The Council: contributing to the quality of national dialogue
Nearly four decades ago, the Canada Committee published a statement recommending ways to keep the country whole. It included a prescient paragraph:
“It is a complex task to create and maintain a great and harmonious community in which men and women of every ancestry are accorded, under the protection of the law complete freedom of thought, freedom of expression and the right to preserve and develop their respective cultures.”
At the dawn of the 21st century, the Council for Canadian Unity is confident that a new generation of Canadians is taking up the challenge. Today, from coast to coast, north of the 60th parallel and south of it, Canadians from all backgrounds are involved in Council activities from youth programs and exchanges to citizen participation exercises and conferences.
They are designed to keep citizens aware of the nature and workings of Canadian institutions as well as the history, wealth and diversity of a country and quality of life that is the envy of millions around the world.
Some examples:
a teen leaves her community in Nunavut for the first time and visits Ottawa with other young people from across Canada;
Canadian families in different parts of the country exchange homes and learn about a different part of their land;
a Quebecer attends a round table discussion in Rimouski and works with others who share his belief in federalism;
an Alberta women attends a conference that brings together women from the Calgary area, who work in different fields, to discuss ways of creating opportunities for Aboriginal youth;
politicians, academics, business people, civil servants and experts seek new directions for immigration policy at a conference;
two teens, each living in a French or English-speaking part of Canada, exchange places for the summer, work at a job, become part of a new community and polish second-language skills.
Every year, the Council’s programs allow thousands of Canadians to know their country better, to understand other viewpoints, to develop a heightened appreciation of Canadian diversity and Canada’s political and social institutions. This, in turn, quietly enriches the quality of national life.