I was involved with a wonderful leadership event organized by our Governor General four years ago and again this year. In 2004, I gave a speech to Her Excellence about what I had learnt. I loved delivering it and she later told me she loved it too.

You have to read it with the Pomp and Circumstance song playing and picture me with a bright red flowing Canadian flag behind me. Cliché ? Maybe, but I loved doing it.

Enjoy.
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AS CANADIANS :

We are quick to listen, but slow to speak
We would rather be peace keepers than war mongerers
We don't want to walk the path of criticism to generalization to stereotype to prejudice to hate
We don't dwell on differences that end up dividing us but on our commonalities that unite us
We choose to love and honor our differences

And it makes us feel good to empower others to be great
 
WE BELIEVE:

That problems start once we stop communicating
That leadership starts with follower-ship
That there is power in silence
That indifference is the real weapon of mass destruction
That 90% of us agree on 90% of everything and yet spend 90% of our time arguing over the 10% we don’t agree on
That true leaders are defined by the measure of their passion
And that the Measure of a person is based on their heart and nothing else

We believe in Being - becoming - and belonging
And that Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one.
 
WE SAW IN OUR SOCIETY :

That it takes villages to build this great country
That Front line grassroots workers are the foundation of any initiative
That we value unions and corporations the same
That there are bad apples everywhere but we're glad there are more good apples than bad
That socialism and capitalism can work together in mutual harmony


That anyone who is too adamant to further their cause without listening first , does their cause a great disservice
That youth is more important than adult ego
That we respect our elders and honor their experiences with dignity
That we can have the elderly serve breakfast to kids or kids serve the elderly
That we appreciate the sacrifice of our men and women in blue and those on the front lines
That we respect our outdoors, we conserve, and we see that diversity started and is perfected in nature

That right makes might and not might makes right
That crime is not just about breaking the law, but breaking the relationships in society
That I can disagree with all I got about what you say, but I'll fight to the death for you're right to say it

That all is one and one is none

CANADA IS THE ONLY PLACE

Where you'll see a rabbi in a mosque
Where politicians can speak from the heart without shame
Where people are sometimes way too nice
Where the trademark is diversity and the inclusion of all groups
Where we can dress up for winter and show skin in the summer and be gorgeous both times
Where it’s not just clean, simple and beautiful, but above all, it is humane
Where Her Excellency has a dashing portrait of her young self in the Library and National Archives
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There is no 'I' in
team
excellence
future
peace
joy
love
acceptance
tolerance
hard work
AND harmony

But there are way too many 'I' s in
prejudice
bias
discrimination
intolerance
ableism
racism
sexism
AND agism
 
AND FINALLY
It is in the differences where we find our beauty
…

MY NAME IS JEAN FAHMY AND I AM CANADIAN