Vancouver, Thursday, January 24, 2008

How are you doing?

I must begin by thanking you for such a warm welcome here this evening. It is an honour for me and my husband Jean-Daniel to be back here in the Downtown Eastside to celebrate with you the first anniversary of the Governor General’s Urban Arts Forums on Canadian soil.

When I became governor general of Canada, I decided to make the institution that I occupy a space in which the voices of citizens would be heard, in which the values of tolerance and sharing that are so important, would prevail, and in which ordinary people, women and men, could join hands in a spirit of solidarity.

And young people were at the heart of this preoccupation.

Through my career as a journalist, I discovered that youth have so many creative and innovative ideas, and that these ideas offer very promising solutions to the challenges of the day. But unfortunately, we often underestimate the value and worth of these ideas. And this has to change.

At the same time, I met young people who had given up. The sentiment of being ignored had led many to feel abandoned by society. This sense of alienation provided the setting in which criminal groups —I call them predators — could easily target the disillusioned and bring them into their fold.

So I asked myself, how can I make this institution that I represent more accessible and meaningful to young people? How can I make it a space in which youth voices can be heard and taken seriously?

And the first thing that came to mind was: I need to ask them!

So during the first year and a half of my mandate, during my official visits to the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada, I made sure to meet youth in cities and rural areas to understand what they thought I should do.

Two suggestions stood out.

They said:

“We want people to understand the work urban artists are doing to transform despair and indifference into hope and social change.”

“We want more opportunities for young people to meet and work with major leaders of our society.”

So in response, I inaugurated the Governor General’s Urban Arts Forums. This initiative brings youth, decision-makers, Order of Canada recipients, philanthropists, and community leaders together to discuss the ways art is being used as a powerful tool to build stronger communities and neighbourhoods, to reflect and think about particular situations and challenges, to give a voice to the voiceless and to provide content and meaning to our citizenship. All of this to act in a spirit of solidarity.

To date, the experience has been incredible.

Just to name a few:

In Calgary, at the Quickdraw Animation Society, young artists told me how they had escaped situations of abuse and depression through film and animation.

In Toronto, at the Whippersnapper Gallery, they told me how hip hop, painting and spoken word had saved their lives, helped them overcome gang membership, and enabled them to reconnect with the power of words.

In Winnipeg, at the Graffiti Gallery, they told me how the urban arts are being used as tools to rid their neighbourhood of drugs, gangs, and abuse. In fact, they have since created a successful community-wide initiative that is making their neighbourhood a safer place to live.

In Montreal, at the Maison des jeunes de la Côte-des-Neiges, they told me how the urban arts have rehabilitated youth in trouble with the law, reduced violence, and united people around common projects.

In Ottawa, at Saw Gallery, they spoke about their frustrations with indifference and their desire to increase opportunities for youth to express their concerns creatively. They have since put together an urban arts committee to pool the efforts of young artists in the city.

What I find fascinating is that irrespective of the city, the issues, the challenges, and the initiatives are the same.

Moreover, they all want to work with you!

For in each city, the message has been the same: “We want to connect with artists in other Canadian cities and in other parts of the world.”

Even during my State and official visits to Latin America and Africa, I met urban artists in some of the poorest parts of Haiti, Brazil, and Argentina.

They too spoke about the tremendous impact art-based projects are having on their communities.

They also told me that they want to connect with their counterparts in Canada. They also want to work with you!

I must admit that I find this idea of a national and international urban arts network quite attractive; it is worth pursuing since young people across the country are telling me that they want to participate in this initiative. In fact, I look forward to meeting young artists from across Canada and elsewhere next year at the Governor General’s National Urban Arts Forum.

Meanwhile, I would encourage you to join the online forum on urban arts on Citizen Voices, a new addition to the governor general’s website.

As I have said to your counterparts in other cities, I want you to know that I am here tonight because I believe in your ability to bring about change.

I believe in your words of hope.

I believe that all Canadians need to learn from what you are doing.

For I have seen how the arts—whether it is rap, multimedia, sculpture, spoken word, poetry, film, graffiti, painting, theatre, locking or popping—have such an essential role to play in instilling a sense of hope and a commitment to improving the lives of our fellow Canadians.

Before I conclude, let me acknowledge the presence of members of the Order of Canada, the highest honour in our country. They have taken time out of their busy schedule to be here and listen to what you have to say.

Nini Baird, Stella Jo Dean, Leila Getz, June Goldsmith, John Gray, Carol Gail Herniquez, David Lui, Timothy Porteous, Gordon Smith, Milton K. Wong, and Paul Wong: Please stand.

Each one of you has made an incredible contribution to our country, and we are privileged to have you in our midst.

I would also like to say a special thank you to Centre A, RAW, Intersections, Maestro Fresh Wes, the BC Ministry of Children, the NOW Crew, Soul Jam and so many others for making this event possible.

And most importantly, I want to hear what you have to say.

I want to learn about your projects and how they work.

I want to know how they have affected your lives and the people around you.

I want to know how we can work together to build a more compassionate and caring world.

For we all have a role to play.

So let’s start the discussion.