May 9, 2007

by Her Excellency Michaëlle Jean

My hectic schedule has unfortunately prevented me from responding to all your questions and comments right away, but after reading what you have written on the blogs and in the forums, I see that certain discussions require a few answers or some clarification on my part.

In some forums, you wonder about the roles and responsibilities of the governor general, and what I do on a daily basis. You can visit www.gg.ca and read the blogs to follow the events I am attending, my meetings, my travels. That said, we are trying to come up with a more systematic way of informing you about the office’s activities. In the meantime, when you ask direct questions in the forums, the Citizen Voices team tries to clear things up to help the discussion along. I think it is important that Canadians understand the roles and responsibilities of their governors general and be aware of their commitment and vision. For example, it is my belief that in order to really listen to citizens, it is essential to go and meet them in their communities, to recognize and support the vitality of organizations in civil society, and to create opportunities all across the country for people to voice their opinions and enter into debates. That is how my husband Jean-Daniel and I spend a lot of our time. And it is one of the reasons why we created this Web site.

There were other themes that you suggested that caught my attention. The discussion about suicide among youth, especially in First Nation and Inuit communities, ties into your comments on the need to pay attention to one another, to take time to listen, to stop indifference, and to be compassionate. That is what mjwolfchild, blacklikeme, centreofthestar, and JoAnne all wrote in the forums.

A lot of young people said that it is often difficult for them to find their place in society and be recognized. Others, like kiki, spoke of the power of dreams and utopias: “Believing in your dreams is not a utopia, even if, and especially when, we are young! To dream, you first have to know yourself and what path you want to take.” These posts really touched me because, if you recall what I have said—especially in my speeches, which are published online at www.gg.ca - you will see that this is one of my concerns too.

There were also a lot of discussions and comments on discrimination in all its forms. I can see that you do not accept intolerance. Your recommendations for fighting racism and a lack of understanding include dialogue and a focus on the importance of talking, debating and raising awareness. Bianco and OuldSimo even suggested a few concrete solutions in this regard. I also noted that a number of young people want a place where they can talk and get to know one another. I have to say, whenever I meet young people, in every forum right across the country, I hear this same desire. And I like to see that you are using this site to send out invitations, as Élodie did on April 23 when she invited everyone to the YMCA Youth Festival in Montreal.

All of this relates to a theme that I hold very dear: the need for us to live together. It is one the biggest challenges with which the world is grappling today. How do we bring together our ideas, our aspirations, and the values that we share? How do we define a space for citizens? How do we communicate in spite of our differences? How do we both celebrate diversity and build on common, solid foundations? These questions are crucial given the current state of the world. And I am so glad that you are discussing them and sharing your points of view.

Until next time.