Company Profile

SOCODEVI

Quebec, , Canada

Services Products - Services,
Proprietorship Firm Since 0

In 1985, some of Quebec's cooperatives and mutual societies came together to create an organization that would allow them to share their experience and expertise with cooperative and mutual organizations from developing countries in their development activities. This was the creation of SOCODEVI: Soci?t? de coop?ration pour le d?veloppement international, a Canadian nonprofit corporation.
SOCODEVI was founded by some Quebec cooperatives and mutual societies that actively contribute to cooperation projects. The ongoing commitment of its member institutions is characterized by participation in the Soci?t?'s management, technical assistance for development projects and education and information activitives for members to favour a better understanding of aspects of sustainable development.

Products :
Activities :- 1)AGRI-FOOD :- In the context of globalization, a valuable tool for sustainable development at the local and regional levels is the association of small producers to form a cooperative that provides access to:- Services at a lower cost, Markets, Technology, Capital. 2)INSURANCES :- Access to personal or household insurance still remains limited for most people in developing countries. This lack of protection or ability to meet unexpected expenses or sudden loss of income is a factor in the impoverishment of the families affected. The setting up of cooperative and mutual enterprises in the insurance sector with products adapted to the needs of the insured members, is an appropriate solution to give them access to increased protection. 3)FORESTRY :- The development of forest resources is a profitable economic solution for communities, helping them to preserve and develop their environment. A forest is above all a habitat and community participation in its management is essential for sustainable use of resources, maintaining biodiversity and creating sustainable economic activity. It is recognized around the world that forested land has even greater potential for generating wealth and added value than does agriculture. What is more, world demand for forestry products is growing strongly. However, a balance must be found between recognizing the economic and social importance of forested land and adapting forestry to local communities. 4)MICROFINANCE :- Access to quality financial services at an affordable price is essential to the growth of economic activities that lead to development. The majority of inhabitants of the countries where SOCODEVI intervenes do not have access to financial services that meet these criteria. Women are especially marginalized when it comes to access to financial services. In addition, they are almost always excluded from decision-making positions in the existing financial institutions. 5)LOCAL DEVELOPMENT :- Capacity building for rural community development and organization is essential for sustainable improvement of living conditions. The approach undertaken by SOCODEVI is based on active participation by these communities to allow them to take charge of their development. 6)Health Services :- Along with its institutional members, SOCODEVI is convinced that the cooperatives and mutuals are an effective method to meet the needs of communities. The reason for the existence of cooperatives and mutuals, which are participatory organizations initiated by their members, is to satisfy the needs of their member owners. 7)SCHOOL SERVICES :- In Qu?bec, cooperatives within academic environments have existed since 1944. Today they are present in most colleges and universities and in a growing number of secondary schools. The F?d?ration des coop?ratives qu?b?coises en milieu scolaire (FCQMS) under the COOPSCO banner unites sixty cooperatives operating in academic environments and reaches nearly 300, 000 students. With the contribution of the FCQMS, SOCODEVI provides support to create cooperatives and build capacity. Assistance from SOCODEVI can involve:- undertaking feasibility studies, organizational support, development of strategies for recruiting members, legal assistance for setting up the cooperative, defining and developing services Contract negotiation. Training and resources :- SOCODEVI has 20 years of experience providing support and advice to organizations and partners in the south. Each project entailed the creation of training material, advisory support or management tools in the various sectors of intervention. In order to maximize our organization's expertise and share it with the various projects, professional employees and field advisors, a training service has been set up with the double goal of creating an institutional data bank based on our knowledge of development and the production of new material. The documentation centre regroups all the training material and management tools produced by the head office and by overseas projects along with a collection of reference works on development and SOCODEVI's various sectors of intervention.