The Étoile Civique (English: ''Civic Star'') was created by the
Académie Française
An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...
in order to reward dedication to people and honor behavior and actions which attest this.
History
Created in 1930 and named Mérite Civique (''Civic Merit''), it became Étoile Civique by the
Journal Officiel de la République Française
The ''Official Journal of the French Republic'' (), also known as the ''JORF'' or ''JO'', is the government gazette of the French Republic. It publishes the major legal official information from the national Government of France, the French Pa ...
n° 292, page 11672 of 12 December 1968. It awards bravery and dedication to people and honor behavior and actions which attest this.
Distinguishing those who contribute to the enrichment of the community, improvement of social life, progress of
Human
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...
ity, it is particularly interested in those whose lives are all of hard work, selflessness, sacrifice and will remain confined in anonymity without this award.
The Étoile Civique has three main goals:
* Improving the lives of individuals, whatever their age, nationality, color, social condition, taking into account their moral and material interests, as part of the human family ;
* The defense of
human rights
Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
, respect for the duties of citizens, by express reference to the
Universal Declaration that defines them ;
* To showcase the French national prestige.
Classes and insignia
This distinction has four levels :
bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...
,
silver
Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...
,
gold
Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
and
silver-gilt
Silver-gilt or gilded/gilt silver, sometimes known in American English by the French language, French term vermeil, is silver (either pure or sterling silver, sterling) which has been gilding, gilded. Most large objects made in goldsmithing tha ...
.
The medal contains the following: « Honorer les vertus civiques – Servir le prestige national » (''To honor the civic virtues – Serving national prestige''). On the reverse, it is written : « l'Étoile Civique en reconnaissance à ... Promotion ... » (''The Civic Star in recognition of ... Promotion ...'').
Degree with the same registration is also awarded.
Notable recipients
*
Maryse Bastié
Maryse Bastié (; 27 February 1898 – 6 July 1952) was a French aviator who set several international records for female aviators during the 1930s.
Early life
She was born Marie-Louise Bombec in Limoges, Haute-Vienne; Bastié's father died ...
, French
aviator
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators because they a ...
;
*
Pierre Chevalier,
caver
Caving, also known as spelunking (United States and Canada) and potholing (United Kingdom and Ireland), is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems (as distinguished from show caves). In contrast, speleology is the scientific ...
and mountaineer from France ;
*
Jean-Michel Dubois, French politician and a member of the far-right
FN.
*
Emile Garabiol, French
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...
*
Bernard Pinet, French
actor
An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Etoile Civique
Awards established in 1930
Civil awards and decorations of France
*