International solidarity at Desjardins

True solidarity - the kind of solidarity that led to the creation of the cooperative system in the first place - knows no boundaries. It is only natural that local co-operators wanted to share this formula with other, less affluent populations around the world. That is why several Desjardins "builders" invested a lot of energy in the 1960s to establish the Group's international operations, from which the activities of Développement international Desjardins (DID) have evolved.

Since 1970, DID has helped make financial services accessible to communities in developing countries as part of the fight to reduce poverty. It offers these countries technical support and investment in the community finance sector.

For example, when a financial cooperative is set up, it offers new and practical opportunities to the community such as a safe place to keep money and the possibility of obtaining a loan for a project or to deal with an urgent problem. Based on the cooperative model, the creation of an institution that belongs to the community, and in which everyone has a say, enables the members of the community to build an asset that belongs to them jointly, since the institution itself constitutes a major asset.

It is no coincidence that DID's actions are reminiscent of the first financial cooperatives set up in Québec. DID's mission is to encourage the development of collectively-owned financial institutions and calls on the same values that motivated the Desjardins pioneers: the primacy of individuals, the right to accessible financial services, the creation of local collective wealth, finding solutions adapted to the needs of communities and the establishment of long-lasting partnerships.

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Audio clip : Democracy In developing countries, the technical support delivered by DID to community finance institutions is designed to provide communities with tools for organizing themselves and meeting their own needs for financial services, beginning with the use of local resources, savings deposits and capacity building. These institutions become assets themselves within the community, contribute to local economic progress and lead to better local leadership and democracy. MP3 - 3,67 Mo

Audio clip : Educational Loan Program In Haiti, families are able to send their children to school without going deeply into debt thanks to educational loans. This provides a source of hope helping parents feel positive about the future. MP3 - 3,67 Mo

Audio clip : Computerization In developing countries, a number of financial cooperatives supported by DID still perform operations manually. However, the volume of transactions has grown to the point that computerization has become a question of survival for them. Computerization makes it possible to increase the speed and reliability of operations. And modernizing the financial cooperative increases member confidence. MP3 - 3,67 Mo

Audio clip : The Philippines In the Philippines, the National Confederation of Co-operatives - or NATCCO - has a Youth Program to get more young people involved in the co-op movement and in the community. This program has three facets: savings, capacity building, and a Youth Centre. MP3 - 3,67 Mo

Audio clip : Raising Youth Awareness of international development     MP3 - 3,67 Mo

Audio clip : Raising Youth Awareness of international development     MP3 - 3,67 Mo

These clips were produced in collaboration with Radio Canada International.