Press Release: Launch Leave for Change

Luck Mervil calls on Quebec companies and institutions to show their solidarity: their skills are needed in Africa, the Americas and Asia!

Montréal, March 21, 2006 – Luck Mervil, back from his visit to development projects in Senegal and Burkina Faso, as well as the people who went on Leave for Change and their employers, invite the media and companies to the Leave for Change launch. The CECI spokesperson would like to mobilize people and companies from here and elsewhere to contribute their skills to the social and economic advancement of villages, neighbourhoods and communities in Africa, Asia and the Americas.

For the first time, providing services on a humanitarian basis is no longer reserved for international cooperation professionals. Thanks to Uniterra, a CECI and WUSC program, everyone can work in support of international development. Five volunteers have already returned from Senegal, Niger and Burkina Faso. Michel Arseneault, an Office Automation Software Development Technician working with the City of Montréal went to Dakar, in Senegal, to share his knowledge of computers with 18 students from the ages of 22 to 60 enrolled in a literacy program. “I had few materials at my disposal, but despite this, I managed to teach each of my three groups the basic functions in Word, Excel and Outlook. I find the results to be quite encouraging!” It’s great to be useful, and to contribute even the tiniest little thing to a society in progress! And we learn so much! We are fully immersed in the country! This is so much more fulfilling than a vacation on the beach.

For companies, Leave for Change, is offered for all types of working environments and promotes their commitment to change within a contemporary vision—that of the socially responsible company. It allows companies to be more than just donors, and to have a direct impact on the fieldwork done in different sectors of activity. It’s enough to bring a whole new meaning to the word charity! “Companies became very receptive, very quickly, because it’s a simple concept that’s easy to convey and that helps create a positive image of the company”, states Sylvain Matte, Director of Uniterra.

The needs expressed by African, South American and Asian partners of CECI and WUSC are immense and everyone praises the innovative quality of this new formula. Leave for Change provides rapid, concrete and useful results. With a broad scope, all types of expertise are required and appreciated! Leave for Change makes a difference, and responds adequately and effectively to the needs of our partners!

People who spoke: The Mayor of the Rosemont-La Petite Patrie borough in the City of Montréal, André Lavallée; returning volunteers, Amélie Régis and Michel Arsenault from the City of Montréal, and Philippe Chevalier, Advisor with Samson Bélair/Deloitte & Touche who were in Senegal and Burkina Faso respectively; and well-known people from various unions, the political and business world: Jacques Létourneau, in charge of international relations with the CSN, Lilian Chatterjee, Director General of Agency Services and Canadian Relations with CIDA, the City of Montréal, Mathieu Alarie, Head of Human Resources with Abbott Laboratories and Patrice Simard, Associate Group Manager, Québec Offices, Samson Bélair/Deloitte & Touche

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For more information: Carine Guidicelli, Communications Director, CECI
Off. (514) 875-9911 ext. 224
Cell. (514) 572-3358