As someone who was born outside of Canada, I have a unique appreciation for what it offers me and my fellow citizens. Many countries around the world deny rights and privileges that we consider basic here in Canada. Governments and their officials are meant to serve their citizens not the other way around.

There are countries where state police agents have a blank cheque to intimidate citizens and trample all over their rights. Places where economic and social opportunities are tied proportionally to who you know instead of merit and abilities.

I have lived in countries where dissent is equated to treason. I have seen governments infringe on the rights of citizens under the guise of security. I have observed governments equating tightening their grip on power with security for their citizens. I grew up hearing that providing minorities their full rights is tantamount to a threat to national unity and mainstream culture.

Such unjust and cruel norms that may be common in other countries are completely rejected in Canada where we have rules that are setup to protect against similar transgressions.

Not only do Canada and Canadian institutions outlaw similar practices but we are frequently reminded to remain sensitive against coming close to crossing such boundaries.

Examining these stark differences between Canada and other countries fills me with pride and confidence. Canada’s fundamental respect for its citizens and their rights are values that we must celebrate and protect passionately.

We also need to refrain from feeling smug or start taking these privileges we have for granted. Canada didn’t achieve what it achieved without sacrifice and vigilance. It didn’t happen easily.

We cannot afford to be complacent otherwise we will squander away our good fortunes and leave our country to future generations in worse shape than the one we inherited.

Think about it. Have you ever imagined that in Canada people and/or organizations would be punished for disagreeing with their government and that some organizations would lose their funding because they were critical of government’s policies? Have you ever imagined that the Prime Minister would shut down Parliament arbitrarily twice within one year denying Parliamentarian the ability to hold him accountable? Have you ever imagined that in Canada one’s citizenship would be questioned if they were born or worked abroad? Have you ever imagined that thoughtful and rational debates about the Middle East would be suppressed in Canada? Have you ever imagined that if people would question our policy in Afghanistan they would be accused of being Taliban sympathizers? Have you ever imagined seeing Canada’s largest city locked down with chain-linked fences and overwhelming presence of armed police officers?

Those developments may have appeared farfetched and unbelievable few years ago, but today they are Canadian reality. We all should be concerned with the direction that our country is moving towards.

I am afraid that we are sleepwalking backwards, and if we don’t stop this slide, one day we will wake up wondering how we got to that point.

It is on the occasion of Canada Day that we need to assess the direction that our country has embarked on and decide if it is in sync with our vision and expectations.

Canadians have deep attachment to our values and institutions. We need to recognize that it is our individual duty to protect and nurture them. Those values and institutions have offered Canadians the opportunity to pursue their aspirations convinced that they will be justly rewarded.

For me personally, Canada has allowed me to dream beyond what I would have ever dared of dreaming on my own. It is my appreciation for Canada that drives my ambition to see Canada do even better.

Canada did not become one of the best countries in the world by accident. It was the result of the hard work of its citizens.

It is now the responsibility of today’s citizens to decide if they support the direction our country is moving towards or if they don’t. Do we care enough to get involved to ensure that our voices are heard?

Happy Canada Day!

Canada at 150: Rising to the Challenge is about the future.  It is a forward looking non-partisan policy conference taking place in Montreal from March 26-28, 2010. I’m inviting leading thinkers and doers from across Canada and around the world to grapple with what kind of country Canada can be, and should be, when we mark our 150th birthday in 2017.  And to answer the question of what needs to be done today and tomorrow to get there.

This website is your portal to a groundbreaking national conversation about our country’s future, a conversation that seeks new solutions to five challenges facing Canada in the years ahead:

Jobs today and tomorrow

The creative and competitive economy

Real life issues for Canadian families

Energy, environment, economy

A strong presence in the world of 2017

Through this website you can participate in this conversation, before and during the conference – no matter where you live in Canada.

Each week we’ll be publishing discussion papers, blog entries and Your2017 submissions on the website – posts that we invite you to discuss and debate in the comments forum below each article. As Liberal MPs hold Canada at 150 town halls across Canada in February and March, we’ll post event notices – so you can carry on the conversation in person.

On March 26 to 28, every Canadian will have access to the conference through live web stream.  You can watch – and ask questions – from your own computer or attend an event in your area. The Can150.ca website will help you find events near you where people are watching the conference together.  If you’d like to organize and host such an event, register it here on the website so others can join you.  

Canadians care deeply about our country. We need to harness this passion about our future if we are to solve the challenges facing Canadian families, individuals and both rural and urban communities. 

I hope you will add your voice to the conversation – and that you will invite your family, friends and constituents to do the same. That conversation begins here, right now.

Sincerely,
Michael Ignatieff

Michael Ignatieff is touring the country visiting different campuses, soliciting input and engagement from citizens. He will be visiting Mississauga this Wednesday where students and community members will get the opportunity to share their frustrations and aspirations.

These type of discussions with Canadians are very valuable. They are helpful for Canadians who may feel disconnected from the political process. They give an opportunity to familiarize Canadians with a human dimension that at times appears absent when talking about politics or politicians. Equally important, such forums will connect politicians to what everyday Canadians outside the political sphere care about.

Some argue that citizen participation in town-hall meetings like these will have very little effect on politicians and political decisions. They try to tap into the cynicism that exist in each of us by telling us that we can’t make a difference and that politicians don’t care.

The truth couldn’t be more different. Yes, there are politicians who may not care or who are motivated by self-interest, but ultimately Canadian citizens are the employer of all politicians. Whether they like it or not, politicians have to be sensitive to Canadians needs and concerns. The ones who are at odds with those needs are counting on traditional apathy towards politics that would let them get away with their unaccountable actions.

Genuine political leaders are the ones who are putting themselves on the line in open and uncensored forums, combating apathy and encouraging Canadians to claim their rightful place in the political process.

Democracy is messy and is a system where different ideas compete. Change doesn’t come easy, but if we abandon fulfilling our role, change will never come. We need leaders who encourage Canadians to participate, not ones who say Canadians don’t care.

Part of Michael Ignatieff listening tour, is the launch of a new website that asks Canadians to submit their ideas for the future of Canada. http://your2017.ca  is an opportunity for every Canadian to offer their input. I hope many Canadians will take few minutes to participate in this exercise and offer their valuable ideas.

In the meantime, I am looking forward to the session with Mr. Ignatieff at UTM on Wednesday. Hope to see you all there.

The matter of climate change is not a trivial challenge. The fact that the planet is warming is beyond dispute. This past decade is on record being the warmest in history. The gradual warming may not be felt by individuals in our daily lives but the trend is unquestionable and is problematic. If this trend is not stopped, some science fiction movies depicting natural disasters may become reality.

The challenge is to get our leaders to care about a future that may never happen during their lifetime. If we don’t act now, the damage may be irreversible and the leaders of tomorrow including our children and grandchildren will be left helpless.

The opportunity to fight climate change is not only helpful to the environment but it will be helpful to our economy. Introducing alternative energy sources, improving our energy consumption efficiency and reducing our waste are in of themselves smart ideas. They will spur new technology initiatives and generate economic activities.

For leaders to act, it requires commitment and vision. Regrettably, Stephen Harper and members of his caucus lack that understanding.

We need to insist that our leaders show real commitment to addressing this challenge. The future wellbeing of humankind is dependent on our actions today.

The city of Mississauga is going through a promising transformation. I expect the city centre to look drastically different in the next few years and I like the direction its taking. The city is transforming from a suburb into a major city with its own unique character.

Last year’s “Our Future Mississauga” initiative has produced so many innovative ideas. Watching some of those plans being implemented in the coming years will be very exciting.

This somber anniversary must remind us that violence against women is a societal problem with troubling roots that continue to persist today.

Almost every day we hear of incidents where women are subjected to violence or abuse just because they are women. I imagine there are many more stories that don’t get reported or make the headline news.

May be there is no society or culture that overtly endorses or promotes violence against women, however the enduring tolerance for unfairness and double standard towards women perpetuates an environment of imbalanced societal structure.

This is not to excuse individuals who commit violence against women. Those criminals must be held individually accountable for their horrific acts.

We need to expose our collective failures and confront our societal flaws if we are to improve. When different expectations are imposed on women in politics, business, community or at home, it leads to unfairness. When women are paid less than men for identical work it creates two classes of humanity. When women are asked to sacrifice while men are encouraged to dominate, it formulates a false sense of hierarchy. (I am not against sacrifice for the benefit of others, but both men and women need to be expected to do so equally.)

It is the subtle signals that society tolerates that eventually condition our men and women permitting gender inequality. It is covert and systemic unfairness that occasionally appears as a justification for violence or abuse in the mind of some extremists.

This phenomena is more visible in the developing world, but we in Canada, cannot afford to be smug about it. Violence against women remains a problem and every citizen, particularly men, need to acknowledge it and do everything in their power to eliminate it.

Just repeatedly saying that women are equal to men is not enough. We must practice that statement at home, at work or in the playground.

Here is an excellent article in the Toronto Star about lessons derived from the Montreal massacre.