Montréal, Thursday, March 27, 2008

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What a joy, what a pleasure it is to be here this evening. Jean-Daniel and I are absolutely delighted to be able to share this moment with you here at TOHU, in St-Michel, Montréal, and to be part of this unifying celebration of brotherhood.

The adventure upon which you are about to embark began with a journey.

One of my first international visits as governor general of Canada took me back to the country of my childhood.

I found myself once again on the island where I first learned to walk, talk, see and feel the world.

In the lively streets of Port-au-Prince, in May 2006, during the swearing-in of President Préval, the governor general I had become began to search the eyes of Haiti’s children, women and men.

I tried to read in those eyes the measure of hope so desperately craved.

And then, at a State dinner, I discovered the Haïti en scène troupe, invited by President Préval along with other young emerging artists, an invitation that highlighted their important role as agents of change. There could be no doubt: their voices matter; their voices cannot be ignored.

And in the eyes and voices of those young people, I understood.

I understood that hope had not left the island of my youth.

I understood that in spite of all the difficulties and suffering in their lives, life itself will not be denied and is asserting itself in a thousand different ways in Haiti.

Seeing and hearing these young people—under the skilled direction of Bertrand Labarre—take the rock-opera STARMANIA and make it their own, as we will have the great fortune to witness tonight, deeply moved me.

I was in shock, taken aback by the universal relevance of that libretto, which has stood the test of time and continues to give a clear voice to the anguish of many youth.

Its power to liberate is as strong as ever.

As soon as I returned to Canada, I wanted to share the enthusiasm of these young people with lyricist Luc Plamondon, who is here with us this evening. We talked about it for a long time.

Thank you, Luc Plamondon.

Thank you for listening.

Thank you for recognizing the commitment and passion of these youth, to whom your STARMANIA—first penned 30 years ago—has given a voice and whose words they have made their own.

My journey to Haiti therefore continues, dear friends, thanks to all of you here this evening.

And I couldn’t be happier!

I would also like to thank and applaud TOHU for hosting tonight’s performance, particularly Charles‑Mathieu Brunelle, who understood just how much these youth are bringing their own lives to the stage. But I should point out that the collaboration and close ties with TOHU began long before today.

I think back to my first encounter with TOHU’s youth committee, which led to the creation of the Falla, a gigantic, collective sculpture installed on Congo Beach in Jacmel. That project allowed young artists from across Canada to live, create, work and build strong and lasting ties with young artists in Haiti, all with the wonderful and generous contributions of Wyclef Jean and his foundation, Yéle Haiti.

I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada to turn this great dream of an exchange between young Canadian and Haitian artists into a reality.

Tonight’s performance is both a celebration of the ties between my country of origin and my adopted country and proof of the vitality of Francophone voices in the world and of the richness of the dialogue between peoples.

I cannot imagine a more beautiful illustration of solidarity than this rock-opera, the fruit of collaboration between Quebec lyricist Luc Plamondon, French musician Michel Berger, and performed tonight in part in the rich tones of Creole, a language and its rhythms born of a powerful desire for freedom.

This opera, which has left an indelible mark on the history of musical comedies from the French‑speaking world, will tonight sparkle with new costumes and ring out with new accents.

Art knows no borders and speaks a universal language.

The youth who are part of the Haïti en scène troupe are living proof of this, pushing back the impossible.

Tonight is a promise for the future for us all and for humanity; a promise for the future born of the mingling of our ideas and the union of our desires and actions.

A promise for the future carried by the voice of youth as it opens itself to dialogue rather than strain itself in solitude.

These young people have shown us that beauty is still possible.

I ask that you open your hearts to them, as I have done.

Join us on this journey.

You’ll never forget it.

I promise.