Julie Potvin-Lajoie

social economy and fair trade advisor

2010

Partner: Movimiento de Economía Solidaria y Comercio Justo de Bolivia - MESyCJ

The Cause I Support

The social economy sector is without a doubt the key to population's development. However, there is a significant gap between the groups that represent this emerging economy and governments. In my opinion, the harmonization of development efforts and a better collaboration between grassroots organizations and decision-making bodies remain today's main challenge and even tomorrow's.

As an advisor on social economy and fair trade in Bolivia, I worked with craftsmen to better identify their needs and to be recognized as essential economic actors in the country. I provided my support to awareness campaigns and meetings between local producers' groups and the bolivian government, and I carried out an evaluation for more than twenty organisations in the food, textile and craft fields.

The trust between my colleagues and the craftsmen groups with whom I worked made it possible for me to support these groups in the marketing of their product and quality control that fit their identified needs. I was able to propose suitable training and ideas so that these organizations could be empowered by the synergy of two ways of thinking and two ways of seeing - often very differently - social economy.

It's hard for me to identify one memory from a year filled with great moments, at a professional, as well as personal level. However, my sister's visit in Bolivia for a month means a lot to me. I was able to introduce her to my work colleagues, my friends and adoptive families, as well as sharing the motivations and challenges that each day represents, without forgetting the smiles of the people who shared my life over there.

My bio

I am committed to international solidarity and convinced that we can improve the living conditions of the most vulnerable people. Project after project, I've worked on different issues pertaining to international cooperation and over the years I've participated here in Canada to different campaigns, from ethical consumption to children's rights in the world. It's in 2010 that I undertook my first long term assignement as a volunteer within the Uniterra program.