Schema Magazine

I was invited by the Office of the Commission of Official Languages (OCOL) to deliver a speech on my vision of linguistic duality and cultural diversity in Canada at teh OCOL's second Forum on the Perspectives of Canadians of Diverse Backgrounds.

The main objective of the discussion forum was to gain a better understanding of the perceptions of linguistic duality held by Canadians from diverse backgrounds and of the links between linguistic duality and cultural diversity. Equally important in this forum is the goal of developing relationships with participants to continue and deepen this crucial dialogue. This event will provide OCOL with the information necessary to encourage the Federal Government to take the measures necessary to better integrate cultural diversity and linguistic duality into its policies and programs

This was a milestone in my public speaking. First, this was a challenging speech to write (following last year's address, giving by former Governor General, Adrienne Clarkson), but I also took this as an opportunity to challenge myself to give parts of my speech in French. This was the first time I have given any public presentation on diversity in French. It was a great honour to have been invited and to have met the Commissioner of Official Languages, Graham Fraser, who sent me the following comments:

I found your opening address both enlightening and thought-provoking. Your speech truly set the stage for the very interesting discussions that took place during the day, and was greatly appreciated by all the participants and observers at the forum.