, short for “Politique ouverte à tous” (politics open to all), a Marseille association that runs introductory workshops on democratic life in schools and community centres for young people aged 11 to 25.

Set up in 2022, the association has been led by Alexandre Pastor since its foundation. “Young people need to understand in order to get involved,” he summed up, speaking to ICI Provence.

Melting Pot also relies on a network of volunteer ambassadors, the Club Melting Pot, which has been incubated by the Fondation Bouygues Telecom since 2024. In 2025, the City of Marseille voted a grant for the association.

Its work addresses a long-standing problem: abstention is particularly high among young voters. The association is betting on education, explaining how institutions work before talking about civic engagement.