Éditions Dorimène

Conversations on Cooperation by Monique F. Leroux

The Internal Summit of Cooperatives, held in Quebec City in 2012, was for Monique F. Leroux, Chair of the Board, President and CEO of Desjardins Group, a unique opportunity to meet many players in the cooperative sector. The experience made her to want to make some of these leaders better known and bring awareness of the value of cooperatives and mutuals to individuals, the economy and society.

In the book, Ms. Leroux shares the highlights of her interviews of cooperative sector leaders from North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. In these conversations, they share their experiences, their vision of the challenges cooperatives and mutuals currently face and their aspirations for the cooperative sector.

The International Year of Cooperatives was a great opportunity to learn about Alphonse Desjardins's philosophy. In a book structured around select quotes, Monique F. Leroux takes us through the thoughts of the Desjardins Group founder and shows the extent to which the cooperative model can help address today's challenges.

In the foreword, Ms. Leroux invites us to discover or rediscover an inspiring person, whose ideas remain innovative to this day. Alphonse Desjardins was a man who promoted solidarity and called for responsibility, accountability and action. These basic principles are needed in today's world, where financial markets are unstable and many countries are going through an economic crisis.