Question

⦁   Former Prime Minister, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, said, “Uniformity is neither desirable nor possible in a country the size of Canada. We should not even be able to agree upon the kind of Canadian to choose as a model, let alone persuade most people to emulate it… What the world should be seeking, and what in Canada we must continue to cherish, are not concepts of uniformity but human values: compassion, love, and understanding.”

Question: What does Trudeau mean in the quote above? How does/should compassion, love, and understanding impact Canadian equality and diversity?

Answer 1

Canada thrives on multiculturalism and unlike in the US, it appreciates and accepts the co-existence of people from many cultures. This would mean that as the former prime minister suggests that rather than working towards uniting many cultures into one name or value, it would be better to leave them in their own values and practices while at the same time protecting the core human values and respect everyone. Thus, rather than working towards creating oneness, it would be wise to accept, appreciate, acknowledge and adopt the best practices from each other thus, creating a favorable environment for everyone to live, work and thrive without any stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination. He is very practical in his approach and it’s a very good statement which would bind people together and look for human beings rather than racial, religious or cultural identity in others because it’s one of the highest identities that would unite the entire world.

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