The Action! Forum: associations and employees working together for tangible commitments in 2026

On March 17, 2026, at the occasion of the Action! Forum, employees and ten partner associations rallied around a common objective at the CSTJF: to facilitate discussions and actions for civic engagement and regional integration.

Spearheaded by TotalEnergies Foundation, the international solidarity program Action! enables the multi-energy Company’s employees to participate in community projects alongside local associations during their working hours.

This program is an essential lever for TotalEnergies’ civic engagement: it promotes social value, strengthens regional integration, and gives everyone a chance to take action for the most vulnerable populations. 

It was with this in mind that the Action! Forum was held at the CSTJF site in Pau. The day started with the all-important introductions, which brought together the guest associations, the local advisors, Isabelle Porterie and Anne Echardel, and the civic engagement team, Florence Lamon and Damien Lartigau-Diharce.

Not only was this a key moment for the Foundation and its partners, but it was also a chance for the associations to begin networking. "Mutual introductions and informal discussions made it easier for people to get to know one another, share their experience, and start to build synergies to tackle common issues. For several of the organizations, a major benefit of the forum is the collective aspect," explains Isabelle Porterie, Head of External Relations at TotalEnergies Pau.
 

From networking to taking action

The second half of the day was devoted to dialog with employees. Thanks to these one-on-one discussions, the associations were able to explain their needs, projects and constraints, while getting a clearer idea of what drives employees and what they expect. At the end of the day, the associations were pleased to report that employees had gained a better understanding of the challenges they face, a key prerequisite to ensuring purposeful commitment in the long term.

As highlighted by Julien Marque, Manager of the association La Cravate Solidaire in Pau: "It’s a great opportunity to get together with other local players, to exchange views with the team from TotalEnergies, the Foundation, and employees, so that we can present our organization, our projects, and make them want to join in the adventure with us!" It’s a format he recommends to other associations: "It’s a chance for us to break out of our daily routine, meet people and promote our association. This forum shines the spotlight on the human aspect, the key factor of success in our projects!"

The Action! Forum also produced tangible results. Some associations were immediately inspired by the discussions and identified possibilities for starting new projects or making changes to existing ones. Others hired qualified contacts, paving the way for actions in the short to medium term. None of these projects would have come to light without this event.

For Vincent Larue, HR advisor – Employees, Habitat et Humanisme Pyrénées Adour, the Action! Forum fully served its purpose: "Strengthening the relationship with TotalEnergies Foundation and other associations. Productive talks with TotalEnergies employees leading to possible actions and interest in volunteering in the long term." He also explains how important the program is for developing the projects carried out by the associations: "For us, taking part in this forum means making employees aware of our projects as well as discussing our practices and the implementation of programs (Action!, Skills sponsorship) with other associations."

When asked to sum up the benefits of the Action! Forum in one sentence, the associations described it as an accelerator – for understanding, for networking, and for taking action. A format they readily recommend to other organizations, in that it does much more than enhancing visibility: it is a real opportunity to build tangible, purposeful, and mutual projects.
 

Event recap video with first-hand accounts

The ten guest associations of the 2026 edition:

• AJIR - Winner of JIMP’ACT 2025
  Through personalized educational and housing programs, AJIR helps vulnerable children, teenagers and adults, particularly with regard to child protection, social inclusion and autonomy.
  🔗 https://www.ajir-aquitaine.org
• Habitat et Humanisme Béarn strives to provide decent housing to people in vulnerable situations, while offering individual support to foster inclusion and help create social ties.
  🔗 https://www.habitat-humanisme.org
• The CEN works to protect biodiversity and remarkable landscapes, by managing, restoring and promoting natural areas across the region of Nouvelle Aquitaine.
  🔗 https://cen-nouvelle-aquitaine.org
• École de la Deuxième Chance – E2C - Winner of JIMP’ACT 2025
  The École de la Deuxième Chance offers customized curricula, combining training, internships and employment counselling to support young people aged 16 to 29 having left school without any qualifications.
  🔗 https://e2c64.fr
• Cravate Solidaire fights against employment discrimination by supporting people reintegrating the world of work or changing careers. It organizes workshops to help people prepare for job interviews or improve their professional image.
  🔗 https://lacravatesolidaire.org/pau
• Parcours Jeunes - Winner of JIMP’ACT 2023
  Parcours Jeunes encourages academic success and equal opportunities by accompanying struggling junior high school students in Pau through customized tutoring and job discovery programs.
  🔗 https://www.parcoursjeunes.com
• The Restos du Cœur des Pyrénées‑Atlantiques provides food aid and general support to vulnerable people. It also focuses on access to rights, culture and social inclusion.
  🔗 https://ad64.restosducoeur.org
• UDAF 65 - Winner of JIMP’ACT 2023
  UDAF 65 supports families and vulnerable people such as refugees and socially-excluded people. It oversees programs for inclusion and for building social ties. 
  🔗 https://www.udaf65.fr
• Rebonds! supports vulnerable young people and families across the region by using sport, rugby in particular, as a lever for education, and social and professional inclusion.
  🔗 https://www.asso-rebonds.com
• Cap Parrainage puts job seekers in contact with volunteer executives and managers to help people achieve a sustainable return to work through personalized advice and access to professional networks.
  🔗 https://www.cap-parrainage.com