The multiplicity of social issues addressed in this election campaign left little room to address the place of community organizations and the conditions for supporting their mission, whose essential role has been confirmed in the context of the pandemic.
From September 14 to 16, the forum “The community at the heart: dialogue around initiatives and practices during the pandemic” mobilized key players in the response to the COVID-19 crisis. This forum brought together more than 200 researchers, stakeholders and managers from academia, public health, health and social services institutions, municipalities as well as community and philanthropic organizations.
The presentations and exchanges around experiences and research made it possible to agree on five main findings for Quebec and on two priority actions to be put in place quickly to deal with the current context and prepare for the future.
The findings
1. The pandemic is a global social and health phenomenon that has affected not only physical health but also all dimensions of social life: economic, political, educational, employment, mental health, etc.
2. The pandemic and public health measures such as confinement have had the effect of increasing inequities and inequalities, and have further weakened the most vulnerable and marginalized populations and localities.
3. If the extent of the negative collateral effects has yet to be identified, socio-health interventions must quickly act on the social determinants of health (housing, food security, living conditions, etc.) to preserve well-being and cohesion in the communities.
4. During the pandemic, community mobilization, citizen participation and collaborative consultation were essential and made it possible to create adapted and innovative practices that saved lives.
5. Community organizations have been key players because of their ability to innovate, their flexibility and their privileged relationship with local populations, especially the most vulnerable. This was possible because of the mission of these organizations, recognized in the government policy of recognition and support of community action, which promotes community mobilization, popular education and the promotion of citizen participation.
However, this contribution of community organizations has not been fully recognized; on the contrary, the organizations have been weakened by the pandemic, the lack of adequate funding and the workforce crisis.
The participants and organizers of the forum identified two priority actions to face the public health challenges created by the pandemic and to prepare for other foreseeable socio-health crises in a context of globalization and climate change.
Priority actions
1. The rapid recognition of autonomous community action by expanding and increasing funding for the mission of all groups in different sectors of activity (health and social services, education, employability, defense of rights, reception of people immigrants and refugees, housing, culture, environment, etc.).
2. The establishment of consultation and collaboration mechanisms that ensure the conditions for the participation of community organizations that represent the populations concerned, in particular groups in situations of vulnerability, within structures bringing together local social and institutional actors.
*Co-signed this text:
Adina Ungureanu, coordinator of the Immigration Family Observatory
Aimee You
Alain Picard, Council of Hasidic Jews of Quebec (CJHQ)
Alain-Antoine Courchesne
Amir Harrate, APPR / DRSP Montreal
Anabelle Vanier-Clément, M.Sc., co-coordinator, CoVivre Program
Anna Bonnel, psychologist
Anne Pelletier, DePhy Montreal
Anne-Marie Paradis, Quebec Network for the Social Inclusion of Deaf and Hard of Hearing People
Annie Jaimes, Professor, Department of Psychology, UQAM
Ashely Wazana, MD, Assistant Professor, McGill University
Audrey Lamothe-Lachaine, professor of psychology, Collège de Maisonneuve, lecturer, University of Montreal
Aurélie Broussouloux, Executive Director of the Alternative and Community Network of Mental Health Organizations (RACOR) on the Island of Montreal
Bilkis Vissandjee, University of Montreal
Carol Bottger
Caroline Toupin, Coordinator, Quebec Network of Autonomous Community Action (RQ-ACA)
Catherine Larochelle, Professor, Department of History, University of Montreal
Catherine Letarte, General Manager, Omega Community Resources
Cecilia Escamilla, Executive Director Latin American Family Support Center (CAFLA)
Christine Jette
Cindy Ngov, MScPH, CoVivre Program
Claire Trottier, Director, Trottier Family Foundation
Claude Pinard, Chief Executive Officer, Centraide of Greater Montreal
Colette Daignault-Cummings, NPO Word of Excluded
Daniele Salmeron, project coordinator
Delphine Van den Bossche, community organizer
Diana Miconi, Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Psychology and Andragogy, University of Montreal; member of the Order of Psychologists of Quebec
Dr. Christina Greenaway, professor of medicine, McGill University, Division of Infectious Diseases, Jewish General Hospital
Dr. Jaswant Guzder, professor, McGill Psychiatry Department
Dyala Hamzah, Associate Professor, University of Montreal
Elisabeth Germain, feminist and anti-racist activist
Élise Bourgeois-Guérin, psychologist
Emmanuelle Bolduc, phase 1 coordinator – CoVivre
Ève Torres, institutional and community worker
France Parent, Franciscan Oblates of Saint Joseph
Francine Hamel
François Crépeau, Faculty of Law, McGill University
François Poulin, director of the Bordeaux-Cartierville Youth Center
Garine Papazian-Zohrabian, Professor, University of Montreal
Geneviève Mercille, professor, nutrition department, University of Montreal
George Tarabulsy, School of Psychology, Université Laval, Center for University Research on Youth and Families
Gordon Blennemann, Professor of History, University of Montreal
Guillaume-Félix Boucher, Food Security Mobilization Officer — Consolidation of La Petite-Patrie consultation tables
Habib El Hage, IRIPII
Hélène Hébert, Acting Director General of ReQIS
Henri-Paul Bronsard
Isabelle Ruelland, Professor, School of Social Work, UQAM
Janet Cleveland, researcher, SHERPA University Institute
Janique Johnson-Lafleur, postdoctoral researcher, McGill University
Javier Fuentes Bernal, TS Clinique Mauve, doctoral student in social work
Javorka Zivanovic Sarenac, Clinical and Research Coordinator of the Polarization Estrie Team
Jean-Marc Fontan, professor, UQAM
Jean-Sébastien Fallu, Associate Professor, School of Psychoeducation, University of Montreal
Jean-Sébastien Patrice, General Manager MultiCaf
Jill Hanley, IU SHERPA Professor and Scientific Director
Johanne Collin, Full Professor, University of Montreal
Joy Schinazi, MPH, co-coordinator, CoVivre program
Julie Desjardins Hebert, CISSSCA
Julie Laloire
Julie Nicolas, Observatory of Autonomous Community Action
Julie-Anne Perrault, Deputy Director, Group of Blind and Amblyopic People of Metropolitan Montreal (RAAMM)
Julien Prud’homme, Professor and Director, Department of Human Sciences, University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières
Justine Gosselin-Gagne
Katia Boudrahem
Krystelle-Marie Abalovi, research project coordinator / School of Public Health of the University of Montreal
Lara Gautier, Assistant Professor, School of Public Health, University of Montreal
Laurence Guénette, League of Rights and Freedoms
Laurence J. Kirmayer, James McGill, professor & director, Division of Social & Transcultural Psychiatry, McGill University
Laurence Monnais, University of Montreal
Lea Coget
Liesette Brunson, Professor, Department of Psychology, UQAM
Lisa Benisty, worker at Prize 2, alternative mental health resource
Lisa Merry, Associate Professor, University of Montreal
Louise Giroux, Head of Educational Wellness Programs, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Louise Potvin, PhD, Scientific Director, Public Health Research Center, University of Montreal and CIUSSS Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal
Lourdes Rodriguez del Barrio, PhD, professor, University of Montreal; scientific director of InterActions; ERASMUS
Luc Dargis
Malek Batal, PhD, FRSC, FCAHS, Canada Research Chair in Nutrition and Health Inequalities, University of Montreal
Manon Boilly
Marie-Andrée Painchaud-Mathieu, Coordinator, Intersectorial Grouping of Community Organizations of Montreal
Marie-Ève Samson, doctoral student in anthropology at UdeM and research fellow at the SHERPA University Institute
Marie-Line Audet, National Table of Community Development Corporations
Marilou Cyr
Marjolaine Goudreau, president of RÉCIFS
Miriam Taylor, independent researcher
Myriam Richard, doctoral student, School of Social Work, University of Montreal
Myrna Lashley, associate professor, Dept. of Psychiatry, McGill University
Naïma Bentayeb, ENAP associate professor; IU SHERPA researcher
Nathalie Godfrind, worker and support worker at Prize 2, alternative mental health resource
Nimâ Machouf, PhD, epidemiologist
Olivier Bonnet, Managing Director, Word of ExcluEs
Olivier Drouin, founder of the Covid Écoles Québec citizens’ initiative
Olivier Gauvin, TOMS General Coordinator
Pascal Chavannes, psychologist and resident in psychiatry at the University of Montreal
Patricia Chartier, Coordinator, TROC Coalition
Paul Hayotte, doctoral student in community psychology, UQAM
Paul-André Lévesque, Ph.D., Montreal Regional Public Health Department
Pierrette Richard, director Prize2, alternative mental health resource
Rachel Kronick, MD FRCPC, McGill University
Rosita Bitogol, Project Manager — MyLumen Clinic
Salam El-Majzoub, MD, psychiatry resident, McGill University
Salomé Gueidon, project manager, NewCities
Samuel Veissière, Assistant Professor, Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, Co-Director, Culture Mind and Brain Program, McGill University; ARH Clinician, Polarization Team, CLSC Parc Extension
Sasha Dyck, nurse, Parc-Extension
Serge Seguin, General Manager
Sonia Hajo, BHSc, MScPH, BCL / JD Candidate, McGill Faculty of Law
Sophia Ratté, community organizer
Sophie Laquerre-Duchesne, Director, L’Escale Youth Center in Montreal-North
Stephan Reichhold, Round table of organizations serving refugees and immigrants
Sylvie Trottier, member of the Board of Directors of the Trottier Family Foundation
Tara Santavicca, MSc Public Health, CoVivre program
Valérie Amiraux, professor, University of Montreal
Vivek Venkatesh, full professor and co-holder UNESCO-PREV Chair
William Delisle, Director, Club Friend
Yasmine Abdessettar, CoVivre program