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Toronto, Sunday, March 25, 2007
It is a great pleasure for me to be here with you today at York University.
First and foremost, let me tell you what a privilege it is for me to have been granted an honorary doctor of law degree from such a prestigious university.
As a world-class institution of higher learning located in the heart of one of the most multicultural and multiracial cities in the world, your mission transcends the mere transmission of knowledge.
It goes much further than that to providing a space for learning and thinking that is so essential to safeguarding freedom and democracy in our society.
Universities have always been bastions of free thought, providing students with a safe space to question established traditions and interrogate rigid ideologies.
They have also been centers of resistance, allowing citizens to speak truth to power and ensure multiple viewpoints are heard.
It worries me—and it should worry all of us—that there are fewer and fewer public forums for reflection, debate and dialogue.
More and more, the very act of thinking critically is being stifled and mocked by a seductive world of glamorous images and tantalizing pleasures.
On this Sunday afternoon, with the last vestiges of winter being melted away by the warm spring weather, I am honoured that you decided to spend some time with me. We have all taken the time to come together and reflect. That means a lot to me and I thank you.
This Sunday, March 25, 2007, will remain etched in my memory forever. You have generously and warmly welcomed me among your prestigious ranks on the same day we are marking the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act in the British Empire.
I would like to take the time to share my thoughts on the importance of freedom both here in Canada and abroad.
The values and practices that have sheltered us from violence, forced servitude and tyranny are slowly being eroded as social fragmentation is disconnecting us from each other.
Worse yet, we are hearing about more and more cases of slavery and slavery-like practices rearing their ghastly heads around the world.
On this 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade, I believe, now more than ever, that we must remind ourselves of one of the most precious gifts our ancestors gave us: freedom!
We must understand its power to liberate us from oppression and to bring us together for the common good.
And we must recognize why it is imperative to work in solidarity to ensure that freedom is a reality for everyone.
Charles Taylor once wrote, “(…) modern freedom was won by our breaking loose from older moral horizons.” What many tend to forget is that these horizons were grafted on the sweat and blood of millions of enslaved Africans and Aboriginals, whose alienated labour became one of the main motors of modernity.
You probably all remember that the old world order eulogized the virtues of slavery.
It affirmed the moral, intellectual and psychological inferiority of the enslaved.
And it used theological explanations to justify what really was one of the most barbaric crimes in the history of humankind.
With the Enlightenment came new ideas and perspectives. Humanity was called upon to liberate itself from tradition and superstition.
The principles of freedom, rationality and scientific curiosity replaced the values of the older moral order.
Yet, this new leopard did not shed all of its old spots. Citizens championed equality and liberty in one breath, while denying the humanity of the enslaved in another.
As Cornel West wrote, “the great paradox of modernity is that democracy flourished for Europeans, especially men of property, alongside the flowering of the transatlantic slave trade and New World slavery.”
Nevertheless, it was in my country of birth, Haiti, that a revolutionary movement exposed the barbaric duplicity of this new world view.
Late one night, deep in the heart of the tropical rainforest, the throb of the African drum joined the sound of the Aboriginal conch in a rousing call to freedom.
Slaves responded accordingly, planting the seed that would not only liberate their land from slavery but would also inspire thousands of others around the world in their fight for the abolition of the transatlantic, trans-Saharan and Indian Ocean slave trade.
It was on March 25, 1807, that a growing abolitionist movement persuaded the British Parliament to ban the slave trade in the British Empire. On that day, humanity learned some very important lessons.
We learned how the voices of citizens and non-citizens could combine to overcome an entire institution of injustice.
We learned of the importance of remaining vigilant, interrogating our mentalities and practices to ensure they do not lead to tyranny.
We learned of the power of higher, more universal values in bringing about social change.
And I believe these lessons still hold true today. We cannot sustain an open and free society if we do not remain mindful of the lessons of the past.
Because with ignorance comes indifference.
With indifference comes incomprehension.
And with incomprehension comes the foundation upon which systems of injustice, exploitation and racism can flourish freely.
It is for this reason that I hosted a national student forum at Rideau Hall on March 21 entitled “From the Abolition of the Slave Trade to the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.”
Over 250 students converged on Rideau Hall to speak about the significance of the anniversary and their desire to eliminate racial discrimination.
I was fascinated to hear them affirm that greater awareness about the history of slavery in Canada is key to combating racial discrimination today.
I was moved to hear them speak of their desire to work together to eliminate racism in our society.
I was touched by their unwavering commitment to building a world in which everyone has an equal opportunity to flourish.
And this is why I am so proud to be here today to congratulate you on launching the Harriet Tubman Institute.
In so doing, you are helping us appreciate the breadth of the African diasporic experience not only in the Americas, but also in the Middle East and Asia.
You are telling us of the great struggle slaves and former slaves underwent to reclaim their dignity as human beings.
You are reminding us of the importance of remaining vigilant even today, as slavery, slavery-like practices and human trafficking persist around the world.
As I have said before, spaces of dialogue, learning and exchange are crucial to keeping Canadians and the rest of the world aware of the undeniable importance of freedom and the dangers that continue to lie in its path.
As governor general of Canada, I encourage all Canadians to join hands today to reaffirm our commitment to freedom for all, to renew our vow to uphold justice for all, and to reinvigorate the circle of solidarity that will allow us to build a world in which we can all be proud.
Thank you.