Our history

1942: There’s a beginning to every good thing...
Oxfam's long history began in 1942, when a group of university students founded the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief to channel aid to starving civilians in Greece during the Second World War.

The 1950s: First Greece, now the world!
The end of World War II was no time for the committee to rest on its laurels. On the contrary, it continued its work and expanded its mandate—to relieve suffering from wars and disasters around the world and to support disadvantaged people in poor countries in their struggle for survival and development.

The 1960s: Oxfam's offspring
When the West turned its attention to the Third World, the Oxfam family was already growing—Oxfam Canada was born in 1963.

The 1970s: Oxfam-Québec takes flight
At a time when the world was in the grip of many crises (the famine in Biafra, the war in Vietnam, the tsunami in Bangladesh), the Oxfam movement expanded to Australia, Hong Kong and the United States.

In Canada, Oxfam-Québec, the regional division of Oxfam Canada, opened a permanent office in 1968, with the mandate to raise French speakers’ awareness about the situation in developing countries. In 1973, Oxfam-Québec became an independent organization. Under the magnetic leadership of Yvon Deschamps, Oxfam-Québec became an organization dear to Quebecers.

The 1980s: Consolidation
Oxfam-Québec continued to grow. By 1983, we had a presence in 27 countries and were supporting 61 projects. The 1980s were marked by famine in Africa. The people of Québec contributed massively to the "Survival Biscuits” operation, organized with International Medical Assistance (IMA) in aid of famine victims in Ethiopia.

The 1990s: Restructuring
Alarmed over the worsening worldwide water situation, Oxfam-Québec hosted an international forum in Montréal, "SOS Water is Life", which produced the Montréal Charter on Drinking Water and Sanitation. In 1991, Oxfam-Québec was shaken by an internal crisis. A recovery plan was adopted, and a protocol of association was signed in 1992 between Oxfam-Québec and the Canadian Organization for Solidarity and Development.

When great minds meet...
Because our goal is to combat poverty and injustice in the world, nothing could be more natural than to pool resources to that end. In August 1995, the eight founding Oxfam committees came together to form Oxfam International. The Oxfam family continued to grow as more countries joined up.

Buying is voting... / Un café au goût moins amer
In the face of spreading globalization and its devastating impact on the economies of developing countries, Oxfam-Québec created Oxfam-Québec Fair Trade Inc. in 1996. Besides marketing fair-trade products in Québec, Oxfam-Québec Fair Trade works to promote responsible consumption in solidarity with communities and small producers in the South.

The new century: Banking on youth at home and abroad
In June 2000, CLUB 2/3, an international cooperation organization known for its expertise in working with young people, established closer ties with Oxfam-Québec and became an affiliate. With this new youth wing, Oxfam-Québec has created a model of intergenerational involvement and lifelong commitment to fighting against poverty and injustice in the world, by giving full rein to young people as agents of change.