HOW IMPORTANT IS MULTICULTURALISM IN OUR CANADA Shawky Fahel - President of the K-W Arab Canadian Friendship Association

With the exception of Native Canadians, we are all immigrants in one sense or another. Canada today is a multi-cultural, multi-racial and multi-lingual society. Difference gives us strength; Diversity is a fundamental principle in nature. The city of Toronto is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world, where people from many different cultural backgrounds live in relative harmony.

All immigrants have chosen to come to Canada with the same common interest: to seek a better life. We are all trying to uphold and better the multicultural mosaic that we live in. Multiculturalism in Canada means we all have differences but we also respect each other's differences. This is what being a Canadian is !

People ask me, is there racism in Canada? I answer, yes, there is, like in any other country. When they find out what we, as Canadians, can offer, they all want to come here.

Some politicians would have us think that the 27 million dollars that the Federal Government is spending on multiculturalism is too much. I believe the institutionalization of the multicultural debate has been used only as a vehicle to buy votes. We, as new Canadians don't need the government's financial help, because money cannot buy tolerance or understanding.

Looking at our diversity we should stop and ask ourselves: Is there a common stand and are there any common beliefs that define us as Canadians? Until we as Canadians have defined our common beliefs and common traditions, we are in danger of atomizing into all of our respective self interests. We should have common traditions, common interests, common influences, common goals, and common opportunities. All these have to be articulated and passed to our children.

Tolerance alone is not enough to build a strong multicultural society. To keep Canada united we have to move beyond the co-existence model. Each and every one of us has to take the initiative within ourselves. We have to discard the idea that some magician from Ottawa will do it for us. We have to stop taking things for granted and we have to overcome our complacent attitude. We have to educate our youth and teach them how to respect each other regardless of colour, creed or relgion. We have to instill the thought in every Canadian that Canada is a place where we care for each other quite a lot.

Finally, for Canada's 125th anniversary, I challenge all Canadians to take the risk and display the courage that is needed to work hard towards keeping the great Canadian Dream alive. We have to make this culturally diverse country work as a model for the rest of the world.

Immigrants bring strength to this country, so let us all work hard together and benefit from each other to strengthen our country to make us more competitive in the Global Economic Market.

Happy 125 th Birthday CANADA ! with compassion and understanding we can keep it together.

This article was originally published in Cross Cultures Magazine in Volume 1 - Issue 4 - 1992. Unauthorized copying, distribution or other usage without express written permission of the publisher is prohibited.