The
      Minister
      of
      Foreign
      Affairs
      Hosts
      Morning
      Forums
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      On
      Tuesday,
      March
      4,
      a
      small
     
     
      cross-section
      of
      Prince
      Edward
      Islanders
     
     
      were
      asked
      to
      participate
      in
      a
      Dialogue
      on
     
     
      Foreign
      Policy
      in
      Charlottetown.
      Four
     
     
      UPEI
      students
      were
      included
      in
      the
      group
     
     
      of
      approximately
      thirty.
     
    

    
     
      In
      a
      1995
      Parliamentary
      review,
     
     
      the
      Canadian
      Government
      divided
      the
     
     
      topic
      of
      foreign
      affairs
      into
      three
      "pillars."
     
     
      They
      are
      Prosperity,
      Security,
      and
      Values
     
     
      and
      Culture.
     
    

    
     
      In
      an
      effort
      to
      include
      Canadians
     
     
      in
      creating
      goals
      for
      these
      pillars,
      dia-
     
     
      logues
      are
      being
      held
      across
      the
      nation
      and
     
     
      three
      questions
      were
      posed
      to
      each
      of
      the
     
    

    
     
      ‘groups.
      The
      ideas
      gathered
      from
      these
     
     
      open
      forums
      will
      be
      compiled
      and
     
     
      reviewed
      by
      the
      Ministry
      of
      Foreign
     
     
      Affairs.
     
    

    
     
      We
      were
      divided
      into
      three
     
     
      groups
      of
      about
      twelve
      to
      tackle
      each
      of
     
     
      the
      pillars
      separately,
      and
      I
      participated
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Fun
      &
      Games
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      group
      to
      discuss
      Values
      and
      Culture.
     
     
      We
      had
      a
      diverse
      bunch,
      including
      ex-
     
     
      patriots
      of
      Iran
      and
      England,
      government
     
     
      workers,
      retired
      teachers
      and
      a
      high
      school
     
     
      student.
      We
      were
      all
      Canadian.
     
    

    
     
      The
      first
      hour
      of
      our
      forum
      was
     
     
      used
      to
      attempt
      to
      define
      Canadian
      culture.
     
     
      We
      were
      asked
      how
      we
      best
      portrayed
      our
     
     
      values
      and
      culture
      abroad,
      and
      we
      had
      a
     
     
      difficult
      time
      deciding
      on
      a
      single
      image
      of
     
     
      a
      Canadian.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      One
      of
      the
      group,
      Jean
      Tingley,
     
     
      discussed
      the
      fact
      that
      there
      was
      little
      flag-
     
     
      waving
      in
      Canada.
      Another
      member
     
     
      downplayed
      the
      importance
      of
      patriotism
     
     
      as
      modern
      tribalism
      —
      a
      chest-pounding
     
     
      battle
      cry.
     
    

    
     
      We're
      peace-keeping,
      proud
      and
     
     
      are
      lucky
      enough
      to
      feel
      a
      warmth
      from
     
     
      those
      abroad
      when
      we
      wear
      our
      flag
      on
     
     
      our
      back.
      We're
      more
      of
      a
      mosaic
      than
      a
     
     
      melting
      pot.
      Those
      definitions
      came
      easi-
     
     
      ly.
      But
      what
      is
      definingly
      Canadian?
     
    

    
     
      -
      After
      we
      all
      addressed
      the
      issue,
     
     
      Fouad
      Haddad
      wrapped
      up
      our
      collective
     
     
      sentiments
      when
      he
      said,
      "Our
      culture
      is
      a
     
     
      multi-culture.
      Period."
      3
     
    

    
     
      With
      that
      in
      mind,
      we
      set
      to
      work
     
     
      on
      our
      questions.
      They
      included
      promot-
     
     
      ing
      human
      rights,
      gender
      equality
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1)
      "When
      Doves
      Cry,
      1
     
     
      2)
      "Roxanne,"
      by
      The
      Police
     
    
   
   
    
     
      diversity
      and
      fostering
      intercultural
      and
     
     
      interfaith
      dialogues
      in
      other
      nations.
     
    

    
     
      Overall,
      our
      group
      decided
      that
     
     
      fostering
      these
      sentiments
      should
      be
     
     
      strengthened
      at
      home
      before
      it
      is
      taught
     
     
      abroad.
      While
      we
      can
      be
      proud
      that
     
     
      Canadians
      are
      very
      diverse
      (especially
      in
     
     
      the
      larger
      centres),
      there
      is
      not
      a
      lot
      of
     
     
      intercultural
      and
      interfaith
      education
      in
     
     
      public
      schools.
      In
      fact,
      many
      Masters
      of
     
     
      Education
      programs
      do
      not
      even
      consider
     
     
      Religious
      Studies
      a
      "teachable"
      subject.
     
    

    
     
      We
      submitted
      that
      instead
      of
      por-
     
     
      traying
      a
      common-denominator,
      glossed-
     
     
      over
      "Canadianness"
      of
      all
      our
      citizens,
      we
     
     
      should
      learn
      about
      each
      piece
      of
      the
      puzzle
     
     
      individually
      and
      that
      would
      encourage
     
     
      more
      acceptance.
      The
      group
      unanimously
     
     
      abhorred
      the
      term
      "tolerance"
      when
     
     
      applied
      to
      a
      nation,
      and
      encouraged
      more
     
     
      of
      an
      educated
      understanding.
     
    

    
     
      The
      group
      that
      was
      asked
      to
      focus
     
     
      on
      Prosperity
      addressed
      questions
      of
      our
     
     
      how
      our
      geographic
      position
      could
      be
      used
     
     
      to
      our
      advantage,
      trade
      partnerships,
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      globalization.
      The
      Security
      forum
      explored
     
     
      Canada's
      priorities
      when
      it
      comes
      to
      its
     
     
      security,
      the
      importance
      of
      our
      military,
     
     
      and
      our
      involvement
      in
      security
      issues
     
     
      beyond
      our
      borders.
     
    

    
     
      At
      the
      end
      of
      the
      meeting,
      the
     
     
      Minister
      of
      Foreign
      Affairs,
      Bill
      Graham,
     
     
      thanked
      us
      before
      continuing
      on
      to
      UPEI's
     
     
      Duffy
      Amphitheatre
      for
      a
      town-hall
      style
     
     
      discussion
      of
      the
      three
      pillars
      system.
     
    

    
     
      As
      Dr.
      Richard
      Kurial,
      the
      Dean
     
     
      of
      Arts
      at
      UPEI,
      pointed
      out,
      this
      morning
     
     
      forum
      was
      useful
      because
      the
      government
     
     
      can
      use
      this
      to
      feel
      out
      the
      sentiments
      of
     
     
      the
      nation,
      but
      it
      can
      also
      be
      used
      against
     
     
      Canadians
      and
      allow
      the
      officials
      to
      say,
     
     
      "well,
      we
      asked
      you
      in
      public
      forums!”
     
    

    
     
      I
      can
      only
      hope
      that
      this
      cross-
     
     
      country
      tour
      for
      the
      Minister
      of
      Foreign
     
     
      Affairs
      is
      successful.
      As
      the
      Minister
      said
     
     
      in
      interviews,
      the
      timing
      of
      this
      tour
      could
     
     
      have
      been
      better,
      but
      it
      still
      should
      be
     
     
      done.
      With
      a
      possible
      war
      with
      America
     
     
      looming,
      it
      will
      be
      a
      tall
      order
      to
      keep
      peo-
     
     
      ple
      on
      task.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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      page
      [5]
      March
      26
      2003