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Challenging the myth: A new vision for Canada in the world

Listen to Shauna Sylvester…  describe Canada’s World’s guiding principles;  talk about the cross-country consultations

Suscripción al Boletín de IDRC

2009-02

Canadians have abandoned the view that peacekeeping should be Canada’s international niche. Instead, they want to see their country become a role model on the world stage.

That was the main finding of an ambitious three-year initiative, Canada’s World, which is looking at how Canadians view Canada’s role beyond its borders.

“This comes out of a concern among Canadians that we project an image of ourselves that is not in keeping with our actions,” says Shauna Sylvester, Canada’s World founder and director. So a really important value for Canadians is that we walk the talk. That was consistent right across the country.”

A new narrative

Launched in February 2008, Canada’s World conducted extensive polls and cross-country deliberative dialogues, engaging 4 000 Canadians in face-to-face meetings, and some 100 000 more through online dialogues. A national dialogue in Ottawa at the end of January 2009 marked the end of the exercise.

More than 40 Canadian universities and non-governmental organizations are collaborating on the project, which is based out of Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue.

“The heart of Canada’s World is to create a new vision, a new story, for Canada in the world, based on who we are as a country now, not what we were 50 years ago,” says Sylvester.

Sylvester was at IDRC in early February 2009 to share a draft of this “new narrative” – a report that summarizes the results of these extensive conversations.

Canada as role model

Within this new narrative, Canada’s World identified five main areas in which Canadians would like to see their country be a role model on the world stage.

• Advancing a green economy 
  Canadians are proud of various contributions to international environmental agreements, but would like Canada to better capitalize on opportunities to innovate in green technology.
  
  
• Embracing diversity
  Participants agreed they are proud of Canada’s diversity, but still believe many invisible barriers to inclusion must be addressed.
  
  
• Promoting good governance
  Participants were generally proud of the strength of Canada’s financial and democratic institutions, but trust in public institutions is eroding, particularly among young people.
  
  
• Fostering innovation
  Canadians were proud of our country’s contributions to areas such as health research and social entrepreneurship, but want to see more investment in research and development.
  
  
• Enhancing equality and human development
  Canadians think our country has generally been a human development leader, but feel this reputation could be tarnished by lack of action on human rights and weakened social support systems at home.

Sylvester stresses these findings were generally consistent across provincial and demographic lines.

The bedrock of a new story

 Sylvester says Canadians are suggesting a “three C” approach to the country's foreign policy:

• Coherence
  Canadians want all elements of foreign policy to be coherent, and to be complementary with domestic policy.
  
  
• Collaboration
  Canadians want collaboration, not competition, to be the spirit that drives Canada’s involvement in the world.
  
  
• Community
  Canadians believe the country has important responsibilities and obligations to fulfill as a member of the international community.

“This lays out a different way for us to work as a country on the global stage. It becomes the bedrock of Canada’s new story,” says Sylvester.

A citizens’ document

Sylvester emphasizes that “this is a citizen’s document. Our job is now to go back and make sure that it resonates with them, that they are comfortable as its author, and that we help build their capacity to advance it.”

Visit the Canada’s World website at www.canadasworld.ca

Read the draft of Canada’s World’s “new narrative”

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