Budapest, Monday, November 24, 2008

Almost nineteen months ago to the day, my husband and I had the privilege and honour, Excellency, of welcoming you and the members of your delegation to Rideau Hall, in Canada.

At that time, we highlighted the fact that 2006 had marked the 50^th anniversary of the 1956 Revolution.

The history of the last century remembers that, even in the face of terrible oppression, the people of Hungary held on to the hope that one day, they would free themselves from the iron grip of the Soviet Union.

The years that followed were difficult, and Canada gladly opened its doors and its heart to more than 40 000 refugees whose only crime was their desire to live free.

The hope that carried the Hungarian people throughout that dark period eventually triumphed over that oppression and today stands as a lesson in courage for the entire world.

I have come here as governor general of Canada to salute the remarkable progress that Hungary has made, progress that gained momentum over the years, like a spark fanned into a blaze by the wind of hope.

But I have also come to celebrate the bonds of an unbreakable friendship and unfailing solidarity between our peoples, bonds that have made themselves apparent through economic co-operation, membership in international organizations, and cultural exchanges.

Of all the heads of State whom we have received in Canada, Excellency, you are the only one whom I am visiting in turn as part of a State visit.

Canadians hold in high esteem the long and rich history of a proud and determined people: your people.

Although this is my first trip to Hungary, it is not my first experience with the Hungarian people.

If I may, Excellency, I would like to share with you and your guests my first encounters with your fellow citizens.

I was a young Canadian student, of Haitian origin and with a passion for all things Italian, studying at one of the faculties of the Catholic University of Milan in Udine.

It was the early 1980s, and a new generation was bursting forth, passionate about ideas and assembled at a seminar held by the great Italian filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni.

I remember that my Hungarian seminar friends, invigorated during those years by a newfound freedom of speech, had the time of their lives.

And I knew just what that meant to them, because my family had fled from Haiti, a country “draped in barbed wire from head to toe,” ruled by a merciless dictatorship.

I was immediately drawn in by their love of freedom and passion for a unique culture and language, by their determination to resist assimilation of any kind.

Those women and men had an irrepressible desire to free themselves from the censorship imposed on thought.

A desire that the great-great-granddaughter of slaves that I was, that I am, understood completely.

These women and men knew with absolute certainty, in the beautiful words of Hungarian writer Sandor Mârai, that [translation] “man does not tame the land with spade and axe alone but with his thoughts as he toils.”

The faith that my Hungarian seminar friends placed in the power of thought has remained with me to this day as a promise of hope.

If you only knew, Excellency, how moved and grateful I am that life has now given me the opportunity to meet some of my former classmates’ fellow citizens.

My husband Jean-Daniel Lafond, our delegation and I intend to make the most of our stay here to deepen our understanding of your country and to return to Canada to share all that we will see and learn while we are here.

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 and the director of the National Film Board Mr. Perlmutter who happens to be a Canadian of Hungarian origin.

This State visit is off to a good start, beginning in your glorious capital city, where earlier today, we had some very interesting and fruitful conversations with you, Excellency, with the President of the National Assembly, and with the Prime Minister. I look forward to meeting with the Mayor of Budapest tomorrow.

Over the next few days, we will be engaging in discussions with women, men and youth from all key sectors of Hungarian society.

I have made youth one of my priorities, and wherever I go, I give them my full attention and am always amazed by their determination to change the world for the better, by their desire to be heard and to participate fully in civic life.

Excellency, I share your conviction that civil society plays a vital role in redefining our communities based on more unifying values and in giving our youth the push they need.

I was pleased to read in your new year’s address that you believe that civil organizations have become “essential” if your country is to continue to move forward.

In the course of this visit, we will also emphasize the vitality of the business ties between our two countries, as evidenced by the presence of Bombardier here in Hungary.

We know how rich Hungarian culture is and will also be meeting with artists, particularly with filmmakers.

We believe strongly in cultural diplomacy because culture, though rooted in the places where it first took shape, is igniting a dialogue that extends beyond borders, beyond our differences, in the hope of putting a more human face on humanity.

It is also in this spirit of openness and dialogue that we will be exploring the issues of culture, education, citizenship and integration with members of the Roma community.

These are such important issues if we are to break down solitudes, as my personal motto states, and enable every member of society to do their part to enrich the broader community.

This is our program, and I already know that in the company of your fellow citizens, we will experience unforgettable moments that, I hope, will further strengthen the ties that bind us.

We are delighted that Hungary is a part of the great family of La Francophonie and look forward to your presidency of the European Union in 2011.

In an increasingly open and complex world, where the issues we are facing require a more global approach, it is important for Canada to reinforce its alliances with European countries with which we share historical ties.

Just last month, the City of Québec hosted the first Canada-European Union Economic Summit, which speaks to our mutual desire to come together and create new bridges that span the Atlantic.

We hope that this initiative will continue to be as productive under the Hungarian presidency of the European Union on 2011.

Excellency, my husband Jean‑Daniel Lafond and I offer you our warmest thanks for your welcome and for this dinner that you are hosting in our honour.

I like to think that we are adding new pages to the story that has evolved between our peoples over the years.

I would now like to raise my glass to the past that brought us together, to the present that makes us allies, and to the future that we hope to build together.

To many more years of friendship between Canada and Hungary.