United for intercooperation. These words were central to SOCODEVI’s 39th Annual Assembly, held on June 13 at Quebec City Cruise Terminal.
More than 150 people, most of whom were from SOCODEVI’s cooperative and mutualist network, came together to celebrate our achievements over the last year and recognize our members’ hard work and their commitment to pursuing our mission.
Let’s relive the day’s highlights!
Our meeting began to the rhythm of the Djembé Québec drums.
A look back at a busy year!
Jean-Philippe Marcoux and Marie-Christine Bélanger, respectively CEO and Consulting Services and Innovation Director at SOCODEVI, kicked off by taking a look back at the year. They used practical examples to show how SOCODEVI’s work helped improve living conditions for as many people as possible in the countries in which we work.
Jean-Philippe Marcoux with Marie-Christine Bélanger
In 2023-2024, SOCODEVI initiatives reached over 2.1 million people through activities in Ghana, Morocco, Chad, Bolivia, Ukraine and a dozen more countries.
The cooperative movement as a tool for improving living conditions for indigenous people and marginalized communities
SOCODEVI has launched initiatives to support vulnerable populations for almost 40 years, including indigenous peoples and economically marginalized communities. To mark National Indigenous History Month, we decided to hand the floor to these communities who are all too often forgotten. SOCODEVI invited Anne-Marie Merrien, a postdoctoral researcher at IRECUS, the Université de Sherbrooke’s research and education institute for cooperatives and mutuals, to lead this section of the Assembly. Anne-Marie’s doctorate focused on the role of cooperatives in the recognition of identity in Nunavik, making her an ideal candidate to lead the discussion.
Anne-Marie Merrien during her presentation
She spoke with Bineta Fall, a gender equality advisor for the Natur’ELLES project in Senegal. Bineta explained how indigenous populations in Senegal were included in the Natur’ELLES project and gave examples of how the cooperative movement furthered these communities’ inclusion in Senegal’s economy.
Bineta Fall on stage during her chat with Anne-Marie Merrien
Other examples from Morocco and Bolivia were also presented, showcasing SOCODEVI’s multiple approaches to cooperative development.
Thank you to all participants for these fascinating and informative discussions!
SOCODEVI Intercooperation Awards
Our Annual Assembly wouldn’t be the same without our famous Intercooperation Awards. Every year, these awards are given to members or employees of an institution in our cooperative and mutualist network to highlight their contribution to advancing SOCODEVI’s mission.
Find out about this year’s recipients!
Guy Bouchard – Beneva
Guy Bouchard is one of the pioneers of philanthropy at SOCODEVI. Since the SOCODEVI Foundation’s beginnings in 2005, he has put his amazing talents as a spokesperson to good use, rallying our network around SOCODEVI’s mission. He is also the driving force responsible for creating and developing our golf tournament.
Mr Bouchard with Jean-Philippe Marcoux and SOCODEVI President Céline Delhaes.
André Noël – Confédération québécoise des coopératives d’habitation
At SOCODEVI, when it comes to advising on the housing cooperative sector, André Noël is top of our list. He has completed eight assignments in Senegal as a volunteer advisor on managing housing cooperatives as part of SOCODEVI’s support activities. He has worked with organizations such as the Thiès regional union for housing and construction cooperatives (URCCHT), helping them improve their governance, increase gender equality and optimize the services provided to families belonging to cooperatives.
Mr Noël with Ms Céline Delhaes and Jean-Philippe Marcoux
Nancy Tanguay – Fédération des coopératives forestières du Québec
Nancy Tanguay is working to advance our mission on multiple fronts, including in Colombia, Morocco, Peru and Bolivia as well as at her cooperative in Girardville, where she is general manager. Her extensive experience setting up and managing tree nurseries has been a real asset over her six international assignments—which she says are only the beginning!
Ms. Tanguay in her acceptance speech
Congratulations to all three recipients, and thank you for your commitment to our mission!
A journey to Lake Atitlán
Our guests didn’t even have to take the plane to travel to the shores of Lake Atitlán in Guatemala! Attendees had the exclusive opportunity to visit our PRODISOL initiative and discover our tourism-related activities connected to the lake. We enjoyed discovering the murals, artisanal goods, local delicacies and more produced by the cooperative members we support.
This immersive visit was an opportunity to learn more about this amazing initiative designed to bolster the economic power of over 1,200 indigenous women and young people in the Lake Atitlán area in a sustainable way.
Find out more about the PRODISOL project!