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Sao Paulo, Tuesday, July 10, 2007
I was born in Haiti.
Like Caetano Veloso said in his provocative song entitled simply, “Haiti,” think of Haiti . . . pray for Haiti.
Yes, Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas.
A country I knew when it was torn apart under merciless dictatorships.
Haiti, the country of my childhood, which I left in 1968.
Like so many others, my parents were persecuted, and we had to escape a terrible regime of oppression and tyranny.
And they chose a country where anything is possible.
The country in which we decided to set down roots is Canada, and it is with great pride that I now represent Canada as its Governor General.
Canada is a country full of people of various origins, just like Brazil, and all of the Americas really.
It was created by the meeting of the Aboriginal people and the European explorers, followed closely by people from all over the world.
It was created by the sense of belonging that women and men have to a land with endless horizons, a land whose spirit the Aboriginal people have shared with us.
Canada was also created by an ideal based on civic-mindedness that is rooted in democracy.
An ideal that established a peaceful and prosperous society, where the notion of equality is our philosophy.
It is the country that my husband and I have passed on to our daughter, knowing that she will be able to grow and prosper there.
The Canada in which our daughter is growing up is a promise for the future that is enriched every day by the contributions made by people who come from all over the globe.
It is a country that, forty years ago, made its theme at the Montreal Expo “Man and His World,” taken from the beautiful Saint-Exupéry expression, “Terre des Hommes.”
Because, like so many countries in the Americas–including Brazil—we know that our diversity is our greatest strength.
That diversity is the image of the world that we would like to shape with our sisters and brothers in Brazil.
I am proud to be here today on behalf of the Canadian people to celebrate the mixing of colours, cultures and accents that fill our two countries and that call for a broader—a much broader—definition of the world.
And I am proud to see that since my last visit here in 1992, democracy has washed over Brazil like a wave that continues to draw it to the centre of the world, a world whose borders we wish to push back.
The progress made by the Brazilian people these past few years has been remarkable; it has become a symbol of hope for all of humanity.
At the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, which I was covering as a journalist with Canada’s public television, I heard a promising voice rise up from the hustle and bustle.
It is a voice that has grown louder and louder in the concert of nations.
It is the voice of a country about to become one of the great powers of the 21st century.
Canada is proud to call Brazil its most important partner in South America.
Canada and Brazil have similar objectives on both a continental and a global scale, and have established a productive partnership.
This year we are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Consulate General in Sao Paulo, which demonstrates how solid our ties are.
I don’t have to tell you, the members of the Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce, how dynamic the trade relations are between our two countries.
Your efforts to help create a stimulating business environment and improve the conditions for commercial trade ensure that these relations continue to succeed.
There are approximately 400 Canadian companies with interests in Brazil.
Over 100 of them have permanent offices here, namely Alcan, some of our biggest financial institutions, Nortel, and Quebecor Monde.
Brazil is Canada’s third largest export market in the Americas.
And Brazil is the largest investor in Canada from Central and South America. The growth of these Brazilian investments has been highest in the last four years.
Moreover, my Brazilian friends, the determination with which you invest in Canada will encourage us to be as daring in Brazil.
We are delighted with the vitality of the trade relations between our two countries and we are going to continue building on this potential in the years to come.
In fact, Canada would like to double our trade relations by 2012.
This bodes well for the business community.
Scientific and technological innovation is also at the heart of our partnership.
Especially in key sectors of our economy, such as biofuels; Brazil is a pioneer in the use of ethanol as a substitute for oil.
We are closely following your efforts to find a balance between researching new sources of energy and the need to protect arable lands and agriculture.
Last March, Canada held a forum on technological and scientific innovation right here in Sao Paulo as a means of exploring new ways we can collaborate.
The participants agreed that they needed to seriously consider signing a co-operation agreement in this regard, an agreement that would benefit both our countries and create a number of joint research projects.
I would like to point out that professor Arthur Carty, who presided over the Canadian delegation at that forum, is one of the delegates accompanying me on this State visit to Brazil.
We would also like a stronger bilateral commitment this year in the areas of air transportation, agriculture, mining, and audiovisual co-productions.
As an aside, I am delighted that culture is a part of our efforts to create a strong and diversified economy.
I believe it is essential to make creativity in all its forms a key factor in development.
My husband is a filmmaker, and he and I support the commitment our two countries have made in the audiovisual field.
We applaud the new agreement with Brazil regarding the development of E-cinema, co-productions, distribution, broadcasting, training and research.
Very soon, the filming of “Blindness” will begin right here in Sao Paulo; the film was adapted from the novel by José Saramago and is the result of a collaboration between Canada and Brazil.
The Canadian producer, Niv Fichman, and the Brazilian producer Andrea Barata-Ribeiro, are also here with us today.
Cooperation between Canada and Brazil also applies to other keys sectors.
The Canadian International Development Agency is working tirelessly to increase the transfer of knowledge, models and experiences between Brazilian and Canadian partners.
I have been in Salvador for the past few days and I was very proud to witness first-hand the work NGOs accomplish in the spirit of solidarity and in an attempt to combat social exclusion.
Their work makes a powerful contribution to the growth of social engagement.
As well, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) has taken part in 202 projects in Brazil since 1972, for a total investment of $43.6 million.
Most of these projects encourage the spread of democracy and help reinforce social cohesion throughout Brazil.
I have seen how much the women, men and youth of this country are committed to promoting citizenship engagement.
I have met youth who work tirelessly to raise AIDS awareness, promote literacy, and help the less fortunate.
These young people told me that they are the mirrors of their communities, that they could not remain indifferent to others, and that solidarity was a collective responsibility.
These are the projects we must continue to support. These are the areas that are most critical in Brazil.
As President Lula said, it is the international community’s ethical duty to eliminate barriers that prevent the development of poor countries.
He also said that eliminating these barriers is the best way to ensure everyone’s prosperity and safety.
We are of the same mind, and it is not a commitment that Canada takes lightly.
Our participation in a variety of other international initiatives is proof of that.
For example, Canada and Brazil work with nine other countries from Central and South America to help our sisters and brothers in Haiti, who have been overwhelmed with misery and violence for far too long.
I see this act of solidarity with the Haitian people as an ethical duty, to use President Lula’s words.
This duty does credit to Brazil, which is leading the United Nations Forces, and every country taking part.
This duty deepens our sense of humanity.
What the Americas are doing to help the less fortunate must be a source of inspiration to the young people who are following in our footsteps.
The young people who are part of the delegation accompanying me on this State visit have a commitment to social justice that will amaze you.
Yes, youth is one of my priorities. And I was delighted to read on the Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce Web site that you are concerned with young people and that you see education as one of the most effective development tools.
There are many of us who share your point of view.
We must give our young people the means of continuing the efforts that are guiding today’s Brazil toward modernization, the affirmation of democracy, and the promotion of human rights.
In a study conducted by the IDRC and the Instituto Brasileiro de Análises Sociais e Econômicas, young Brazilians named education as the best means of improving their living conditions.
Young people themselves see education as not only a means of improving their lives but also a way of contributing to the prosperity of the country.
Canada fully endorses such a social project.
That is what will determine whether Brazil truly succeeds in the years to come.
We cannot abandon an entire generation of young people who want to contribute to the growth of their country and help improve the world they live in.
We must ensure the continuation of exchange programs between Canadian and Brazilian universities.
We must ensure that young people back home and here in Brazil are given the opportunity to help each other grow and that Canadians and Brazilians can continue to collaborate.
Educating young people is an investment in growth and economic prosperity.
At a time when there are so many large economic blocks, Brazil and Canada must be committed to increasing the number of opportunities for their citizens to open themselves to the world.
And this relationship must be reciprocal.
I firmly believe that co‑operation must be part of and practiced within an ethical framework that is respectful of the people, of their history, and of their culture.
I believe that co-operation must also respect the ecological integrity of the places from which we draw our resources.
To exploit resources irresponsibly is to jeopardize the future of generations to come.
What is at stake is much more than a short‑term gain.
The more our respective interests reach beyond our borders and encompass the interests of the wider world, the more fulfilled we will be and the stronger we will make our joint commitment to the human family.
That is what I call responsible development.
What we are and what we do should not be a detriment to others.
That is what Canada and Brazil should now be focussing on, strong in the values we share and the friendship that binds us in the Americas from north to south, and from south to north.
Thank you very much.
I would now like to propose a toast to the solidarity and friendship that Canada and Brazil share.