Rideau Hall, Saturday, May 5, 2007

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to Rideau Hall for this special event.

Rideau Hall is a fitting venue for the launch of the Canadian Tulip Festival, that wonderful celebration of spring and international fellowship.

Spring is a special time here. Every year, visitors come and walk the grounds and enjoy the beautiful park.

Rideau Hall is also a symbol of the friendship that links Canada with so many other nations around the world. Throughout history, this place has welcomed many world leaders, as you can read on the plaques under the trees planted by these guests over the years.

This year, Rideau Hall adds a new element to its connection with the Tulip Festival; it will be the site of the first-ever “Celebridée” discussion.

Celebridée—A Celebration of Ideas— is an exciting addition to the Tulip Festival’s program this year. And since it is a series of interesting talks given by prominent Canadians, I am convinced that Celebridée is going to be a favourite with festival-goers.

Naturally, I am very pleased to host the very first presentation here today, and to welcome the person who is going to lead the discussion—renowned historian Margaret MacMillan.

As you all know, the theme of today’s presentation is “The Power of Ideas.” I can think of no one better to address this subject, given that “the power of ideas” figures so prominently in Ms. MacMillan’s writings.

In her acclaimed Paris 1919, we witness the power of ideas like nationalism and self-determination, disarmament, war reparations, and whether, in 1919, the United States should play a more prominent role in world affairs.

In Ms. MacMillan’s latest book, Nixon in China, readers will have the opportunity to reflect on the ideas that inspired President Nixon— a lifelong opponent of communism—to travel to China for his historic and groundbreaking meeting with Mao Zedong.

What these examples and others clearly demonstrate is that the power of ideas is far-reaching.

All the great transformations in human history began as mere ideas, the product of certain people’s imagination.

Writing; esthetic renewal, democracy; sailing around the world; the nation state; industrialization; women’s equality; public health care; a bilingual, multicultural Canada; a computer in every home; mapping the human genome; beginning to address climate change—before we could achieve these things, someone had to first perceive them.

Never before have we had access to so many works of imagination and so much universal knowledge.

In Canada, we live and work in “the knowledge economy”; new ideas are central to our economic success. But they are also essential to addressing the challenges we face in society.

We do need new ideas.

New ideas to engage young people in the democratic process.

New ideas to renew the dialogue with many Aboriginal communities.

New ideas to find more practical alternative fuels.

New ideas to ensure that our aging population has the means to enjoy a fulfilling life and to contribute fully to society.

New ideas to help build an inclusive society where every citizen, regardless of background, shares the same opportunities.

New ideas to instill a dialogue of civilizations as a means of fighting barbarism in all its forms.

New ideas that will only emerge if we pull together and reaffirm the values that we all share and that represent hope for humanity.

That is why I applaud the Tulip Festival organizers for introducing Celebridée. I have no doubt that Ms. MacMillan and the other panellists are going to give us plenty of “food for thought”.

And so, without further ado, I think it’s time to move on to the main event.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for being here today; may your discussion be thought-provoking and rewarding!