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<html> <head> <meta name="Generator" content="Corel WordPerfect 8"> <title>MR. KILGOUR - ADDRESS AT THE PACIFIC PEOPLES' PARTNERSHIP NETWORKING CONFERENCE "BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN THE NORTH AND SOUTH PACIFIC" - VICTORIA, British Columbia</title> </head> <body text="#000000" link="#0000ff" vlink="#551a8b" alink="#ff0000" bgcolor="#c0c0c0"> CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY NOTES FOR AN ADDRESS BY THE HONOURABLE DAVID KILGOUR, SECRETARY OF STATE (ASIA-PACIFIC), AT THE PACIFIC PEOPLES' PARTNERSHIP NETWORKING CONFERENCE "BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN THE NORTH AND SOUTH PACIFIC" VICTORIA, British Columbia September 21, 2002 It is a great pleasure to be here in beautiful Victoria, an area where indigenous people have gathered and worked for many centuries. What better locale is there than the University of Victoria, arguably Canada's "Pacific Rim university." I hope you've discovered in the last few days why this institution is so highly regarded for its success in building academic and cultural bridges across the Pacific. The Pacific Peoples' Partnership, our gracious hosts, should be equally commended for their work to this end and for organizing this three-day networking conference. It should be recognized that this small NGO [non-governmental organization], with only two permanent staff and a handful of volunteers, has connected Pacific islanders and Canadians for the past 27 years, and through its youth-to-youth project has sent almost 50 First Nations young people to the islands of the South Pacific. The presence of all of us here is a testament to their dedication and tireless efforts to promote an increased understanding in Canada of the social justice, environmental and development issues of the South Pacific. My own presence indicates the Government of Canada's commitment to these same goals. Canada and the South Pacific The fit between Canada and the nations of the South Pacific is far from self-evident. Canada is a country more often associated with freezing winters and ice hockey, and some might consider us ill-suited to understand the challenges faced by Pacific islanders. Canadians, and probably most North Americans for that matter, have a fairly limited perspective of the South Pacific--generally to do with dream vacations rather than social and economic development. In fact, the Canadian government has been active in the Pacific islands for more than 30 years. We are a dialogue partner in the Pacific Island Forum and a modest, but well-regarded, donor country. Our goal is to foster sustainable development as a vehicle for promoting economic progress and regional stability. Our insights into these areas are in part fuelled by the shared experiences of the indigenous people of Canada and the Pacific. As this conference demonstrates, our indigenous people have a shared history of struggle and innovation in their efforts to develop sustainable models of governance and help people gain control over local resources and economic development. Canada's Aboriginal People Canada's commitment to these goals for its indigenous people was captured in the January 2001 speech from the Throne: Nowhere is the creation and sharing of opportunity more important than for Aboriginal people. Too many continue to live in poverty, without the tools they need to build a better future for themselves or their communities. As a country, we must be direct about the magnitude of the challenge and ambitious in our commitment to tackle the most pressing problems facing Aboriginal people. I could not stand in front of you today and say that many Canadian governments have been successful in their relationship with the indigenous people of Canada. We have been criticized, at times with good reason, at home and abroad. There continue to be unresolved differences, often rooted in land claims and the treaty relationship. Sadly, indigenous people continue to be more likely than other Canadians to receive social welfare, to be unemployed, to live in poverty and to face increased health risks. As a Member of Parliament from Alberta, I know that the legacy of physical, sexual and cultural abuse at residential schools has profoundly affected me, as it has millions of other Canadians. While acknowledging these numerous historical problems, I think the future is getting brighter. The indigenous people of Canada recognize the need for change and in large part are driving this change themselves. My colleague Bob Nault, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, has been leading a cross-country consultation to over 200 communities on a proposed First Nations Governance Bill. To date, more than 10,000 First Nations men and women have taken part. Per capita, that is equivalent to having one million Canadians participate in a similar national exercise--a scale never before seen in Canada. With federal government support, First Nations are developing local initiatives to improve governance, accountability and hence their economic development and quality of life. In addition, Aboriginal entrepreneurship is on the rise and is growing at twice the Canadian average. According to Aboriginal Business Canada, there are now more than 25,000 Aboriginal businesses across the country. We are seeing a new wave of entrepreneurship, with Aboriginal people developing new products, services and ideas and bringing them to market. As a result, First Nations are participating more fully in the Canadian and international economy, while taking control of economic development in their communities. One piece of legislation that has attempted to do just this--you might already be familiar with it--is the First Nations Fiscal and Statistical Management Act. The product of a First Nations-led initiative, the act will establish four public institutions: a Finance Authority, a Tax Commission, a Financial Management Board and a Statistical Institute, which will all be operated by and for First Nations. They are designed to provide First Nations with the tools of modern fiscal management, thereby helping them meet the immediate practical needs of individual communities. If you're interested in obtaining further information, you can find it at www.fnfi.ca. International Indigenous Affairs Canadians bring these experiences and others to the international arena of indigenous affairs. We try to integrate such concerns into a wide range of issues: economic and social development, cultural and academic affairs, trade, environment, and human rights. We are working in partnership with national Aboriginal organizations to develop a capacity within local communities to fully implement their international interests. This agenda includes supporting exchanges between indigenous people in Canada and their counterparts in Asia, Africa and Latin America; and supporting organizations like the Pacific Peoples' Partnership. When the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People in 1994, with the theme "Indigenous people: partnership in action," it specified strengthening international cooperation on problems faced by indigenous people. Such cooperation--whether between governments or of the kind demonstrated here this weekend--will enrich our efforts to develop and implement just and constructive policies for the world's indigenous peoples and, more broadly, for all society. One of the goals of the International Decade was to establish a Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Canada was instrumental in establishing the Permanent Forum, which met for the first time in May 2002. Its role is to raise awareness and promote the integration and coordination of activities relating to indigenous issues within the UN system. The UN system needs to be streamlined when it comes to indigenous issues, needs and priorities. The Forum therefore must be imaginative and flexible in exploring how the mandates, mission statements and work plans of various UN agencies can make indigenous concerns more central to their priorities. Canada was instrumental in ensuring the inclusion of strong and effective commitments on indigenous people's issues in the declarations and plans of action for the third Summit of the Americas, held in Quebec City in April 2001, and the United Nations World Conference against Racism, held in Durban in September 2001. We were proud to support and participate in the Indigenous People's Summit of the Americas, held in Ottawa in March 2001. The Fourth Way What these examples highlight is the international momentum that exists for integrating indigenous perspectives into global decision-making processes. One very interesting event that took place earlier this year was the Reunion of the Condor and the Eagle Indigenous Action Summit in Dominica. The Summit was in large part organized by the Four Worlds International Institute, a small NGO based in Lethbridge, Alberta (http://home.uleth.ca/~4worlds), with the support of the Chief and Council of the Carib Territories of the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica and the Government of Canada. Taking part in the 10 days of intense deliberations were indigenous business, community and development leaders from throughout the Caribbean and across the Americas, social development practitioners, NGOs and government officials from Canada, Guatemala, Dominica and Peru. Together, they discussed solutions to the challenges of the 21st century and explored and developed joint business and social initiatives. At the heart of their discussions was the fundamental belief in a "Fourth Way" to pursue sustainable peace and development--a way of healing, peace and partnership building. There is a definite congruency between, on the one hand, seemingly bureaucratic initiatives at the United Nations and, on the other, grassroots-level projects such as the Reunion of the Condor and the Eagle Indigenous Action Summit in Dominica or this conference today. Indigenous leaders and governments are working hand in hand not only to improve governance and social conditions in indigenous communities, but also to ensure that indigenous people's experiences and insights are included in how we--that is, the larger, collective we--react to a rapidly globalizing world. One unfortunate reality is that indigenous people find themselves at the centre of numerous conflicts--some highly publicized, such as in Afghanistan and Colombia, others less well known, such as in the Solomon Islands and Burma. Moreover, a significant portion of the world's natural resource development, including petroleum and gas production and agricultural and other related economic activities, takes place on or near traditional indigenous lands. Future exploration and production will require further involvement of indigenous peoples. Therefore, an important part of the key to defusing conflict and ensuring that economic and resource development is truly sustainable is to develop an understanding of what it is like to see the world (past, present and future) through the eyes of indigenous peoples. Ignoring such perspectives would be at everyone's peril. Canadian Development Assistance in the South Pacific It is such reasoning that in part motivates my agenda, as Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific), to improve contacts with Canada's friends in the South Pacific. Seven months into this position, I've learned a great deal about the parallels in the challenges faced by indigenous communities in the South Pacific and in Canada. I have already visited Australia, New Zealand and Fiji in my new portfolio. In the first two, a strong case was made for strengthening Canada's linkages with the South Pacific, in meetings with indigenous leaders, senior government ministers and representatives of South Pacific nations. In New Zealand, I was fortunate enough to spend several hours in the company of Sir Paul Reeves (the former Governor General) and Sir Douglas Graham (the former National Party Minister in Charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations), whom I know a number of you have worked with closely. While in Fiji this July, I was very proud to announce a three-year, $500,000 commitment to strengthening civil society in the Pacific. Indigenous NGO activity in the Pacific is a relatively new phenomenon whose capacity is still quite limited. As island governments, faced with serious fiscal constraints, are forced to cut social program funding, the need for NGOs to provide certain services has substantially increased. To assist in the strengthening of the NGO sector, CIDA [Canadian International Development Agency], in cooperation with the UNDP [UN Development Program], is undertaking a program to help Pacific NGOs to plan, implement, manage and monitor projects. This initiative will strengthen the network of the Pacific Islands Association of NGOs at the national and regional level and provide local NGOs with technical assistance, workshops and training to learn more about how they can improve the quality of life of people in the Pacific. This support is part of the more than $150 million that Canadians have contributed in official development assistance to the Pacific islands over the last 30 years. Canada's approach to aid in the region is shaped by the region's small population base and limited natural wealth, as well as the evident importance of ocean resources. Some of you may be familiar with the Canada-South Pacific Ocean Development Program [C-SPOD]--a seven-year, $14 million initiative with a strategic focus on the sustainable development and protection of the South Pacific's ocean and marine resources. Similarly, Canada has recently approved a $2.3 million contribution to the Pacific Islands Climate Change Assistance Program. This project will strengthen Pacific island nations' abilities to develop capacity-building programs, projects and activities to lessen the adverse impacts of climate change. The three initiatives I've mentioned so far--NGO capacity building, C-SPOD and climate change--illustrate our efforts to build on the experience and know-how of the South Pacific's indigenous populations and organizations. A smaller, more hands-on aspect of our aid program is the Canada Fund, administered from our high commissions in Wellington and Canberra. This is a mechanism that responds to local needs and provides short-term support for projects at the community level through local NGOs and other grassroots organizations such as village councils, cooperatives and women's groups. This is perhaps best illustrated by a few examples: • in Tuvalu, the Canada Fund is being used to build pre-schools on eight outer islands; • in Samoa, the Canada Fund was used to supply first-aid medical kits to over 200 rural villages and to train local women in basic first aid; and • in Papua New Guinea, community fishing projects have been developed to generate income for remote communities. There are at least several hundred other high-impact and relatively low-cost projects, but since I've already spoken for 15 minutes, I'll mention only two more--which are directly related to indigenous issues in the South Pacific. The first is a project titled "A Global Cross-Cultural Exchange Among Indigenous Women 2002." This is a radio and print initiative highlighting a cross-cultural exchange between indigenous women from Canada, South Africa, Guyana and Fiji. The project is designed to show the role of indigenous women's groups in their own economic, political, social and cultural contexts. Finally, bringing this talk back to where it started--lauding the Pacific Peoples' Partnership--right now in Suva there is a young Canadian First Nations lawyer, originally identified by the Pacific Peoples' Partnership and now paid for by the Canadian taxpayer, who is a participant in the government's Youth International Internship Program. As I'm sure some of you know him, and having met him in Fiji, I can say that we're proud to have Alexander Wolf there. Conclusion The case of Alexander Wolf's internship brings to light what the Government of Canada is trying to do, domestically and internationally, to approach the concerns and contributions of Canada's Aboriginal people head on. We have had major difficulties, we admit, but the future is getting brighter. Aboriginal communities and individuals like Wolf are leading the way in establishing new frames of thought and models of governance to ensure that economic, social and political development occurs in line with local value systems, whether in Canada or in the South Pacific. Conferences like this one, like the one in Dominica, like at the Permanent Forum in the UN, allow experiences and ideas to be shared; ideas that will ensure that just and constructive policies for indigenous people are implemented. Please be assured, the Government of Canada will be there to show its support. Let me leave you then with a quote: "You cannot know me until you've walked a mile in my moccasins." So help me get to know you. I would like to hear your views on how we can better incorporate indigenous concerns into the international arena. What areas do you see as priorities for Canadian engagement in the Pacific? If I can't answer your question adequately, I'll be sure to bring it to the attention of my colleagues Susan Whelan (Minister for International Cooperation) and Bob Nault (Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development). Thank you. </body> </html>

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