OUR VISION

OUR STORY

SOLIDARITY, NOW MORE THAN EVER!

CoDevelopment Canada links unions and civil society organizations in Canada with like-minded organizations in all regions of Latin America; establishing and sustaining partnerships to build solidarity, promote mutual understanding, and create change for a more just and equitable world.


Founded in 1985 by a group of activists who wanted to go beyond simply sending financial aid to Latin American countries, we believe that partnerships between like-minded organizations in Canada and Latin America can be vehicles for learning, social change, and community empowerment.

Our goal is to mobilize Canadians to work with the people of Latin America for a fairer world. CoDev achieves this by fostering partnerships between trade unions and civil society groups in Canada and their counterparts in Latin America. These partnerships educate Canadians about Latin America and allow them to directly support the region. Such connections build solidarity and mutual understanding and ultimately improve prospects for a more just world.

CoDev is made up of all of its amazing staff, board, volunteers, and our Canadian and Latin American partners. CoDev is the sum of the relationships it has built over 40 years and counting.  CoDev staff members are represented by CUPE Local 1004 , and we are an approved Living Wage employer.

This short video shows what partnership and solidarity means to CoDevelopment Canada.


CoDev’s 2025 Solidarity and Fundraising Dinner was a wonderful success! Left to right: Rueben George opened the gala by welcoming everyone to the unceded territory of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. Later, CoDevelopment Canada President Julia MacRae presented International Solidarity Awards to Larry Kuehn and María Leyzaquia Vargas and Kathy Ramírez Gonzales from SUTEP — the Peruvian Education Workers’ Union. Photos by Zenna Wong.

 

2025 marks our 40th anniversary of supporting international solidarity between our Canadian and Latin American partners, and you are an integral part of that work. Your contribution allows us to support our partners who fight for human and labour rights and defend public education!

We are heartbroken at the passing of our great companero Bill, one of CoDevelopment Canada's most dedicated, passionate and long-term leaders. Bill was one of Codev's founders and as CoDev President in the 1990s, was instrumental in expanding our scope. Until recently, Bill has been a dedicated and regular volunteer, packing coffee for Cafe Etico and helping in the office. Click here for a heartfelt blog post featuring stories from those who worked alongside Bill and became close friends, sharing how his passion and dedication to social justice shaped CoDev's history.

You can also donate to CoDev in Bill's memory. A donation in memory of Bill is a tribute to the legacy he built—a vision of a more equal world achieved through the power of international solidarity.

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Café Etico

Café Etico believes in doing responsible, socially-just, and environmentally friendly business.

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