SOLIDARITY, NOW MORE THAN EVER!

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.

sold out Gala dinner celebrated
40 years of mutual solidarity

Muchisimas Gracias a todos! Thank you so much, to everyone who came to our gala dinner! As president I was honoured to be in this role on the occasion of our 40th anniversary, and thrilled to see the joyful participation of so many CoDev community members. Once again I was reminded that CoDev is, at its core, a community of communities in human relationships with each other. Supporters old and new, organizations affiliated with each other and through CoDev, and northern and southern partners past and present were all celebrated and celebrating together in one of our most successful dinners ever.

Our award winners, Larry Kuehn and representatives from our first southern partner, SUTEP, were in attendance and helped us reflect on the enduring nature of our relationships and the importance of our work.

As I commented at the mic, being a part of CoDev is an immensely privileged and unique space. The answer to the world’s problems lies in with the organization of people to resist, demand, inspire, build and bring to life a better future for all, based on social justice. And look, for example, the BCTF has almost 50,000 organized members, CUPE national represents more than 600,000 workers, the CCDA represents 100,000 farming families in Guatemala, SUTEP represents more than 350,000 teachers in Peru, and the list goes on, and here we are in the middle of it. We should be so proud of what we have built in our small NGO and the impact that our mutual solidarity has had.

Please enjoy the photos from the event, Larry Kuehn’s speech, and more information about SUTEP.

Julia MacRae, President, CoDevelopment Canada

CODEVELOPMENT CANADA IS A BC-BASED NGO THAT WORKS
FOR SOCIAL CHANGE AND GLOBAL EDUCATION IN THE AMERICAS

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. CoDev mobilizes Canadians to work with the people of Latin America for a fairer world. CoDev does 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.

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 help our partners who fight for women's 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.