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Who we are?
A little history
In 1995
Worried by the evergrowing gap between “info haves” and “info have-nots” in a context of emerging new information and communication technologies, l’Institut canadien d’éducation aux adultes (ICÉA) and La Puce communautaire combined forces to found Communautique.
In 1996
Supported by le Chantier de l’économie sociale, Communautique was one of the projects selected during le Sommet sur l’Économie et l’Emploi.
In 1997
Communautique goes into action, offering training activities throughout Quebec, pilot accessibility projects, publications and a Web site.
In 1999
Communautique was incorporated as a non-profit organization and held its founding general assembly.
Our Field of Action
Communautique’s activities aim to answer the needs expressed by the community sector in surveys. In actual fact, whether it’s training, support, facilitation in community groups, reflecting on the issues and public education regarding same, the success of and the strong demand for Communautique’s different activities are proof positive of the willingness of community groups to appropriate information and communication technologies.
We intend to continue and expand activities in those areas where Communautique has proven its expertise: needs analysis, training of community workers and citizens, support for the installation and facilitation of community access points, and the production and circulation of tools and utilisation strategies adapted to the needs and concerns of community groups.
Strategic Orientations
- Equipping the community and citizens through training in the strategic uses of information and communication technologies and through the development of access
- Education through the production of tools of analysis and reflection centred on research and innovation
- Empowerment through facilitation and consensus building within the community sector
Based on a broad vision of the interests of the community sector as a whole, Communautique develops projects with partners that encourage the participation of community groups. These projects complement other initiatives in the community sector.
Communautique is never at a standstill as it constantly adapts to the concerns and needs of community groups. Its activities are strongly results oriented whether it’s in training, the production of practical user’s tools and tools of reflection, facilitation or expanding accessibility.
Our Accomplishments
Training
To foster the appropriation of information and communications technologies (ICTs), Communautique offers organizations, in Montreal and in the regions, a wide spectrum of training activities. These training activities aim to enable community groups, community workers and citizens to make strategic use of the information highway.
Training sessions :
- Initiation to the Internet and to ICT related issues
- Communication and research on the Internet
- Community action, outreach & networking
- Your Web site: What are the issues for your organization?
Workshops :
- Connecting to the Internet: how to get ready
- A Web site: why and how?
- Updating a web site: possibilities and implementation
- Confidentiality issues and the Internet
- Information management and security in the era of networks
- Community networking, action & outreach via the Internet
Trainings Made to Measure
On a regular basis, Communautique answers requests for training from diverse groups wishing to acquire the skills required to use the new communication technologies. Here are a few examples of the types of training offered in recent years by Communautique:
- Training integrated into the development program offered by le Regroupement des centres de la petite enfance de l’Île de Montréal
- Training in web page design given to youth belonging to the group Des jeunes chez eux partout
- Training of employment counsellors at RESO and of persons seeking employment
- Training offered, in partnership with La Puce communautaire and Le Centre St-Pierre, to over 150 community groups throughout Quebec as part of the Health Canada program Developing Family Support Networks
- Training offered, in partnership with La Puce communautaire, to nearly 200 COFI instructors and MRCI professionals
Developing accessibility
Expanding access to new technologies is at the very heart of our mission. Our various projects contributing to the initiation of concrete experiences all illustrate our approach to fostering access among under-privileged sectors of the population.
The Inforoute Popular Initiation Project
This major project carried out in partnership with numerous organizations throughout Quebec is intended as a catalyst for the appropriation of technologies by under-privileged people. It does this by offering them the opportunity to learn about the world of information technology in a warm and friendly atmosphere.
The installation of over 80 access points in community groups in Quebec City, Hull, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières, Amos, Rimouski, Chicoutimi, Longueuil and four districts of Montreal.
Training of 52 popular facilitators in different regions.
Attendance at Internet initiation and new technologies workshops in excess of 30,000.
Our partners: in Quebec city, le Carrefour de relance de l'économie et de l'emploi du Centre de Québec (CRÉECQ); in Trois-Rivières, Économie communautaire de Francheville (ÉCOF); in Rimouski, ATENA Groupe Conseil; in Hull, la CDEC de Hull; in Amos, la CDC d’Amos; in Sherbrooke, le Collectif Régional d’Éducation sur les Média d’information (CREMI); in Chicoutimi, l’Association canadienne pour la santé mentale; in Longueuil, la CDC de Longueuil; in Montreal, le Centre des services communautaires du monastère; la Puce communautaire; le Magasin Partage Petite-Patrie and le Carrefour d’éducation populaire de Pointe St-Charles.
The CAP- Communautique Network
This Communautique coordinated network includes about fifteen community groups active in the setting up of community Internet access centres in two districts in Montreal.
An Internet Access Points Kit
This kit is a product of the accumulated experience of existing access projects. It covers the steps and issues involved in the setting up of an access point: preparation preceding the installation of an access point; integrating these activities in a group; required equipment and installation of same; ensuring a good learning environment; and communications related to these activities. Finally, the kit offers tools for the organization and facilitation of access activities.
Supporting access to the information highway for community groups
For some years now, Communautique has carried out projects, along with its partners, which have enabled hundreds of groups across Quebec to gain access to new technologies. Thanks to these projects, these groups have succeeded in getting equipped, getting connected, obtaining training and appropriating new tools of communication.
Le Regroupement Communautés branchées offered, in 2000-2002, VolNet services to 600 non-profits in Quebec.
Analysis and reflection
From its very creation, Communautique has striven to closely monitor the tendencies in ICT appropriation by community groups. To that end, two major surveys, one in 1997, the other in 2001, have been carried out. In addition, various research projects have helped us orient our activities and interventions.
Community Groups & the Internet: a Whole World of Innovation, May 2002
A compendium of accounts of innovative ICT use in the community and social economy sectors
Order form available on Communautique’s web site
Le monde communautaire et Internet: défis, obstacles et espoirs
Rapport d’enquête, May 2001
This report is the fruit of a vast survey of over 450 community groups in Quebec. The objectives of the survey were: to assess the degree of computerization and ICT integration in community groups; to identify the preconditions to successful ICT appropriation; to discover successful experiences as well as the obstacles encountered; to identify utilization strategies; and to determine the impact of ICTs on activities and workplace organization in the community sector
Partners : ÉCOF, le Tour d’y voir and Télé-Québec
Étude des besoins, March 1997
This survey, conducted in 1997, was Communautique’s first investigation into the ICT needs of community and popular groups.
Analyse de la politique québécoise de l'autoroute de l'information « Agir autrement » État-Réseau ou société de participation?, June 1998.
Comm’Info newsletter:
- Les rencontres de mai, Place à la discussion, Vol. 4, No. 1, February 2002
- Le courrier électronique : un outil confidentiel?, Vol. 3, No. 2, Nov. 2000
- Internet dans la société ou la société dans Internet, Vol. 3, No. 1, Nov. 2000
- Sécurité et Internet, est-ce compatible?, Vol. 2, No. 2, March 2000
- Action Communautaire et Internet: un mariage…de raisons?, Vol. 2, No. 1, Nov. 1999
- Politique québécoise de l'autoroute de l'information, Vol. 1, No. 8, June 1998
- Télématique Communautaire : des expériences canadiennes, Vol. 1, No. 7, March-April 1998
- Télématique Communautaire, Vol. 1, triple issue Nos. 4, 5 & 6, Dec. 1997, January–February 1998
- VECAM, Vol. 1, double issue Nos. 2-3, Oct.-Nov. 1997
- Inforoute, culture et démocratie: Enjeux pour le Québec, Vol. 1, No. 1, August 1997
Facilitation and support for networking and cooperation
The democratization of information and communication technologies, the development of community sector spaces on the information highway and the creation of new modes of communication presuppose forums for discussion and reflection, as well as opportunities to develop common projects. Communautique supports activities that promote information exchange, networking and cooperation.
The May 2001 Meetings
In May 2001, Communautique organized a series of meetings in Montreal, Quebec City and Trois-Rivières, in order to circulate and submit for discussion the results contained in a survey report entitled: “Le monde communautaire et Internet : défis, obstacles et espoirs.”
The Spring 2002 Meetings
The results of these meetings were: 1) the production of a compendium of experiences in the use of ICTs in the community and social economy sectors; and 2) a project for a Quebec based platform for a citizen’s Internet. Once again, Communautique proposed tools to support the integration of ICTs into community sector practices and relaunched the process for reflecting on the principal issues and the necessary conditions around ICT democratization.
Web site : www.communautique.qc.ca
Our web site offers:
- Information on Communautique activities
- News
- A community sector bulletin board: events and notices
- A vast Community Centre offering a multitude of links to sites dealing with social issues
- Documents of reflection
- Educational tools and practical user’s guides for further appropriating ICT use
On-line since 1997, the Communautique web site is visited nearly 6,000 times a month.
Communautique is able to carry out its projects thanks to the support of:
- Fonds de lutte contre la pauvreté par la réinsertion au travail du Ministère de la solidarité sociale
- Industry Canada, CAP program
- Fonds jeunesse Québec
- Secrétariat à l’action communautaire autonome (SACA) du Ministère de la solidarité sociale
- IBM Canada
- Adobe Gifts in Kind
- Fonds des initiatives locales, Emploi-Québec and la CDEC Centre-sud/Plateau Mont-Royal
- Programme de soutien aux regroupement sectoriels en économie sociale, Ministère de l’industrie et du commerce du Québec
Future Orientations
Training and expanding access
- Development of new training modules that will be affordable, adapted to needs and available in different regions.
- Support for developing new resources for community access and facilitation.
- Consolidation of on-going projects.
Analysis and reflection, research and development
- Painting a portrait of the emerging new sector associated with ICT use in the social economy sector.
- Production of dossiers on the issues arising from the integration of ICTs in the social economy and community group sectors.
- Research, development and technology watch projects.
- Further development of the Communautique web site.
Facilitation and community sector cooperation
- Support for efforts to reflect on and discuss the development of a citizen’s Internet in Quebec, in collaboration with existing networks internationally.
- Support for the emergence and spreading of new experiences in the social appropriation of ICTs.
- Support for the development of a citizen’s Internet in Quebec.
To join us :
65 De Castelnau Ouest, suite 202
Montréal, Québec,
H2R 2W3
Telephone : (514) 948-6644 or 1-877-948-6644
Fax : (514) 948-3320
Email : info@communautique.qc.ca
Communautique 2006