It is with great sadness that the Education and Solidarity Network has learnt of the passing of Jean-Philippe Huchet, founder of the Education Solidarity Network (RES). A mutual activist at MGEN and a trained teacher, Jean-Philippe Huchet dedicated his life to the health sector and the well-being of people in France and around the world. The Education and Solidarity Network pays tribute to him.
He is the face of the Education and Solidarity Network.
A man of integrity and values, Jean-Philippe Huchet was an innovator throughout his life. “Equipped with a great vision and convinced by the importance of international solidarity, with the creation of the RES he made one of his finest projects a reality: globalising solidarity“, testifies Matthias Savignac, president of the RES.
In 2007 while vice president of the MGEN, Jean-Philippe Huchet attended the 5th World Congress of Education International in Berlin. More than 1000 participants from 155 countries gathered to debate and discuss the topic ‘joining together for quality education and social justice’ over 5 days. Jean-Philippe Huchet was inspired by the international scope of the event, the energy of the teachers, but also the convergence between the values of mutuality and unionism.
One year later, through the MGEN he gathered the representatives from Education International and the AIM to form the Education and Solidarity Network.
“He had an infinite belief in the values of mutuality and solidarity, values shared by unionism. He saw the unlikely possibility of bringing together the two movements“, testifies Duncan Smith, representative of Education International, having participated in the network’s genesis.
Thanks to his intuition, patience and power of persuasion, the Education and Solidarity Network was born in 2009.
Jean-Philippe Huchet laid the foundations for what the RES represents today. He saw educational communities as a powerful vehicle for promoting social protection. Year after year the Network grew and consolidated both his projects serving the health and well-being of educational communities as well as his international pleas for the values of solidarity.
13 years on, the RES has proved its rightful place.
Today the members and friends of the Education and Solidarity Network pay their respects to this great man.
We have learnt an enormous amount from him.
We will never forget his loyalty, integrity and the meticulousness with which he operated.
We will remember his attentiveness, simplicity, generosity and his humour, sometimes cheerful, sometimes acerbic.
We will continue his fight for access for all around the world, for well-being, health and dignity.
Finally we will continue to admire his ability to set up organisations and ambitious, innovative and unifying projects, such as bringing together health and education campaigners all around the world.
He was the founding father of the RES. In his memory we will increase our efforts to continue his work.
We send our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Jean-Philippe Huchet.
The Education and Solidarity Network
Thank you to those who have sent messages in memory of Jean-Philippe Huchet.
Biography
A trained teacher, Jean-Philippe Huchet was an active member of the Haute-Garonne MGEN branch in 1983 before integrating the insurance board of directors in 1987 and the Bureau National in 1995. From 1997 to 2005, Jean-Philippe Huchet was secretary-general of MGEN then became vice president.
A great mutual activist Jean-Philippe Huchet was secretary-general of the National Federation of French Mutuality (FNMF) from 2009 and president of the Union Mutualiste Retraite (UMR).
From 2008 he brought together the MGEN, the IE and the AIM to create an international network of health and education and thus created the Education and Solidarity Network of which he became president.
From 2011 to 2014 he was president of the International Association of Mutuality (AIM). From 2015 he led the Support Programme for the Development of Mutual Health Strategies (Pass), a centre of expertise in health and social protection aimed at developing health insurance cover in Africa.
