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Why Care about Canadian Unity in 2002? |
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More than one hundred days have passed since September 11th, and there is no doubt that the political landscape in Canada, as in the rest of the world, has changed. In the immediate future, this may mean more consensus on some things: for example, many Canadians of every cultural and linguistic affiliation agree that it is the role of a relatively strong federal government to combat terrorism and to keep Canadians safe from attack. |
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Canadians also generally agree with the feds' approach to the so-called
"war on terrorism," to the extent that it means supporting the United
States during a time of great trauma to their nation, without compromising
Canadian values such as the search for justice, human rights, and multilateral
consensus. Bickering between the federal government and the provinces
continues here at home, of course - but given the distraction of international
events, the alarming end-game question of Quebec separatism has almost dropped
below the radar screen for now. Yet, it would not be realistic to think that we have reached some stable place at the end of history. The national consensus that violent attack produced is already giving way to the realization that some of our country's basic assumptions about tolerance, diversity, and the just use of power will not come out of this unchallenged. Many of us certainly hope that fear will not change us too much, or change us into something we don't want to be; but it will change us. The bigger reality about September 11th, as many commentators have pointed out, is that it has put into motion a fundamental and irreversible re-evaluation of the way the world works - and the wheel has not stopped spinning. As David Cameron and Janice Gross Stein of the University of Toronto recently suggested, We have witnessed the first large-scale violent attack against post-industrial society, using its characteristic form of organization: the network. The network of terror that perpetrated the attack is enabled by conditions unique to our times. Global networks of this kind are conceivable only in a world that is tightly interconnected and in societies that are moving through the processes of post-industrialization. Without global markets and communications, the widespread mobility of people, and multicultural, diverse societies, these networks of terror could not survive, much less succeed. [Summary, "Global Traffic: Canadian Democracy at the Intersection," conference paper presented at Canada Today: A Democratic Audit, Canadian Studies at Mount Allison University, December 1, 2001.]
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During the months and years ahead, while Canadian society tries to come to terms
with this new reality, we can expect the cross-cutting identities and allegiances
that represent our country's incredibly rich inheritance, and its greatest social
challenge, to reassert themselves. In 2002 and beyond, as in all the years before,
Canada will be called upon to build a place and a future for itself as one of the
most complicated, interconnected, and pluralistic societies on an ever more
complicated and interconnected planet. The task will include not only
acknowledging globalization and multiculturalism, but also addressing many of our
persistent problems, including Quebec separatism, Western alienation, and First
Nations' deep frustration. It will be a challenging time for our country.
A decade from now, in retrospect, we will have a better understanding of how
Canadian society changed itself through its responses to the events of the
past year. A decade from now, it will be too late to fix the things we wish we
had done differently.
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Uni.ca believes that now is the time to see past our current preoccupations and
to do some careful thinking about Canada, and about unity. As the preeminent unity
organization in the country, we feel an obligation to initiate a conversation
about what our country stands for, how we have been arranging our affairs so
far, and where we want to go from here. Canada is a deeply respected citizen of
the world. Our diverse, tolerant, and successful society is a model for other
modern and emerging nations. We have already spent more time than many, thinking
about and practicing respect for individual rights, recognition of group
allegiances, and balancing unity and diversity. We need to take the time, now,
to ensure that the Canada that is re-inventing itself in the post-September
11th world continues to reflect the values that make it great. Uni.ca has developed an ambitious agenda, over the next three months, to look at some of the big questions facing Canada today. Eight sessions will be held in Ottawa and facilitated by uni.ca board members, and will be webcast and opened up for discussion in our internet chatroom. Our hope is to stimulate a meaningful and productive debate, the results of which will be distilled into a "White Paper on Unity" to be published online. This is our schedule:
1. January 12, Monarchy The White Paper Project is an opportunity for Canadians to make their voices heard on the future of the country at this crucial time of change. We want to engage the largest and broadest participation of Canadians we can; please, join us . |
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