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"NEXT GENERATION OF
CANADA'S PARTNERSHIP WITH AFRICA" Notes from address
by Hon. Peter Mackay, Minister of Foreign Affaris,
Canada Our presence in
Dartmouth today underlines the Coady Institute's
international convening power, as well as the
importance of microcredit and the integration of
women and youth as partners for the future of
Africa. The Institute and CIDA's Youth Actions'
International Youth Internship Program sponsored 10
young leaders. The goal is to develop and support
innovative and effective programs that build a
sense of global citizenship and empower and inspire
Canadian youth to be active in poverty reduction,
health, education and social services promotion.
This year, Canadian interns worked in places like
Kenya and Ethiopia. Nova Scotia has, of
course, a place in African history. It was to
Halifax and other areas of the province that former
slaves fled from the United States seeking their
freedom following the War of Independence. And it
was from Halifax in the late 18th century that they
set sail to found Freetown, Sierra Leone. Even
today you can see the influence of the style of
houses, the street names and places in that
country. And here in Nova
Scotia, African descendants make up one of the
pillars of our society along with Aboriginal,
Acadian and European peoples. For a small province,
we are rich in culture and diversity&emdash;a
tapestry of multiculturalism. Late last year, Her
Excellency Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean,
Governor General of Canada, paid her first series
of State visits to five African countries at the
request of the Prime Minister of Canada, the Right
Honourable Stephen Harper. This morning, I met
a lady in Halifax who greets people at the tourist
booth. She was smiling ear to ear. She said "I met
the Governor General yesterday and found her to be
so genuine, so kind and so gentle and generous with
her time." She has not stopped smiling since. That
is the impact of our Governor General everywhere
she goes. I feel very honoured to have her in my
home province. Her Excellency
invited Mary Coyle, Director of the Coady Institute
at St. Francis Xavier University, to join her
accompanying delegation. It was an appropriate
choice and one that acknowledged the importance of
the microcredit sector and the solid partnerships
already established in Africa by the Coady
Institute. The countries on
Mme Jean's itinerary&emdash;Algeria, Mali, Ghana,
South Africa and Morocco&emdash;are all headed by
African leaders taking governance and democratic
reform seriously, and acting accordingly. We were
pleased that President Kufuor of Ghana was selected
as the next chair of the African Union. There are
critically important challenges and decisions to be
made at this time. The Chair, President Kufuor,
will need much wisdom and support from the
international community at this time, especially
when we think of the ongoing crisis in Darfur and
the turmoil in Somalia and other parts of Africa.
The tragedy and instability remain. Her Excellency's
visit gave official encouragement to African and
Canadian partners working together for a better
world. Her program showed examples of achieving
results through effective use of development and
assistance and private sector investment. It also
brought hope and compassion, which follow her
everywhere. She is the embodiment of
both. An estimated 550
Canadian organizations now partner with African
NGOs. The growing African diaspora in Canada has
found new ways to connect Africans and Canadians.
Hundreds of young Canadians sponsored by churches,
schools, service organizations and specialized
agencies are volunteering in Africa to train
journalists, build wells, and teach. In addition,
last year Export Development Canada supported 268
Canadian companies in 31 African countries. Our
trade and investment figures are growing
significantly. It was also an
element of pride for Canadians to see their
Governor General, herself a former refugee from
Haiti with African roots, engaging and interacting
with Africans at a personal and human level outside
capital cities, and listening to them on issues
such as women's health, education, concerns of
youth violence and depressed people living with
HIV/AIDS. It underlined that Canadians
care. Canada's future
partnerships, whether diplomatic, security-related,
developmental or private sector, will recognize
African leadership and African ownership, along
with mutual responsibility and accountability. In
the spirit of the New Partnership for Africa's
Development, which we support, and under the
African Union, Africa is increasingly taking charge
of its own destiny. Canada has been one of the top
contributors to the African Union Mission in Sudan
and will continue to provide critical support until
a transition to an African Union-UN mission can be
accomplished, and some form of real stability and
peace can emerge, resulting in greater
reconstruction and development. New partnerships
must also recognize the importance of a vibrant
African civil society and the empowerment of women
and youth to be agents of development. For example,
between 2000 and 2005, the Canadian International
Development Agency's programs in eight African
countries resulted in an additional 4.5 million
girls attending school. In Rwanda, Canada has
helped women raise awareness of their legal rights
and secure or retrieve their property. To reinforce
positive trends, the Prime Minister of Canada
announced important new contributions to health
systems and education in Africa at last year's G8
Summit in St. Petersburg. We expect that under
the German presidency of the G8, Africa will again
be a major focus of leaders. In closing, I would
like to thank the organizers of this event for the
invitation, and to wish you every success in your
deliberations. NOTES FOR AN
ADDRESS BY THE HONOURABLE PETER MACKAY, MINISTER OF
FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND MINISTER OF THE ATLANTIC CANADA
OPPORTUNITIES AGENCY, AT THE COADY INSTITUTE
EVENT African
Canadian Heritage
Association Dozens
of African Projects
at Missions Fest
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