Plenary Session of the Grand Rassemblement Jeunesse 2009

Tracadie–Sheila, New Brunswick, Thursday, August 13, 2009

Thank you, Alexis.

The discussion on identity you are taking part in today did not begin today; nor will it end as soon as you leave.

It began when you were children, at the very moment you realized you were human beings—unique members of a family, a group, a community.

And the questioning that results from this reflection never stops; it continues throughout our lives.

There are many possible answers, though none are definitive; they are usually fluid, which is a good thing.

Because identity never stops evolving, changing with every new experience and person we meet, every new membership gained and where we choose to settle down.

There is nothing worse, I think, than an identity that is fixed, one that is stuck in the past, closed to new experiences or that feeds off prejudices.

That is what I call identity tension, and it is behind many rifts and conflicts in the world.

I strongly believe that we only truly start to understand ourselves and define the values we hold dear when we are in contact with others, when we answer their questions and hear their ideas, when we see things and life from their point of view.

“Who am I?”

That is the powerful question Guilliane Beaulieu so rightly asked yesterday.

So many people before us—artists, thinkers, philosophers—have tried to delve deeper into this vital and existential question.

What is your answer, young Acadians, now, as we begin a new millennium, at a time when the world has never been so open, so inter-dependent?

How do you see the role you play in Acadia’s history? What role would you like to play?

The answers to these questions will shape your future and your choices at various stages in your life.

They are important to and will influence your present and future, and the destiny of Acadia, this territory you carry so proudly within you and where you have already put down deep roots.

I cannot wait to hear what you have to say. It is now your turn to talk.