Montreal, Wednesday, September 5, 2007
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I belong to all of the Americas.
The history of these lands courses through my veins. It has been etched in my memory; it has left its mark on my body; it is in the beating of my heart.
My African ancestors were dispossessed and forcibly taken to this side of the Atlantic, where they were reduced to the status of slaves, just as the Aboriginal people were forced to be slaves on their own land.
I was born in Haiti.
Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest countries in the world.
It is a country I knew when it was torn apart under merciless dictatorships, like so many other countries in the Americas.
Haiti, the country of my childhood, which I had to leave when I was 10 years old, but which will always be a part of me.
Like so many others, my parents were persecuted, and we had to escape a regime of oppression and tyranny.
My parents chose to come to Canada, a country where anything is possible, a country that I am now proud to represent as governor general.
And I first entered this country right here in Montrealthe second largest Francophone city in the world after Paris, a city where cultures from all over the world come together. I lived here for a good portion of my life.
Quebec is the heart of La Francophonie in the Americas and it is where I set down roots and built a life. Next year will mark the 400th anniversary of a French presence in the Americas, and Quebec will play a major role in the celebrations.
My storythe story of a little girl who watched her parents, her family, and her friends grappling with the horrors of a totalitarian regime, who then became the woman who is standing before you todayis a lesson in learning to be free.
And I have always let hope light my way.
I see similarities between my journey towards freedoma hopeful and energetic journey that became a driving forceand the movement currently washing over Latin America like a groundswell, especially in Brazil, which I recently visited.
But my State visit was not the first time I travelled to Brazil, a country overflowing with the bounty of nature.
I was in Rio in June 1992 for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. As a journalist for Canada's public television network, I passionately followed the commitment of those fighting to protect the world's biodiversity.
When I returned to Brazil about two months ago, I got the feeling that the time had finally come for that country to reach its full potential.
I was able to evaluate all the progress Brazilians have made over the past few years to create a place for themselves on the world stage.
President Lula's willingness to combine economic stability with a policy of social inclusion has produced promising results.
Since 2004 and for the first time in its history, Brazil has been able to lower the poverty rate and the amount of inequality. That is truly remarkable in a region where most people live in misery, right alongside opulence.
Brazil's commercial success is impressive and has continually increased these past few years.
Thirteenth largest economy in the world and Canada's largest trading partner in the region, Brazil now drives the South American economy.
That said, this economic progress should not blind us to the numerous challenges Brazil faces. And it must be backed by the commitment of civil society.
Brazilians now have hope and are more determined than ever to improving their lives and the lives of their neighbours.
During my visit, I met young people who were committed to working in their neighbourhoodthe community of Bahiaand they told me that solidarity was a responsibility.
I saw the efforts being made by young people who have decided to take on the urban violence washing over their country.
We must give these young people the tools they need to continue the process of social transformation, the affirmation of democracy, and the promotion of human rights and freedoms.
I also saw the work being done by NGOs, which are doing amazing work to fight social exclusion and mobilize youth who would otherwise be lost to the streets. Among other things, these organizations are helping to fight the spread of AIDS.
These are the efforts being made by a country in the process of an evolution.
Was Blaise Cendrarsa travel and adventure writer who fell under the charm of Brazilright when he said that the 21st Century would belong to Latin America?
He wrote that our destiny would be played out in these regions, three-quarters of which were still untouched at that time.
A movement towards democracy and an openness to the world is starting to wash all over Latin America. It is happening at various paces, of course, but it is continual.
There are signs that lead us to believe and hope that the era of tyrannical regimes, insurrections and civil conflicts is behind us.
No less than 12 presidential elections occurred between November 2005 and November 2006.
More people are expressing themselves through the ballot box and not with guns.
In a region still known for its considerable inequalities, voting allows the poor and the excluded to take part in politics.
I met a number of Latin-American leaders whose ideas and policies are in line with this movement. I discussed these ideas with the presidents of Chile and HaitiMichelle Bachelet and René Prévalat their respective swearing-in ceremonies.
President Préval spoke of his great desire to re-establish security, justice and stability in Haiti, and to make education a priority.
I also want to point out that, aside from national interests and the disparities that exist between the regions, Latin-American leaders want to adopt common policies and create bonds of solidarity throughout the Americas. This is also a good sign.
I especially want to point out that Latin Americans are the ones leading the United Nations stabilization mission in Haiti, which began in 2004.
Canada is working with nine Latin-American countries to help our sisters and brothers in Haiti break the devastating cycle of misery and violence.
I fled to escape François Duvalier's regime of terror so I know what it means to be able to live in a country like Canada, where anything is possible if you work hard enough.
And I sincerely hope that the rest of the world recognizes this outpouring of solidarity and generosity toward the people of Haiti as a symbol of the ties that unite everyone in the Americas.
I think the time has come for us to focus more than ever on our solidarity and to strengthen the ties that unite us, ties that go beyond trade and diplomatic exchanges.
I am referring specifically to the need to share our respective histories.
There is a great mingling of cultures in the Americas.
They were formed by theoften quite brutalmeeting of people with age-old traditions and Europeans and are a place where people from all over the world have staked a claim.
More recently, successive waves of continental migration have redefined the nature of our ties and enriched them with new perspectives. North, Central, and South America, and the Caribbean: all of these worlds are becoming increasingly intermixed, strengthening this meeting of cultures.
I don't have to tell you how happy this makes me.
A perfect example is the mobilization of humanitarian aid the day after the earthquake that rocked the coast of Peru on August 14.
In Canada, the Peruvian community made a plea to the entire population and every authority in the country pitched in to help the affected communities. On behalf of the Canadian people, I also want to extend my sympathies and offer my support to the people of Peru during this difficult time.
The Americas become stronger every day because of all the people coming to them from every direction.
The mixing of colours, cultures and accents that fertilizes these continents is our greatest strength. You could even say that it is the source of our modernity.
That is also why I strongly believe that cooperation between the countries of the Americas must be done ethically and respectful of the lives of the populations, their roots and their cultures.
At a time when there are so many large economic blocks, the Americas must be committed to increasing the number of opportunities for their citizens to open themselves to the world.
And this relationship must be reciprocal.
I believe that prosperity comes to those societies that ensure their populations have the means to feed themselves, take care of their health, get an education and express themselves.
I also believe that continental and global cooperation and trade must respect the ecological integrity of the places from which we draw our resources.
Latin America is home to significant mining and agricultural resources.
And to exploit resources irresponsibly is to jeopardize the future of generations to come.
The more our respective interests reach beyond our borders and encompass the interests of the wider world, the more fulfilled we will be and the stronger we will make our joint commitment to the human family.
That is what I call responsible development.
What we are and what we do should not be a detriment to others.
As I said just recently in Brazil, that is what every country in the Americas should now be focussing on, strong in the values we share and the friendship that binds us from north to south, and from south to north.
Globalization requires us to redefine our ties on a continental scale.
We are beginning a new era of solidarity and friendship in the Americas, and Canada would like to play a key role in this move towards an openness to the world.
We need to pool our strengths, while respecting our differences and for the good of all.
The work being done by LASA is part of this movement and is being done in the same spirit: creating synergies, bringing people together, and building bridges for the greater good.
It is bringing together those who are dedicated to studying the perpetually changing notions that are the various realities in Latin America.
Despite the clichés and misunderstandings, your work helps create real intellectual exchanges; exchanges that shed light on the public debate and help form our perception of the world.
Your research findings influence important choices made by our decision makers, our businesses, our humanitarian organizations and everyone in civil society. And they have the power to bring about social transformation.
Your association allows for the dialogue, reflection and cooperation that help our societies meet the great challenges we are currently facing.
We can only hope that this meeting of ideas leads to a consensus between all the Americas with regard to global preservation.
We were given a huge landmass to share.
Let us ensure that it is a land of freedom, a place where anything is possible.
Let us ensure that it is a place where our young people can grow, express their creativity, dream their dreams, and be given every possible opportunity.
We belong to all of the Americas.
Thank you.
