September 4, 2007

by Her Excellency Michaëlle Jean

After a few weeks of well-deserved rest upon my return from the State visit to Brazil, which was, as always, most intense. I must say that, taken as a whole, my schedule in recent months has been full of events and discussions across Canada with associations and at forums with countless citizens. In my two years in office (yes, already!), I have been able to see and appreciate the efforts, concerns, and aspirations of Canadians across the country. And I have seen them working abroad as well, on fascinating projects where solidarity produces miracles and provides even stronger reasons to believe that anything is possible when we decide to do it together. Everywhere I went, I paid special attention to the work young people are doing in their neighbourhoods, in their environments, in our major cities and our smallest and most remote communities.

My return was also marked by a series of encounters, this time in Montreal. At the Bordeaux prison, I was very moved to find a group of current and former inmates, most of them under 30, involved in a terrific radio project called “Souverains anonymes.” It allows them to be heard beyond the prison walls, proclaiming themselves to be their own masters, and therefore responsible for themselves. I like to encourage the line of thought they are developing around the notion of civic responsibility, beginning with what brought them to prison, with what they want to accomplish to reintegrate more effectively into society, not only once they get out, but starting right now. Their stories are troubling and they have the words to express everything, including where they went wrong, the social context, the situations of exclusion, of isolation, that led them to break the law. That said, they are doing this without ever portraying themselves as victims, but by assuming full responsibility for their actions and by unearthing the lessons to be learned, not only for themselves, but with the idea of intervening with other youths facing the same situations they experienced, and warning them. I invite you to listen to the program recorded during our discussion.            

I also spent several hours in the neighbourhood of Côte des Neiges, known for its diversity. The event brought together for the first time some hundred representatives of eight neighbourhoods of greater Montreal. The vast majority were young people who wanted to share with me the ways they are using the arts as tools of social transformation, to combat delinquency, overcome helplessness, shatter isolation, mobilize energies, organize festivals and other social and cultural activities. District mayors, members of the Order of Canada recognized for their support of youth and culture, a senior official of the city’s community police service. Discussions lasting more than two hours spawned cooperation projects and built many bridges between the groups, the organizations, and the generations.

What a joy and what a dazzling evening was Falla 2007, put on by TOHU, the circus school that is a true catalyst in the neighbourhood of Saint-Michel. It brings the most vulnerable youths together around creations that allow them to gain knowledge and skills, to work and to explore their strengths and opportunities. Residents of the neighbourhood participate by the thousands in this annual gathering around a falla, a gigantic, highly symbolic sculpture of ephemeral art that is set ablaze. And as the young falleros told me this year, the most important thing is not the work itself but the sum of the effort made to achieve it and what they learned in applying themselves to create it. It is always a magical and highly colourful moment, and above all it throws light on the community spirit that prevails despite everything in Saint-Michel, which has sadly become more famous for difficult social problems, street gangs, violence and poverty than for its many positive and effective initiatives.

I will continue to support these initiatives on the ground and to recognize what can be achieved and created through strength of imagination and joint effort.