It was an honour and a privilege to attend the Canada Club Event featuring the Honourable Chris Alexander, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, on Friday March 7, 2014. Invited as representatives of the University of Toronto’s prestigious Munk School of Global Affairs; nine of my colleagues (including myself), participated in the event and luncheon sponsored generously by Scotiabank. The talk from Minister Alexander was both moving and inspirational and touched everyone at our table.
Minister Alexander spoke warmly of Canada’s ongoing commitment to being an inclusive nation. Echoing the sentiments of his Highness the Aga Khan, Minister Alexander took the time to highlight the underpinnings that enable Canada to be one of the most successful civic societies in the world today. These foundations include Canada’s commitment to pluralism, embracing meritocracy as one of our country’s core value and living with a cosmopolitan ethic. Furthermore, Minister Alexander stated that: “One of the key elements to the success, prosperity and social harmony of our country is that we are united Canadian citizens; not necessarily by our common origins, but rather by a pledge of mutual responsibility and a shared commitment to values and traditions rooted in our history.” These are words which truly help to capture the fabric of Canadian citizenship and what it means to each of us to ‘be Canadian’ today.
More http://munkschool.utoronto.ca/ethnicstudies/feature/canada-club-event/
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