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2006-10-30(2006-33) News Release
Ottawa — Ted Menzies, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation, on behalf of the Honourable Josée Verner, Minister of International Cooperation and Minister for la Francophonie and Official Languages, today presented the 2006 Bill McWhinney Award of Excellence in International Development to the Fredericton Capital Credit Union.
Mr. Menzies presented the award during International Cooperation Days (ICD), a biennial forum organized by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and its partner organizations which opened today at the Ottawa Congress Centre.
Accepting the award on behalf of the Frederiction Capital Credit Union were Joyce Humble, Youth Member Services representative, and Duncan Matheson and David Preston, both members of the Credit Union's Board of Directors.
"The many Canadian businesses from communities across the country which work in international development are making a real difference to impoverished people around the world," said Mr. Menzies. "As Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation, it is important that we highlight the work they do and recognize the outstanding role they play in international development."
The Capital Credit Union of Fredericton won the award for its partnership with the Lamac Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Lamac, Philippines, in establishing a training/resort centre in the village. The centre serves as a training facility for members of the community, and also as a source of employment and a profit centre in its rental capacity for meetings, conferences, and weddings. The Capital-Lamac partnership also led to projects for the collection of thousands of pairs of glasses, the donation of dictionaries, and a campaign to help rebuild the village's church.
The Fredericton Capital Credit Union's project with the Lamac Multi-Purpose Cooperative was made possible by the Canadian Co-operative Association's Co-op Connections Program. Co-op Connections provides opportunities to Canadian co-operatives or credit unions to develop a unique relationship with a similar organization in the developing world.
The Bill McWhinney Award of Excellence in International Development was established five years ago in memory of Bill McWhinney, Senior Vice-President (1980-1988) of CIDA and the first Executive Director of CUSO. It is designed to recognize excellence in a volunteer project or program that helps a community in a developing country to build its sustainability and help improve its future prospects.
For more details on The Bill McWhinney Award of Excellence or on the International Cooperation Days, please refer to CIDA's website: http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/ICD.
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Information:
Pascale St-Pierre
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of International Cooperation
Telephone: (819) 953-6238
Media Relations Office
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Telephone: (819) 953-6534
E-mail: info@acdi-cida.gc.ca
Web site: www.cida.gc.ca (electronic version of document)
