Minister Chris Alexander delivers a keynote address entitled “Strengthening the Value of Canadian Citizenship” at the Canadian Club of Vancouver – Vancouver, British Columbia.
Excerpt:
That is part of our duty as Canadians. For all of you in this room who’ve been part of that story beyond our borders in uniform, as development experts, as people raising funds to do what Canada does so well around the world, I’m here to tell you that the pride we take in those good works beyond our borders is one that is fully justified. And people in this room, such as those from the Aga Khan Development Network and other Canadian jewels of organizations such as the Centre for Pluralism – institutions that are truly the envy of the world – we should take pride in what we do together as Canadian citizens around the world. It’s unique, it’s precious and thank you all for doing it.
Excerpt:
And I’m also glad to be here with so many friends from times past from Afghanistan. Roshan Thomas has just brought me almost to tears with a book of photographs from her Sparks Academy in Kabul, where we met two decades ago, Roshan, when you were just a teenager and I was definitely too young to be an ambassador, and showing me pictures of me reading stories to the wonderful children of that great school that Canadians brought to Afghanistan, that all of us have played a role in bringing to a people who have deserved better and that all of us, because we sense the responsibility of citizenship, are prepared to bring to so many parts of the world less fortunate than ours – conflict-ridden, strife-ridden, where education isn’t a given, and education for girls and young women is by no means achieved.
http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=831819
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