About

We believe that a strong, effective, and coordinated Black community-based response can better protect Black children, support families, and strengthen communities.

The African Canadian Development and Prevention Network (ACDPN) was founded in 2005 to provide leadership on topics of access to Health and Social services for members of the English-speaking Black community (ESBC) in Montreal. ACDPN fosters solidarity and inter-organizational collaboration across sectors that influence the health and wellness of the Black community. We aim to promote best practice prevention and social development strategies as we advocate for access to social, educational, and economic programs that are adapted culturally and linguistically to meet the needs of the members of our community.

ACDPN bases its work on the seven principles of Kwanzaa:

Kwanzaa is a celebration of family, community and culture. Its message is one which speaks to the rich resource and as well as the deep meaning of our African culture.

Umoja (Unity)

To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.

Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)

To define and name ourselves, as well as to create and speak for ourselves

Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)

To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers’ and
sisters’ problems our problems and to solve them together.

Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)

To build our own businesses, control the economics of our own community, share in all its social wealth and the work necessary to achieve it.

Nia (Purpose)

To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

Kuumba (Creativity)

To do always as much as we can, in the way that we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it, and to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

Imani (Faith)

To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

Our Mission

Develop a network of organizations that can contribute to a thriving Black community;
Facilitate organizational capacity building, joint planning and resource development;
Promote healthy approaches and best practice prevention models;
Advocate for improved access to services for the Black community that are adapted both culturally and linguistically;
Promote and support the Strengthening of Black Families.

Our Vision

Our vision is to be a resource to members of the Black community in the Greater Montréal Area through the development of a network of organizations, experts and community members advocating for the healthy development and vitality of the Black community.