Economic and Social Justice

With a mission to “fight poverty”, ACEM is of course a community based organisation that plays an important role as an anti-poverty initiative. Provincially, the community credit sector, represented by the Quebec Community Credit Network (RQCC) and locally ACEM, participate in government-based consultations concerning poverty reduction.

For ACEM, economic poverty in itself, is not a factor that increases the financial risk associated with the investment in a business project. Low income individuals can be successful entrepreneurs! That is why ACEM encourages the community to invest with us and by doing so, help provide solutions for socio-economic problems.

Popular Education

ACEM‘s mission also includes educating the public about issues related to poverty reduction. As such, ACEM participates in a variety of community-based networks in order to raise awareness of its services, to enhance its own understanding of the issues and the needs of low income communities, and to develop its contacts with other financial and technical assistance providers.

ACEM regularly gives conferences and workshops about its lending practices with low income populations. For example, ACEM often plays an important role in identifying the barriers that prevent its borrowers from accessing funding from both traditional banking institutions as well as government financed economic development agencies. As such, ACEM hopes to motivate other community players to adapt more inclusive lending practices.

ACEM also promotes ethical investment practices. Among other initiatives, ACEM made a presentation to a group of financial advisors during their “lunch-lectures” series organised by the Social Investment Organisation, held in January 2009 in Montreal (www.socialinvestment.ca ).