"Chat" en direct
par Son Excellence Michaëlle JeanLa journée d’hier aura été très spéciale pour moi. Il y a exactement un an, le 27 septembre 2005, je devenais le 27e gouverneur général du Canada. Depuis, j’ai sillonné le pays et parcouru 8 provinces, les Territoires du Nord-Ouest et le Nunavut. Je m’étais toujours dit qu’il me fallait trouver le moyen de poursuivre tous les dialogues entamés, de faire écho des idées et des initiatives dont j’ai été témoin, chemin faisant. Et ce que partout j’ai entendu c’est le désir de chacun d’entrer en contact avec d’autres à travers tout le Canada.
Alors, hier matin, mon mari Jean-Daniel Lafond et moi avons eu le plaisir de souligner ce premier anniversaire en discutant à la Cité collégiale d’Ottawa avec 150 jeunes venus de partout au pays, grâce à Rencontres Hitorica et Nunavut Sivuniksavut . Nous étions impatients de leur présenter, avec notre équipe, ce nouveau volet de notre site Internet et de les écouter. Ils nous ont parlé de l’engagement au sein de leur communauté; ils nous ont dit comment Internet peut les aider à se faire entendre, à sortir de leur isolement, et à avancer dans leurs réflexions. Riche et passionnante discussion où toutes les frontières étaient abolies!
Et le soir, à 19 h, c’était une première : ils étaient plus de 244 à venir « chatter » sur la thématique de leurs espoirs et aspirations. Un feu roulant de questions qui nous a forcé à prolonger l’échange en direct de trente minutes! Pratiquement toutes les provinces et territoires étaient en ligne!
L’exercice pour moi était nouveau : répondre si rapidement à des questions de fond et tellement variées. J’ai chaque fois essayé de mettre un visage et une voix sur chaque question. J’ai réussi, en une heure trente minutes, à répondre à 55 d’entre elles. Je me suis sentie très proche de vous et j’ai senti l’enthousiasme circuler. J’ai hâte de recommencer et il faut déjà penser aux prochains sujets dont nous discuterons. Des idées?
13 Commentaires
Thank you for answering so many questions during your live chat with Canadians! I know that many of us are ecstatic to feel closer to the governor generalship—a Canadian institution that has for too long felt more distant from Canadians than it should have been. I know that I have beaten away at the following point, but I would like to thank you deeply and profoundly for having connected Canadians to the governor generalship and the Crown like never before.
In terms of future live chats, Your Excellency, I would suggest that we should engage in a dialogue about the roles and responsibilities, and perhaps the future, of governors general as an institution. (I know that it might be inappropriate to discuss actual reforms, given the apolitical nature of your office, Your Excellency, but I refer to discussing the future of the "culture", if you will, of the office.)
Yours truly,
Christopher Girodat
Newton—North Delta
I think maybe we should talk about Canada's place in the world. We seem to be at a crossroads with many paths to choose which lead to different places. Should we forge closer ties with North America? Or work more with the Commonwealth of Nations? Perhaps we should expand our influence in Asia and the pacific? Will we become liberators and peacemakers or will we be peacekeepers? Even here at home people have different ideas, hopes, and dreams for our country. Maybe the young people could share their thoughts of what would they like Canada to be, to do, and accomplish around the world and here at home?
I was honoured at Rideau Hall on Thursday as one of the 7 recipients of the Governor General's Award for Excellence in Teaching Canadian History. I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for making the day one that I will never ever forget! As discussed over lunch, I do hope that we have an opportunity to hold a round discussion with past recipients in an effort to improve and promote history education in Canada. Your new website will enable Canadians young and old to converse about important issues that face our great country and I plan on using it with my students at Prince of Wales School in Calgary on Monday morning when I go back to class. Thank you again for your hospitality and for recognizing the work of Canada's teachers. You are a Canadian treasure!
Jennifer Johnson-George (Calgary)
Je suis très heureuse de cette opportunité qu'il nous est donné de pouvoir discuter avec vous et d'échanger. J'abonde en votre sens en ce qui concerne les deux solitudes et j'espère qu'en tant que canadien nous pourrons tous nous décentrer afin de mieux voir la richesse en tous et chacun. Et cela ce n'est pas de la politique.
Mes meilleurs voeux.
Militza Jean (Montréal)
Congratulations on being the first Governor General to use the technology of the internet to reach out to Canadians and to allow them to talk to you and to each other. What a splendid idea! I am hoping that you can use this forum as well as your other public platforms to draw attention to the many barriers and challenges faced by citizens with disabilities of all types here in Canada. We would like to see more concrete actions taken that would enable more persons with disabilities to fully enjoy all of the rights and opportunities available to other citizens. Lack of adequate disability supports such as accessible and affordable housing; lack of accessible and affordable transportation options;the need for a national pharmacre program so people can afford necessary prescription medications; access to necessary rehabilitation equipment and technology to enable people to live their lives with independence and dignity; access to meaningful employment opportunities to get more persons out of the grinding despair of poverty and outright lack of public awareness and discrimination are limiting the potential for many persons with disabilities to enjoy their lives.
I am hoeful that you might use your voice to help draw attention to the these inequities. Thank you for allowing me to share.
Randy Dickinson, CM
Congratulations on being the first Governor General to use the internet as a means to talk to Canadians around the country and to enable them to talk to you and each other as well. What a wonderful idea!
I would like like to draw your attention to some of the challenges faced by many Canadians with disabilities of all types who often struggle to enjoy the same rights and opportunities for community participation that other citizens may take for granted.
Some issues that need to be addressed include the lack of adequate numbers of affordable and accessible housing; the lack of barrier free access to many public facilities and programs; the lack of affordable and accessible transportation options; the difficulty in obtaining required rehabilitation equipment, technology and rehabiliation treatment services; the need for more training and employment supports; the despair of grinding poverty; the lack of a national pharmacare program so that everyone can afford required prescription medication; and the need to promote public awareness to break down the assumptioons and stigmas around disabilities.
I am hoping that you can use this forum and other public platforms to draw attention to these barriers and help us help others to enjoy all of the rights and opportunities of Canadians and thus truly be involved in "Breaking Down Solitudes".
Randy Dickinson, C.M., Fredericton, N.B.
Je me sentais plus honore que vous quant j'ai appris
votre nomination
toute mes ambitions étais de vous rencontrer en personne pour voue faire part de mes sentiments de joies et de fiertés de voir une branche de mes racines colorées est rentrée dans ce vaste jardin!
mais je suis conscient de toutes les mesures de sécurite qui vous entourent.pour vous protégez
Cependant aujourd'hui je suis un peu soulager d'etre capable de dialoguer avec vous
bien que virtuel mais cela fait du bien
ce premié foi nan canada moin te senti'm ka lévé tèt moin bien ro pou moin di moin cé ayitien sans kè soté
courage félicitation
que Dieu vous protège
Henri Fontaine(Ottawa)
I lived in Australia when it had a debate about becoming a republic a few years ago. Perhaps the best defense of the GG role was a book written by Edward de Bono, the author of many books about creative thinking.
It was called "Why I want to be the King of Australia". He presented an argument why every country needs a king. This has nothing to do with power – it has everything to do with defining a sense of style, civility and common sense for a country. You may enjoy the read.
He described a role in which the 'king' acts like a mirror on society to say what needs to be said, to support what needs to be supported and to highlight when the political or societal thinking is lacking something. Prince Charles did this with his comments on sad state of architecture in the UK.
In world that is dominated by a consumer attitude of “we want it now, cheaper and bigger’ we need a mirror that reminds us that style, aesthetics and creativity are important to a country that needs to be inspired to be inspired to evolve and change.
This sounds like your role!
I lived in Australia when it had a debate about becoming a republic a few years ago. Perhaps the best defense of the GG role was a book written by Edward de Bono, the author of many books about creative thinking.
It was called "Why I want to be the King of Australia". He presented an argument why every country needs a king. This has nothing to do with power – it has everything to do with defining a sense of style, civility and common sense for a country. You may enjoy the read.
He described a role in which the 'king' acts like a mirror on society to say what needs to be said, to support what needs to be supported and to highlight when the political or societal thinking is lacking something. Prince Charles did this with his comments on sad state of architecture in the UK.
In world that is dominated by a consumer attitude of “we want it now, cheaper and bigger’ we need a mirror that reminds us that style, aesthetics and creativity are important to a country that needs to be inspired to be inspired to evolve and change.
This sounds like your role!
First of all I salute you with greetings of PEACE & I am very glad to see that you have created this communication tool through which a vast variety of people can communicate with you, to express their points of view & suggestions.
This forum will also help you to understand different types of audience who may not have a chance to speak their mind openly to the Head of the State through other communication channels.
I truly hope & pray that this site will break down the barriers(solitudes)& unite all of us in the name of PEACE,PROSPERITY,HOPE & BROTHERLY & SISTERLY LOVE
GOD bless
Yours Truly,
Samuel S Selvarasa, Toronto,Ontario, CANADA