INTRODUCTION

Mission  -  Board of directors  -  To contact

Founded in Montreal in 1997, the Fondation Solidarité Colombie-Québec (Canada), also called Solicolque, is a nonprofit and a non-governmental organization (NGO) for international cooperation. It is the culmination of volunteers’ initiatives from the province of Quebec, aware of the impact that armed conflict has had on the Colombian people.

Solicolque achieves its mission, keeping in mind the issue of a civil war on Colombians involving national army, insurgent groups Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), National Liberation Army (ELN) and anti-insurgent paramilitary groups, confronting one another in various zones of Colombia. For many decades, these continuous conflicts have significantly deteriorated the socio-economic sector of Colombia. The most significant impacts can be found in the health and education sectors, having an immediate effect on the underprivileged classes.

However, by far the most tragic result is the forced exile of civilians who flee their environment to escape violence. Between 1985 and 2000, around 2 million Colombians were displaced. Santa Marta, a relatively peaceful zone with no armed conflict, receives a significant portion of these refugees, also called desplazados.

In order to provide both a secure working environment to on-site volunteers and fulfill the needs of the desplazados, Solicolque chose the Santa Marta region to fulfill its mission.

The desplazados, having left all of their belongings behind, arrive by successive waves and manage somehow to settle in Commune 8 of Santa Marta. For housing, they are reduced to build shelters using wood, metal sheets, cardboard, plastic or any other material. 

Unemployment and lack of basic services, such as water and electricity, lead to malnutrition, poor hygiene, idleness and other health problems, which in turn impact family members at various degrees.

Solicolque supports community initiatives, located on the “misery belts” that surround urban areas of the Magdalena Department (north of Colombia). These communities, which are predominantly made-up of refugees (desplazados) who have fled their homes to escape violence in Colombia, live in conditions of extreme poverty.

For approximately twenty years, thousands of displaced families have found refuge in the Commune 8 of Santa Marta. Located at the base of the Sierra Nevada, the Commune 8 is inhabited by 35,000 people who invade areas known as  the quarters of La Paz, Cristo Rey, Circacia and Torre Quince, where most of our projects take place.

Solicolque represents:

Solicolque has fulfilled its mission by establishing strong foundations of cooperation either in Colombia, in the Province of  Québec (Canada) or elsewhere.

Our Mission

As a philanthropic and nonprofit organisation, we wish :

Board of Directors

The board of directors of the Fondation Solidarité Colombie-Québec (Canada), as endorsed by its members, is responsible for the fulfillment of its mission. For voluntary administrators, board meetings serve as an opportunity for orientation, evaluation and the integration of projects both in Quebec and in Colombia.

Executive committee’s duties are: to spread and to apply the board of directors’ endorsed orientations, to make business decisions on behalf of the Fondation Solidarité Colombie-Québec (Canada) and to ensure the operations of the following sectors: general administration, communication, finance and projects abroad.

Aleyda Lamotte, Chairwoman*; Maria Fernanda Benavides, Vice-chairwoman*; Jacques Lamotte, Secretary-Treasurer*; Eduardo Martinez, Administrator; Yolande Pellerin, Administrator; Clément Laurin, Administrator; Christian Pairon, Administrator.

* Executive committee members

Thanks

The board of directors expresses its gratitude to all patrons of Solicolque since they allow the Fondation Solidarité Colombie-Québec (Canada) to assist Colombians’ families. The board of directors also thanks all members, volunteers and friends for their support and commitment, allowing Solicolque to pursue its mission of North-South cooperation.

To contact Solicolque

Updated 2009-01-12