Mr. Speaker, on February 14, Jean-Claude Côté, artistic director and founder of the Théâtre de la Récidive, was honoured with the Artiste pour la Paix 2001 award.
This honour is bestowed annually by Artistes pour la Paix, a group founded by Gilles Vigneault and Dolorès Duquette some 20 years ago.
Mr. Côté joins a group of artists from Quebec who have been honoured for their humanistic values and their sense of peace, artists such as Marcelle Ferron, Marquise Lepage, Marie-Claire Séguin, Armand Vaillancourt and Simone Monet-Chartrand.
The fall of 2001 brutally reminded us of the fragility of democracy and the difficult struggle for peace, yet this recognition underscores the fundamental contribution that artists make to our raising our collective conscience.
Jean-Claude Côté's proposal for the 2001-02 season “Voix du monde, un théâtre pour la paix” was visionary. By providing a forum for ten playwrights from ten countries on five continents, Jean-Claude Côté has allowed us to experience the universality of peace.
The Bloc Québécois is proud to applaud his commitment.