Bratislava, Wednesday, November 26, 2008

I am delighted, Excellency, by your commitment to supporting dialogue as the surest road to “truth, tolerance and respect,” as expressed in your inaugural address.

I, too, made a commitment to ensure that the institution I represent as governor general of Canada is a place where citizens’ voices would be heard, where the values of respect, tolerance, and sharing that are so essential to all Canadians would prevail.

Excellency, in this regard, I believe we are on the same page.

And so for this reason, it is my privilege and honour to be here with you today to continue and, in a sense, to enhance the dialogue between our two countries.

This dialogue is not new, as the history that binds Canada and Slovakia can attest.

In 1910, the first Slovak newspaper in Canada, The Slovak Word, was published in Blairmore, Alberta, home to a small community of Slovak miners.

But it was particularly after the 1948 coup d’état and the 1968 Soviet invasion that Canada opened its doors to many Slovak refugees who were struggling under the yoke of the Communist regime and who came to our country in search of freedom.

This year marks the 40^th anniversary of the repression that tried to crush the efforts of the Slovak people to reclaim their freedom.

Today, Canada is home to 64 000 Canadians of Slovak  heritage, whose ties to their homeland help to strengthen our relations, and who have played an active role in building today’s Canada.

A Canada born of the encounter between European explorers and Aboriginal peoples, who are our deepest roots in America.

A Canada whose first democratically elected assembly was held in Halifax, in the Atlantic province of Nova Scotia, in 1758.

A Canada that has become a world leader in justice and equality.

A Canada that is proud of the dialogue that is continuing today with Slovakia.

In addition to treaties that Canada and Slovakia have already signed, notably in the areas of social security, double taxation and the peaceful use of nuclear energy, our two countries continue to collaborate on several fronts.

For example, we are working side by side within such multilateral organizations as the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Moreover, Canada is delighted to have been the first country to ratify Slovakia’s membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

We are also delighted that Slovakia is a part of the great family of La Francophonie.

In an increasingly open and complex world, it is important for Canada to reinforce its alliances with member countries of the European Union and to create new bridges that span the Atlantic.

As you can see, Excellency, there can be no doubt that the dialogue that we have made every effort to maintain over the years and since the 1993 “velvet divorce” is as rich and productive as ever.

It is another dialogue that, while firmly rooted in our respective histories and territories, reaches well beyond our borders and seeks to put a more human face on humanity.

It is the dialogue of cultures, where each “would preserve its own originality,” as envisaged by French anthropologist Claude Lévi‑Strauss, who will be celebrating his 100^th birthday two days from now.

My husband, filmmaker Jean‑Daniel Lafond, and I share your conviction, Excellency, that culture is an instrument of civilization, and never has this been more true than today, as we continue to be plagued by a standardization of the ways in which we express ourselves and the barbarism of one-track thinking.

Failure to recognize this, as you yourself have said so well, Excellency, is to be “scornful of ourselves,” which can only lead us to “lose ourselves” and ultimately reduce the human experience.

The contribution that Slovakia has made to Europe’s and global diversity is invaluable because it is so unique. In order that I might share this with my fellow citizens, my delegation and I will be going out to meet with your fellow citizens.

May I ask the members of the Canadian delegation to stand up. They represent dynamic sectors of Canadian society and are of diverse backgrounds: youth, Aboriginal, academics, social activists, artists, community and cultural leaders.

Earlier today, my husband and I had very productive discussions with you, Excellency.

Over the next few days, we plan to continue the dialogue with women, men and youth from all key sectors of Slovak society.

I will have the opportunity to meet with students and professors from Comenius University, as well as with members of the diplomatic corps, to share some of my thoughts on how important it is that we achieve a globalization of solidarities to counterbalance the globalization of markets.

I will also have the opportunity to take part in a discussion with journalists on the democratization process for which Slovakia now stands as a source of inspiration, because it is once again on the road to freedom after the repression it endured this past century.

As a former journalist, I understand fully the vital role that the media play in democratic life and in defending the civic values of our societies.

Furthermore, we will be travelling to Banska Bystrica to open an exhibit of contemporary works by Canadian artists who, through their vision, are striving to affirm and bring cultures together.

My hope is also to explore and understand the contribution that the Roma have made to Slovak society. Their community, I am told, makes up the second largest national minority in this country.

Canada contains the world, so diversity is at the heart of our daily realities. We work tirelessly to develop our social connections and build stronger communities.

Because like you, Excellency, we are concerned by “the lack of magnanimity, simple humanity and solidarity” in this world.

This is yet another conviction we share.

And so, Excellency, with the assurance that we will maintain the already fraternal ties between us, and in the name of the spirit of solidarity that we hope will continue to grow, I would like to offer my sincerest thanks for this dinner held in our honour and wish a long life to the friendship between Canada and Slovakia.