The winter 2017 issue (Vol. 25, no. 1) of our sister magazine Reflet de Société is its 100th issue!
In 1992, we were the first Francophone street newspaper in the world. In 1993, Macadam was launched in France; in 1994, Montreal saw the first l’Itinéraire.
We went from being a black-and-white newsprint publication focused on regional issues to a glossy color magazine covering the province. We took this sharp curve to better fulfil our mission: to inform the readership about, and to raise awareness of, social issues.
Can we envision another hundred issues for Reflet de Société? Will paper remain our trademark? After having been the first French-language street newspaper on Earth, will we print the last paper magazine?
To rebalance our budget we’ve had to come up with novel new ways to finance our organization. The Bistro Ste-Cath family restaurant and concert venue is part of this diversification strategy. It’s a place where the neighborhood can meet. With its stage to showcase Quebec culture and support the local arts scene, we provide funds for 15 local community groups. These are tools we use to offer up culture, services and food. It’s a model we’d like to implant in other parts of the province.
To create a social economic organization like ours, it’s not enough to be a crisis intervention practitioner, a social worker, a journalist, an author, a conference speaker… You have to be a businessperson, a manager, an administrator, a lobbyist… Specialization isn’t part of our world view. And you have to be good at each one of these.
Being generalists lines up nicely with our view of how interventions should best be conducted. Consider the human being globally as a complete, whole person. Intervene and help out in all facets of life. Be ready to walk part of the road with a person who isn’t a problem, but who has needs to fulfil. A presence with youths – not as a specialist trying to solve a problem, but as a big brother, accompanying the young person in their personal growth and development.
Thanks to all our subscribers, Francophone and Anglophone, who follow us and who support our intervention efforts. Here’s to another 100 issues!
First seen in: Reflet de Société, Vol. 25, no. 1, hiver (winter) 2017, p. 4.
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