Who we are

The mission of the Roussillon Community Development Corporation (CDC) is defined as:

• Promoting community development in the Roussillon RCM, and the interests, concerns and contributions of community development groups.
• Raising awareness within the population to improve individual quality of life by all appropriate means.
• Involving all citizens in looking for solutions to issues in their community.
• Uniting, through concerted and complementary actions, community organizations, their partners and collaborators, concerned with poverty, the political and environmental conditions, quality of life and development of their community.
• Encouraging community development in a multisectoral perspective.
• Promoting reflection, consultation and collaboration on all subjects related to social, sustainable and communal development.

CDCs carry their operations through ten areas of intervention. While complying to their frame of reference, CDCs are not uniform, as they reflect their own individual history. CDCs must adequately cater to the needs and dynamics of the environment they stem from. Their activities therefore are always in movement, changing in types and intensity depending on their specificity.

The order of presentation of the areas embodies the two essential elements of the work of a CDC: the first five areas present the crucial and unavoidable development work, while the bottom five illustrate the work in support to organizations and the community.

The CDC covers the territory of the Roussillon RCM, including its eleven municipalities: Châteauguay, Léry, Mercier, Saint-Isidore, Saint-Constant, Saint-Mathieu, Delson, Sainte-Catherine, La Prairie, Candiac and Saint-Philippe. Three of these municipalities are classified as rural, i.e.: Saint-Isidore, Saint-Mathieu and Saint-Philippe. Nearly 200,000 people reside on this vast area of 371 km².

It is through the involvement of its member organizations on different internal working committees and their active participation in meetings that the Roussillon CDC determines its mandates. In compliance with its mission, an annual action plan is drafted and adopted during each annual general meeting. The main guidelines that will establish the work of the CDC are therefore democratically defined and each member is invited to contribute.

Members of the Roussillon CDC agree to share their different qualities and efforts to lead four values important to them. These values were collectively determined during the Members Meeting of October 28, 2014.

Solidarity, social justice, equality and respect will be the basis of each exchange between members.

Solidarity is a highly important value for the members of the Roussillon CDC. In order to reach the desired level of solidarity, members consider that their presence and participation are essential to the operations of the CDC. Their involvement facilitates collaborative work and reciprocity between organizations. Members want to get involved in their CDC by working with all the partners and by acting in solidarity with the decisions taken collectively. For the members of the Roussillon CDC, solidarity is also shown through the support and concrete involvement of the group towards organizations in needs. Members foster experience sharing, discussions and mutual aid between organizations to better answer the needs of the population. Finally, solidarity between members of the Roussillon CDC is expressed throughout supporting groups with revindications, who denounce social injustice and inequalities.

For all members, social justice is a fundamental value at the heart of the purpose of community groups. Fighting for social justice means tackling all forms of discrimination and promoting the defence of social, economic, and cultural rights. This implies sharing and discussing injustices in order to find collective solutions. Social justice is at the centre of each meeting of member organizations. Social justice is possible through the support, mutual guidance and participation in upcoming battles, and by implementing collective actions that go in that same direction.

Equality is an important value carried by each member. Inequality between men and women is an issue that touches all groups on different levels, most particularly in regards to economic disparity and violence. Fighting for equality means that the community values different age groups, and cultures, including the Mohawk community of Kahnawake. This value also tints the actions of the CDC and comes alive in the respect given to the different opinions of each member. Roles and responsibilities in relation to common achievements are shared within all members. Therefore, everyone is invited to contribute to the best of their abilities to collective work.

Respect is the foundation of each exchange between members of the Roussillon CDC. This value is shown through the ability to listen and the quality discussions within the collectivity. For all members, respect means recognizing the missions and limits of each individual and taking in consideration the opinions of others in order to foster rich and meaningful discussions.

With the four main values fuelling them, members of the Roussillon CDC are able to contribute to the development of their CDC coherently with the mission of the group.