Madam Speaker, it is an honour and a pleasure to rise and speak in acknowledgement of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination which takes place tomorrow.
Recently I had occasion to speak in Kingston, Ontario to a group of seniors about my vision for Canada. I received from one of those who was in the audience that day a most remarkable letter. She called it "Acceptable Behaviour in a Global Village". I would very much like to share it with members because it gives expression to what we are addressing today and tomorrow.
She writes:
The world of human beings has grown smaller and populations all over the world have become so mixed that we have to learn to get along peacefully with each other. The global village is no longer somewhere else. It is here and all of us are mixed in with it. It does not matter whether someone of a different race or nation lives next door or down the street or in a different part of town or half way around the world, we have to learn to live peacefully with all of those peoples whose racial or national origins are different from our own. To do otherwise is to bring about an end to our world. The intolerance, conflicts, fighting and wars between peoples will bring an end to our civilization and the earth as a planet much quicker than any pollution or natural disaster.
All peoples have some members who are great people, who have accomplished things which are beneficial for all humankind. All peoples have some members who are difficult people who make life miserable for those around them. No one is perfect. Most people of all races are a mixture of good and bad. It is necessary to recognize the best and the positive in others regardless of what they look like, what language they speak or where they have come from. The positive values of honesty, integrity, the ability to do the job required of them, the ability to care for family and
other people, and the ability to live peacefully together with others; all provide the basis for a good and worthwhile society.
Every race and nation of people has those individuals whose performance is excellent in all of those values. Every race and nation has many who fail to uphold those positive values. We need to change our attitudes to become more objective and non-judgmental. We need to become more accepting of all people.
The woman concludes her letter with the thought that:
This is not an easy thing to do but if enough of us who feel this necessity start to put these attitudes into our own lives and encourage others to also do so, we will have a better world.
These are the sentiments of an ordinary Canadian with some considerable life experience. Her words echo not only my thoughts but also those of all of us here in the House who have given expression to our basic belief in human dignity and the equality of others.