October 3, 2007

by Her Excellency Michaëlle Jean

I could not have imagined a better way to mark the second anniversary of my arrival to the institution of governor general than the rich and dynamic chat we had on the evening of September 27. I was thrilled with your enthusiasm and enjoyed hearing all your questions, thoughts and comments. Unfortunately, I was able to answer only about 50 of you in the time we were allotted, but I was struck by the quality of what you wrote. Some of your concrete examples of the action and initiatives you are taking allowed me to point you towards other groups and organizations I have encountered that work in the same field. That is what pleased me the most, because I am a strong believer in networking, in building bridges between people all across the country, thereby maximizing our opportunities to work together and have a greater impact.

I would like to quote a comment made by a young participant from Montreal: [Translation] I think that sites like this and those on the Internet in general can help young people in Canada and all around the world recognize their similarities and help them become more tolerant . . . I would like to help make these technologies more accessible to young people everywhere. I could not agree more; that is what inspired us to create Citizen Voices, with the invaluable help of researchers and academics.

It goes without saying that I also read all the comments and questions that I was unable to answer. There were a lot of comments on how creation and culture can act as tools for action, which is exactly what the countless young organizations I have encountered all across the country are focussing on. Again, many people insisted that they needed spaces to create, spaces that give more support to emerging artists. Many of you also said that you wished more emphasis was placed on teaching art in school. I really enjoyed this quote by Einstein from a participant in Winnipeg: “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” But I would add that knowledge can also serve the imagination, which itself is a means of understanding and exploring the realities of the world.

You are also concerned about poverty and situations in which people are excluded, and wrote that you would like to see more affordable and decent housing, as well as an improvement to public spaces. You also called for more solidarity and said that helping one another would enable us to live together better. A participant from Ottawa said that civic-mindedness begins with respect for others and institutions: “More respect for the civil authorities, police and bus drivers, more holding doors open for others . . ..”

Quite a few young people who took part in the chat said that they wanted to be heard, to have their actions and ideas recognized as viable contributions and possible solutions to the challenges society is currently facing. Here at Rideau Hall, we are constantly trying to show young people’s point of view and create ties between generations in a spirit of reciprocity and with a constructive attitude.

I noticed that more Francophones from all across Canada took part in the chat. They were very lively and eager to share their realities. This space enables to get closer together as Canadians and is a testament to the rich diversity of our country.

It was also clear that we are pushing back conventional boundaries. I was happy to note that a number of First Nations participants took part in the chat.

We also had an international audience, as evidenced by the comments made by participants from Brazil and Haiti.