BIOGRAPHY

Click here to get a larger picture.

Pierre Ducasse was born on August 18, 1972 on the North Shore of Québec. The North Shore is not only a vast and magnificent part of Québec, but also strongly dependent on natural resources which have been developed for the most part with foreign capital. This region is also characterized by the cohabitation of francophone, anglophone and aboriginal communities.

He was raised in the town of Sept-Iles.

He attended Cégep in Sept-Iles and Sainte-Foy and received a diploma in administration.

He enrolled at Laval University (Québec City) in 1992. He received a bachelor¹s degree (1995) and master¹s degree (1998) in political science. His master¹s thesis was on the tension between political liberalism and the rights of cultural minorities.

Between 1995 and 1998, he returned for part of the year to the North Shore and did research work on literacy and basic training for working people (in the industrial and fishing sectors). He was also active in the North Shore Forum on Social Development (1997).

In 1998, at the age of 26, he became coordinator of the Table nationale des Corporations de développement communautaire du Québec (TNCDC) (National Network of Community Development Corporations of Québec), based in Drummondville. CDCs are networks of local community organizations whose functions are serving their members, political representation, and local community development. Through this office, Pierre also occupied various positions on the board of directors of other organizations : le Comité aviseur de l¹action communautaire autonome (1998-2002), le Carrefour québécois de développement local (2000-2002) as well as le Chantier de l_économie sociale (2001-2002). He has become a credible spokesperson with a strong reputation on issues like community action, local community development, and the social economy.

Political Involvement

Pierre has been involved with the New Democratic Party for a long time.

At the young age of 15, he became interested in the NDP and was an enthusiastic supporter of Ed Broadbent.

He officially became a card carrying member at the age of 17. A few weeks later, in Halifax, he was elected associate-president of the New Democratic Youth of Canada (NDYC). He occupied this position between 1990 and 1992.

He then remained more or less active in the Quebec Section of the Party. After a short break (1995-1996), he renewed his membership in time to run for the NDP in the riding of Manicougan in 1997. He conducted a small but vocal campaign. He obtained a little more than 4 per cent of the vote, which was nevertheless the sixh best result for the NDP in Québec and the best result outside of Montréal and Québec City.

In September 2000, he was nominated associate-president of the Federal NDP, thereby filling a post that was vacated a few months earlier. In November 2001, at the Winnipeg Convention, he was elected to this same office with 83.5 per cent of the vote and enjoyed the official support of the francophone caucus.

Pierre Ducasse, at the age of 29, has decided to enter the race for the leadership of the Federal NDP.