Canadians must engage in active citizenship
The consequences of suspicion and disengagement can be dire, Christopher Holcroft warns.
Former U.S. president Barack Obama’s recent speech in Montreal reminded us of his intelligence and eloquence, but it was his passionate call for all citizens to vigorously engage in the civic life of their country that resonated most. As we reflect on the 150th anniversary of Confederation amid a rising global tide of alienation, tribalism and conflict, I can think of no greater way to commemorate than to heed Obama’s advice.
The international political climate at this moment is quite a spectacle. U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly under criminal investigation while billionaire legislators cut health services for the poor. There is political uncertainty in the United Kingdom and growing populism in Europe.
By comparison, Canada appears to be a model of civic stability. Yet many of the conditions that helped produce the toxic political environments elsewhere exist here: far right media with their coarse rhetoric and conspiracy theories; “dark money” funded think-tanks with proposals that loosen threads of the social fabric; and the cementing of social media as our main forum for public debate, with diminishing space for empathy, complexity or good will.
The consequences of suspicion, misinformation and disengagement from civic life can be dire. Opinion polling has captured an abrupt decline in Canadians’ trust in institutions. Statistics Canada recently reported a rise in hate crimes, particularly directed at Muslims. In the mosque shootings in Quebec City we witnessed the extreme, yet very real, ramification of a discourse of ignorance and intolerance.
At our core this is not who we are. In fact, it is a commitment to a shared civility that distinguishes us as Quebecers and Canadians. Our founding mantra, as envisioned by Robert Baldwin and Louis Hippolyte Lafontaine, is Peace, Welfare and Good Government. Through our history it is not civil wars that have defined us but civil debates — on sovereignty, international affairs and the expanding definition of equality.
There is a palpable frustration underscoring much of the current tension here and elsewhere: rising income inequality; greed and corruption; and a generation of young people who believe they will be worse off than their parents.
In this environment, calling for more civic engagement could seem trite.
However, if we are going to hold the powerful to account, advance justice and inclusiveness, and address critical issues like climate change and indigenous reconciliation, as citizens, we must engage in the civic life of our country.
Too often political analysts seek to absolve us of this responsibility, reasoning that civic issues are too complex to confront with many of us too busy with our daily lives to care. It is worth examining who benefits from this elitist view: the laid-off factory worker or the corporate lobbyist; the first time voter or the political insider?
Other tactics have muddied our civic identity: the framing of voters as taxpayers rather than citizens; the excusing of tax evasion by the wealthy because of disagreements over fiscal policy; the undermining of humanities education for “job ready” skills; and the cynical conflating of intolerance for hate speech with opposition to free speech.
We need to respond by individually reaffirming our role as citizens while collectively nurturing a culture of civic responsibility. Some simple actions we can all undertake:
Check our assumptions and partisanship when processing information and prioritize facts and evidence;
Engage in respectful debate and call out crudeness and cruelty;
Make time to volunteer and call on government to create meaningful opportunities for citizen engagement, especially youth service.
Right now, the eyes of the world are casting nervously about for a place of tolerance, reason, and dignity. Let us not give people cause to look away from Canada. Indeed, we should use the occasion of our sesquicentennial to give ourselves, and the world, the gift of a renewed demonstration of active citizenship.