The members of the Education and Solidarity Network elected Matthias Savignac (MGEN, France) as the new President during the General Assembly which was held on Monday 20 July 2015 in Ottawa.
Jean-Philippe HUCHET, founding and outgoing President, briefly went back over the history of the Education and Solidarity Network since its establishment. It was the Education International Congress in Berlin in 2007 which saw the emergence of the idea for an international network for social protection issues. Two years later, the association’s inaugural conference welcomed 300 people at MGEN in Paris, including many education unions. The Network’s initial development phase focused on the creation and development of mutual health insurance for education professionals. Little by little, the Network has expanded and its missions evolved.
Jean-Philippe HUCHET paid tribute to all those who have made a contribution to ensure the success of the association, notably Agnès BREDA, the Network’s former treasurer representing EI, who died in 2014.
Matthias SAVIGNAC (MGEN, France) presented his candidacy for the position of Network President, emphasising that it would reflect the intent of the MGEN to continue investing in the association. Matthias SAVIGNAC was unanimously elected as President.
Jean-Philippe HUCHET was warmly thanked. Based in the Ivory Coast, he is devoted on a full-time basis to PASS, a programme that he has managed since July 2014 in order to support the development of the mutual benefit movement in West Africa, where the process of expanding social protection and health insurance is under way.
The General Assembly also elected the members of the Network’s Board of Administration, with two newcomers: Costa Rica (ANDE) and the Philippines (ACT).
The new President presented the strategy report and noted that the 2015-2019 activity programme would be worked on by the Board of Administration, so as to take into account the work carried out in Ottawa during the Open Forum and collaborative workshops.
To conclude, the 2015 budget, presented by the Delegate General, led to a discussion on the need to find balance, the adoption of budgetary and financial principles, the significant contribution of certain members of the Network, and seeking funding for future activities.
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