Québec 2012 - Summit Programming

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SUMMIT PROGRAMMING

Sunday, October 7


	7:30 a.m. - 8:30	Reception and registration

	8:30 a.m.	Opening of the International Summit of Funeral Cooperatives and Mutual Enterprises.
		Réjean Laflamme, president of the Federation of Funeral Cooperatives of Québec and host of the Summit.
	8:45 a.m.	Presentation of an unpublished study on the importance of funeral cooperatives and mutuals in the world.
		Michel Lafleur, associate professor and director of the Institut de recherche et d’éducation sur les coopératives et mutuelles de l’Université de Sherbrooke (IRECUS)
	9:30 a.m.	Presentation of the Colombian network of funeral cooperatives and mutuals (to be confirmed)

	10 a.m.	Break, and official opening of the exhibitors’ hall.

	11 a.m.	Presentation of the United States network of memorial societies (MS) and funeral cooperatives.
		Josh Slocum, Executive Director of the Funeral Consumers Alliance. Founded in 1930, the MS network includes 90 non-profit organizations specializing in funeral planning.
	11:30 a.m.	Presentation of the Canadian funeral cooperatives network.
		Alain Leclerc, CEO of the Federation of Funeral Cooperatives of Québec.
	12 p.m.	Lunch and tour of the booths.

	1:30 p.m.	Panel:

		Cooperative training and education: an advantage or a burden for funeral cooperatives and mutuals?
		This panel will present a few cooperative education experiences. Why should funeral cooperatives promote education? Is this just an expense that has to be assumed, or a cost-effective investment? The panelists will present a few success stories in this field.
		Panelists:
		Josh Slocum, Executive Director of the Funeral Consumers Alliance and co-author of the book Final Rights: The book the funeral industry doesn’t want you to read (2011). Bernard Lefebvre, cooperative development advisor and manager of the funeral cooperatives academy of the Federation of Funeral Cooperatives of Québec. To be determined.
		Moderator: François Fouquet, general manager of the Coopérative funéraire de l’Estrie.

	2:30 p.m.	Lecture:

		“There will be a tribute to the deceased.” And then?
		The funeral sector operates in a state of continual and rapid change. Amidst this hustle and bustle, are our modern-day societies managing to reconcile the world of the living with that of the dead? In this search for meaning to be given and actions to be taken, do funeral cooperatives have a determining role?
		Luce des Aulniers, Ph.D. in Anthropology. She was director of the graduate program of interdisciplinary death studies at the Université du Québec à Montréal, and is the author of a book examining the relations between life and death called Fascination. Nouveau désir d’éternité (2009).
	3:30 p.m.	The Coopérative funéraire des Deux rives welcomes you!
		Travel by bus (activity open to spouses) for an activity organized by the largest funeral cooperative in Canada. Tour of the facilities. Cocktail party and banquet at the Manoir Montmorency. Come see the biggest waterfalls in the region. Use of aerial tram. A typically Québécois night out!
	10 p.m.	Return to the Québec City Convention Centre.

Monday, October 8


	9 a.m.	The importance of inter-cooperation for development
		Dame Pauline Green, President of the International Co operative Alliance.
	9:30 a.m.	Panel:

		Inter-cooperation among funeral cooperatives: is it working?
		This panel will present a few experiences of inter-cooperation among cooperatives in the same country or different countries. What are the advantages, challenges and results obtained from such exchanges?
		Panelists:
		William Borjoquez, Executive Director, Serviperu (Peru) John Eric Rolfstad, Executive Director, People’s Memorial Funeral Cooperative (USA) (several others, to be announced)
		Moderator: François Fouquet, general manager of the Coopérative funéraire de l’Estrie

	10:15 a.m.	Break and tour of the booths

	11 h a.m.	Resumption of panel

	12 p.m.	Lunch and tour of the booths

	1:30 p.m.	Tabling and adoption of a common declaration
		The funeral cooperatives and mutuals movement defends the common values of sharing, mutual assistance and solidarity. What are the common projects we could develop? What are the issues that affect us all? How do we help each other? This workshop will allow us to plan the follow-up to be given this first summit of funeral cooperatives and mutual enterprises.
		Moderator: Michel Lafleur, associate professor and director of the Institut de recherche et d’éducation sur les coopératives et mutuelles de l’Université de Sherbrooke (IRECUS)

	2:30 p.m.	Break

	3 p.m.	Assessment and closing remarks
		Réjean Laflamme, president of the Federation of Funeral Cooperatives of Québec and host of the Summit.
	3:15 p.m.	Close of the Summit