IMMIGRATION AND MULTICULTURALISM IN
CANADA
Presented by Jean Chrétien at the Progressive Governance Summit
July 12, 2003
London, United Kingdom
Canada's cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversity has always defined our
national fabric. French and English settlers, Aboriginal peoples, successive
generations of immigrants from Asia, Europe, Africa, Latin America and elsewhere
created the dynamic mix that built Canada. Thirty years ago, Canada became the
first country in the world to adopt a national Multiculturalism Policy. Over the
last three decades our multicultural reality has found expression in our
Constitution and a variety of laws, regulations and practices. We now have in
place a legislative framework that is intended to allow our diverse population
to work, live and engage in community life in a climate of respect and
acceptance.
Multiculturalism and our immigration policies have sought to create a sense
of attachment and responsibility to Canada, without requiring that other
identities and affiliations be denied. Indeed, our goal has been to celebrate
diverse and multiple cultural traditions and allegiances. As a result, the
challenge of integration into Canadian society has been progressively more
comfortable for newcomers. Of course, we have had to learn from our own
challenges and struggles.
But we have been guided by a few key principles: mutual respect and
accommodation; civility and peaceful resolution of conflict; and intercultural
dialogue. Canadians take pride in our multicultural society, value the
principles that underpin it and recognize the advantage it confers.
Our diversity is also increasingly seen as a comparative advantage at home
and in the world. Our own population growth has slowed. Thus, as the knowledge
and service economy has burgeoned, a new premium has been placed attracting
skilled, creative and committed people from abroad. Our diversity and emphasis
on welcoming newcomers is helping Canada become a magnet for new talent and
investment. For our immigration and multiculturalism policies in a sense
recreate the world within our borders. The lessons we have learned from
multiculturalism have also enhanced our ability to participate constructively in
international institutions and contribute to the resolution of major global
challenges. In what follows I will elaborate on these observations.
From its inception, Canada has been a heterogeneous society. At the time of
European settlement, there were more than fifty Aboriginal nations speaking over
thirty languages. Their ancestors had inhabited this land for more than 10,000
years. French and English settlers laid the foundations of Canada's linguistic
duality in law.
Our western areas were populated by settlers from Eastern Europe. Immigrants
then came from China, Italy, Greece, India, the Caribbean, and other parts of
the world to create a new life and thriving communities within Canada. They
continue to add their voices to shaping our country.
Canada's multicultural policy reflects this history of diverse peoples and
cultures that, from the beginning, have found a way of living together through
mutual accommodation and respect. Unlike many modern democracies where a
singular tradition, culture, or religion acts as a sort of pre-existing social
glue, Canada has built its identity on its diversity, its openness to the world,
its principles.
This reality was well understood by the architects of the Canadian
nation-state. Georges Etienne-Cartier, one of Canada's Fathers of Confederation,
observed: "We would form a political nationality with which neither the
national origin, nor the religion of any individual would interfere." Our
identity is rooted firmly in the principles of civic nationalism. It is a
negotiated space underpinned by key values. In an unusual way, this has come to
define who we are as Canadians and has made diversity a natural part of Canadian
society.
An important consequence of Canada's deep regional, cultural and linguistic
diversity is that Canadians have never been able to take their citizenship for
granted. Canadians have always had to be deliberate about intercultural dialogue
and accommodating diverse perspectives. As a result, we have built institutions
and policies that have been designed pragmatically to balance often-competing
voices.
A fundamental goal of multiculturalism has been to build capacity for
dialogue and self-expression in diverse communities. We have sought to create
the conditions required to realize opportunity and enable full participation in
Canadian society. These goals have been enshrined in legislation through our Charter
of Rights and Freedoms, our Official Languages Act and our Multicultural
Act.
Our longstanding experience with bridging cultural, linguistic, religious,
and regional divides has resulted in a shared set of values and principles that
have governed our exchanges and defined the terms of our citizenship. Civility,
respect and largely peaceful resolution of conflict are the legacy of a long
dialogue and negotiation between Canada's Aboriginal peoples, French and British
settlers, and the generations of newcomers that followed. None of this is meant
to suggest that the road to accommodation has not often been bumpy. These are
the hard won lessons of our history.
We had crises that divided the country, such as conscription during the two
world wars, and later the threat of separation in Quebec. We have learned to
find solutions through discussion. And, each time our commitment to diversity
has been tested, Canadian society has matured. Points of contention that once
challenged traditional Canadian norms become integrated into new reflections of
our intercultural reality. Thus, for example, the image of one of Canada's most
beloved symbols, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, evolved to include a police
officer sporting a turban and a ceremonial Sikh dagger.
We have long understood the critical contribution that our multicultural
policy has made to the cultural and social fabric of Canadian society. But we
have also discovered that our combined immigration and multicultural policies
have provided competitive advantages in an increasingly globalized society.
In the 2001 Census, Canadians reported more than 200 ethnic origins and more
than 100 languages as their mother tongue. In fact, 47% of the population
reported ethnic origins other than British, French or Canadian, with 36% of
Canadians reporting more than one ethnic origin. By the year 2016, the visible
minority population is expected to account for one fifth of the Canadian
population. Today, our 31 million inhabitants represent a cultural, ethnic, and
linguistic make-up found nowhere else on earth.
With this diversity come close ties to an astounding number of countries and
cultures, giving us important economic, social and cultural links to virtually
every region of the world. Canada is an increasingly interesting and exciting
place. We have also benefited from a vast wellspring of talent and innovation.
In addition, our two international languages and the world within our borders
represent a critical advantage in accessing the global marketplace. But the
benefits do not end there.
Canada, like many other developed nations, is facing a demographic crunch.
Our workforce will grow at a much slower rate than in the past, and our future
labour supply will be inadequate to meet the demands of our economy. By 2011,
immigration will account for all net labour force growth in Canada and
for all net population growth by 2031. The Conference Board of Canada forecasts
a shortfall of nearly one million workers within 20 years, if decisive steps are
not taken to increase the number of skilled immigrants. This will mean competing
with other countries that are in a similar position.
Here we believe our well-rooted immigration and multiculturalism policies
will provide Canada with a competitive edge. Our new Immigration and Refugee
Protection Act lays the foundation for a renewed immigration system. It
reflects a balanced approach between facilitating the selection of immigrants,
including highly skilled workers from around the world, and ensuring the health,
safety and security of all Canadians. Our multiculturalism policy complements
the goals of this Act. It has provided us with a unique view of
immigration as a project of integration right from the start. Unlike many
European nations, we have not adopted the notion of 'temporary status'. We
regard those applying for status as future citizens and as future contributors
to our society. From the beginning, we also invest in the human capital of our
newcomers through settlement programs that offer linguistic training and other
skills development.
We have tried to become more savvy in our approach to the attraction and
retention of skilled immigrants. Our targeted efforts have yielded positive
results. Of the more than 226,000 immigrants and refugees who were welcomed to
Canada in 2000, approximately 60 percent entered through the economic category.
This compares with 50 percent in Australia and 12 percent in the United States.
An American academic, Richard Florida, has argued that creativity is one of
the most powerful indicators of economic success in our new global economy. He
has further argued that city-regions are in the best position to attract and
retain this type of talent. He stresses, however, that creative talent is not
drawn to just any kind of city-region. By virtue of their skills, these highly
sought-after members of the workforce are extremely mobile. Where they choose to
locate has as much to do with the social character of the community around them
as it does with their work. Respect for diversity, cultural richness,
intercultural dialogue, openness - these are qualities sought after by creative
people. People whose differences are appreciated, who see outlets, avenues and
venues for their creative energies in a given community will choose to locate
and live there.
We are experiencing an economic paradigm shift. It used to be that
communities were called good places to live if they were good places to work.
Now, they are considered good places to work if they are vibrant places to live.
Florida has found that city-regions that combine a high quality of life with a
respect for and accommodation of diversity are those most likely to enjoy the
greatest success in attracting the sort of talent required to fuel growth in the
new economy.
Research is confirming what Canadians have suspected for a while. Diversity
is not only good for enriching our social and cultural well being; it creates a
competitive advantage. The most successful national economies of the future will
be those that recognize and build on balanced economic, social and cultural
policies. The Canadian approach to multiculturalism has thus taken on a greater
importance, becoming a policy that must not only be sustained, but strengthened.
While we are proud of what we have accomplished in the last thirty years, we
recognize that our policies on immigration and multiculturalism are in a
constant state of evolution and that new challenges are ahead. We are not
complacent. A truly pluralistic society cannot be complacent.
Recent immigrants to Canada have higher than average levels of education than
the Canadian-born population. In 2000, 58 percent of working-age immigrants had
a post-secondary degree at landing, compared with 43 percent of the existing
Canadian population. Yet it can sometimes take up to ten years for the earnings
of university-educated immigrants to catch up to those of their Canadian
counterparts. Moreover, in 1996, there was nearly a 20-percentage point
difference between the employment rate of university-educated, Canadian-born
workers and that of university-educated immigrants. Clearly, there are
inefficiencies in labour market integration that result in some immigrants`
skills being under-utilized. Given the rising demand for highly qualified
people, we recognize we cannot afford to waste any of this talent. And we are
taking additional steps - now - to ensure that the right support is provided,
credentials are recognized. We can afford no less.
One of our greatest challenges is building a comprehensive and effective
system for assessing and recognizing foreign credentials. Assessment services
are being expanded in our provinces. The federal government, provinces and
territories, regulatory bodies, and employers are cooperating more closely to
improve recognition of foreign credentials before and after immigrants arrive.
Canada will continue moving aggressively to improve foreign credential
recognition in the coming period.
New immigration and urbanization patterns are also posing challenges to our
existing multicultural policy. Beyond our institutions of justice, our democracy
depends on the attitudes of citizens, their desire to participate politically
and their ability to work together. As Canada and other modern democracies
become more diverse and with certain populations becoming more concentrated in
given communities, promoting responsible citizenship becomes ever more
important.
Building responsible citizenship requires fostering a positive climate and
attitude for public discourse. Free and open discussion in the context of
difference requires citizens to engage with one another in a climate of mutual
respect. We must strike the right balance between our regard for diversity and
our need for a common citizenship. As such, we must ensure that our new policies
focus on fostering and strengthening understanding across diverse communities,
and promoting the rights and responsibilities of shared citizenship. Our
proposed new Citizenship Act will reinforce the responsibilities associated with
being a Canadian and having a strong commitment to Canada.
Our domestic experience with diversity has helped shape our voice on the
international stage. Canadians have come to see that dialogue, mutual
accommodation and connecting across differences are also necessary in the rest
of the world. Twenty-five of the Members of Parliament in my own Liberal caucus
were not born in Canada. In a country where we have made diversity a strength,
we believe that we can assist when nations or communities are struggling with
historic differences as they seek to build stable, democratic states. We are
proud for example, to have been able to assist South Africans in the design of
their new federal constitution following the end of Apartheid. We were also
pleased to have assisted China with their revised criminal code.
Canada helped found and has long been a supporter of the United Nations. We
have done so because of our desire to build a more secure world within an
international system based on the rule of law. We understand that
multilateralism is in everyone`s interest. But, our hard won national experience
and commitments to the principles of peaceful resolution of conflict, mutual
respect and intercultural dialogue informs our participation in multilateral
settings. We think these values are essential to creating a more secure,
peaceful and prosperous world.
The main challenges of our day include infectious disease, environment,
international crime and terrorism. These issues are too large for even the
strongest countries to solve on their own. In collectively addressing terrorism,
for example, we must also address collectively the factors that allow terrorism
to flourish. This can only be accomplished through multilateral means and
efforts to foster cross-cultural dialogue and respect.
Since 9/11 some of our traditional interfaith and intercultural dialogues in
Canada, as elsewhere, have experienced strain. This is worrisome. As Canadians,
if we wish to do more to share our positive experiences with the world, we will
need to understand where the points of fragility in our own settings are. As
tensions increase abroad, we are working to ensure that tensions do not increase
at home. Responsible citizenship requires a continued commitment from all
Canadians to ensure that we remain vigilant against the risk of any rising
intolerance in our own communities.
Canadian efforts to facilitate the involvement of diverse communities in
every aspect of Canadian life, to promote intercultural dialogue, civility and
respect, and to encourage a greater sense of belonging have helped ensure that
Canada became a peaceful and prosperous democratic society. Differences have
always been defining features of Canadian identity. Differences pose challenges;
but they are also a tremendous source of social and economic strength. Our
immigration and multicultural policies are a direct result of our own struggles
and our historic commitment to one another. They have fostered Canadians` sense
of social solidarity. Diversity, respect, and acceptance have also created a
climate conducive to creativity and growth. We believe that our commitment and
policies on diversity remain works in progress, requiring ongoing vigilance and
reflection. But the Canadian experience is that the benefits are worth the
effort.
- 30 -
PMO Press Office: (613) 957-5555
|