I think I've mentioned once or twice before how enamoured I am with Canada's new Governor General,
Michaëlle Jean. She's articulate, young, bold, enthusiastic and committed to the promise of this country. She's not old, white, tired, boring or a man. She's representative, I think of the future of Canada, and I'm so glad to have her in Rideau Hall, despite my early misgivings based on her membership in so many different minority groups. For those of you who aren't yet convinced, read some of what she's had to say so far in her term:
[Freedom] has helped create the spirit of adventure that I love above all in this country, this country where each and every one of us is able to participate fully in the ongoing task of building it.
Think about it. To set off for terra incognita with the hope of putting down roots in a new land. To take one’s inspiration from the encounter with the first population of these wide-open spaces and their age-old customs. To open oneself to the entire world, which comes here inspired by the ideal of a society in which the rights of all citizens are equal. Our history speaks powerfully about the freedom to invent a new world, about the courage underlying those remarkable adventures.
We are encouraged to believe that everything is possible in this country and my own adventure represents for me and for others a spark of hope that I want kept alive for the greatest number.
Every one of us rekindles in his own way the sense of belonging to this space that we all share, a space that contains the world. Never has it been so urgent to ensure the ethical and ecological integrity of this world for the generations to come. It is a moral obligation.
I pledge that I will go on listening and that my curiosity will remain keen. We are at a turning point in the history of civilization and more than ever before, our future rests on those who are forcing us to imagine the world of tomorrow. Those women and men are today showing us the vast range of what is possible for us. They are etching upon our memories the breadth of our aspirations. They are holding out a mirror that reveals the gap between what we are and what we aspire to be.
The time of the "two solitudes" that for too long described the character of this country is past. [...] Quite the contrary: we must eliminate the spectre of all the solitudes and promote solidarity among all the citizens who make up the Canada of today.
Most of all, I want our young people to be our standard-bearers. I want them to dip into the enormous treasure trove that is Canada. [...] Nothing in today’s society is more disgraceful than the marginalization of some young people who are driven to isolation and despair. We must not tolerate such disparities. After all, our young people are helping to redefine the great family we all belong to, in a world that is less and less impermeable, more and more open. They are the promise of our future and we have a duty to encourage them to join us in this reinvention of the world. We must communicate to them the spirit of adventure that our ancestors, regardless of their origins, have passed on to us. We must give our young people the power and, even more, the desire to realize their full potential. I shall do everything I can to see to that and I invite each and every one of you to help me in this vital task.
Our country is vast and it is blessed with a wealth of colours and the varied music of its tongues and accents. Many have not had the good fortune of measuring its full extent. I know how privileged I am. And knowing it makes me impatient and eager to meet you and to begin the dialogue that I consider to be the founding principle of this country.
I am a mother who worries about the kind of future that awaits her child and all the children on this earth. I care deeply about the founding values that unite us – values that we must defend, build on, and preserve. The most important value, in my eyes, is respect. The Canada I love is the one that defines itself through its respect for others, and through its recognition of each person’s integrity and dignity.
This is all so exciting! [...] I am a woman of action, and I can’t wait to get started.
I think I've mentioned once or twice before how enamoured I am with Canada's new Governor General, Michaëlle Jean. She's articulate, young, bold, enthusiastic and committed to the promise of this country. She's not old, white, tired, boring or a man. She's representative, I think of the future of Canada, and I'm so glad to have her in Rideau Hall, despite my early misgivings based on her membership in so many different minority groups. For those of you who aren't yet convinced, read some of what she's had to say so far in her term:
