Edmonton, Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Thank you, thank you so much for the great honour you do me in conferring upon me the degree of Doctor of Laws.

I am especially moved by this gesture because it comes from an institution that, since it first opened its doors a century ago, has always endeavoured to promote the notions of civic responsibility and public good.

These notions have always guided my thoughts and actions.

I do not believe that such civic responsibility and public good can be separated from the act of thinking and the pursuit of dialogue, which are the very raison d’être of knowledge institutions such as this one and which must be nurtured within our communities.

Thinking and dialogue, for one, are not privileges reserved for the elite, whoever they may be, or something relegated to the margins.

The way I see it, thinking and dialogue are the conduits through which our capacity to become responsible and caring citizens are cultivated, nurtured, and strengthened.

And when pursued within the precinct of a university, they often gain transformative power, liberating us from the fetters of prejudice, the fetters of ignorance, and indifference, while transporting us on a journey within.

A journey that will change you.

A journey that will surprise you.

A journey that will inspire and invigorate you.

But, most importantly, a journey that will allow you to apprehend the common good.

Significantly, this journey is quite similar to the adventure upon which over 260 women and men, aspiring leaders—hailing from every province and territory, and representing the labour, public, private and non-profit sectors—embarked on last week, as I launched the Governor General’s Leadership Conference.

They travel from Banff to Ottawa, with stops along the way in communities in every province and territory. This will enable them to see whether their perceptions of Canada measure up. Often what we imagine is nothing like reality.

This country is so vast that it is almost impossible to experience everything it has to offer, to take its full measure and truly understand its diversity and richness. And I would add, its beauty.

In this way, these emerging leaders will have the opportunity to experience what I myself have been experiencing since becoming governor general: the opportunity to go out and meet with Canadians of all backgrounds, right where they live, and to feel the heartbeat driving our communities.

They will go where things are happening.

Where solidarity and compassion are embodied in innovative projects.

Where caring for one another is a way of life.

Before they left, we spent three days in Banff thinking and dialoguing about “Leadership and Community,” the theme I chose for the conference.

Allow me to share with you some of our conversation.

We focussed on the wind of change spreading across the country. A wind that is sweeping away our traditional top-down notions about leadership, and replacing them with ideas that place human well-being at the heart of what it means to lead.

And communities are at the forefront of this transformation, as citizens are getting more involved.

Often with very little resources, they are accomplishing extraordinary—some might call them revolutionary—things in their milieu.

They are fighting against the odds to create more and more pockets of hope and opportunity in places where despair, exclusion and isolation once stood strong.

And they are working to ensure that the public interest, the human dimension of any situation, is always placed above concerns for profit.

They are the movers and shakers of our society.

People who know that they can make changes themselves.

People who affirm that development must be re-centered on humanity.

People who recognize, in the words of Sheila Watt Cloutier, the great advocate for the people of the Arctic, that “Behaving with compassion in a responsible manner is the way to go.”

We have a lot to learn from their commitment and determination, because they are teaching us that we must be bold enough to deconstruct preconceived ideas about ourselves and our neighbours.

That we must envision new ways of living together that are more just, equitable and, dare I say it, more humane.

That we must be audacious in ensuring that our decisions are always grounded in our duty to promote the common good.

And that we must never, never be afraid to dream big, to take risks.

There are sceptics who will tell you that taking into account the human dimension is an empty formula or a meaningless cliché.

But this is why free thinking and dialogue are so important. For they allow us to question the all‑too‑pervasive doctrine that seeks at all cost to discredit the value of civic engagement. A doctrine that is so often slanted.

Slanted in favour of the profit motive.

Slanted in favour of one group to the detriment of another.

Slanted against the urgent need to protect our delicate ecosystems.

Slanted against the very notion of the common good and collective responsibility. 

I want to tell you what drives my mandate as governor general of Canada.

It is precisely a desire to place the human dimension at the core of what it means to represent the Crown.

For within the institutional space I occupy, I have sought to create an agora where the voices of citizens can be heard.

I have also worked to bring the institution much closer to the grassroots.

And I have sought to put youth at the centre of what it means to create a better world.

Because we have a duty to support your ideas, your projects, and your initiatives, which are really helping us to rethink the world.

You are part of the solutions, and we must ensure that your voices are heard.

In my engagement with youth and other Canadians, thinking and engaging in dialogue with citizens in every corner of our great country has been my medium of choice.

And it is precisely these practices that are cultivated at the university.

It is here that the act of thinking critically is often developed.

It is here where it can emerge as the cement with which citizens can build bastions against barbarism.

It is here where it can become the impetus of democratic life.

It is here that our capacity to embrace our collective responsibilities can be nurtured.

In this way, universities are one of the very guardians of our freedom.

As bastions of thought, they not only foster learning and growth, but they also offer a kind of resistance in favour of informed dialogue.

Resistance against indifference, hatred and egoism, which can bring us closer to breaking down those many solitudes that even today, are impeding our ability to coexist harmoniously.

I chose my motto, Briser les solitudes, or “breaking down solitudes,” because I believe that now more than ever, the time has come to redefine the ties that bind us in our communities, across our country, and around the world.

So, as you, the Class of 2008, prepare to head out into the world to continue the adventure you have begun here, within the walls of this institution, let us each make a promise to encourage and further the act of thinking, the commitment to dialogue, and an awareness of our collective responsibilities, which are the very essence of freedom.

May happiness and success find you always.