Our commitment to the RPN
Retour au Pays Natal is the pillar around which FDRC was built. To understand one is to understand the other.
What is the RPN?
The Retour au Pays Natal (RPN) network is a Canadian community initiative. Its aim: to guarantee members of Canada's African community a dignified and respectful repatriation, or the carrying out of their final wishes, without their family having to improvise an emergency fundraiser.
The principle is simple and rests entirely on numbers: the more members there are, the smaller the share asked of each one. Every death becomes a matter for the whole community rather than the burden of a single family.
One of the RPN's objectives is to encourage every member of the community to take part in an association of their choosing, to persuade them to step out of isolation and belong to a group, for better social connection.
RPN mission — notrerpn.org
Why FDRC is committed
Article 2 of our charter is explicit: FDRC acts as the RPN's strategic partner. In practice, that commitment takes four forms.
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Raising awareness
Making the RPN known within the community and explaining plainly what happens when nothing has been planned.
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Guiding
Helping newcomers understand how it works and take the step of joining.
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Sustaining
Encouraging active members to stay active, because a network like this only holds together through the consistency of its members.
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Training
Preparing future leaders and developing projects that extend the RPN's reach.
A condition of belonging — Active RPN membership is an essential condition of belonging to FDRC, subject to the general by-laws. Being an FDRC member means first and foremost supporting the RPN.
The RPN is an organization distinct from FDRC, with its own governance and its own membership rules.