Keep Canada Great (some thoughts and a short story)
This is not directly related to learning and technology but is about the principles we all should learn.
We celebrated Canada Day this week. I came to Canada back in 1998. I am Iranian and love that country and its people and culture. I am also Canadian and grateful to Canada for the life it gave me and all the things that make it great. I love Canadians and our beautiful country, but above all, I love the principles that are the foundation of our lives here: multiculturalism, freedom, peace, compassion, and respect. I love that around the world we are known as peaceful, polite, kind, and open-minded people. For two decades, I have lived here believing that Canada is a great place where people are free to have different opinions, religions, cultures, sexual orientations, and abilities while getting a fair and equal chance to live and grow.
But recently, I hear and see alarming things. Losing our right to decide what to wear under the excuse of secularism or the right to speak our mind as it may not be politically correct were examples of what I saw as threats to the precious freedom and tolerance that attracted many to Canada. Then on Canada Day, I saw this:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/majority-of-canadians-against-accepting-more-refugees-poll-suggests-1.5192769
Could it be that the majority of Canadians are now against sheltering those who need our help? Are we losing our principles of multiculturalism and compassion? Are we joining the dangerous trend of xenophobia and the right-wing populist wave that is strong on the south side of our border?
I hope not. Let’s keep Canada great!
The man had nowhere to go.
He was running from a war.
He was tired.
He was hungry.
He was alone.
He had lost everything: his home, his family, his hopes.
He needed to rest.
He needed to eat.
He needed some place to live.
He needed some people to love.
He had come for help.
The grown-ups asked him questions:
“Do you have the same language as us?”
He said no.
“Do you have the same religion as us?”
He said no.
“Do you have the same skin colour as us?”
He said no.
“Do you have the same clothes as us?”
He said no.
“Do you have a lot of money?”
He said no.
“Then you have to leave,” they told him. “We don’t like you. We don’t want you here.”
The man walked away.
Children were playing in the playground.
Their parents were watching them.
He remembered his son and daughter and stopped.
The children asked him questions:
“Can you throw back our ball?”
He said yes.
“Can you be our referee?”
He said yes.
“Do you like children?”
He said yes.
“Do you play with children?”
He said yes.
“Do you read them stories?”
He said yes.
“Do you know how to spread butter on bread?”
He said yes.
“Do you know how to sword fight with carrots?”
He said yes.
“Do you know how to make a tent with blankets?”
He said yes.
“Do you know how to draw stick figures?”
He said yes.
“Do you help a child put his socks on?”
He said yes.
“Do you hug a child when she is sad?”
He said yes.
“Then you can stay,” they told him. “We like you. You are always welcome here.”
We celebrated Canada Day this week. I came to Canada back in 1998. I am Iranian and love that country and its people and culture. I am also Canadian and grateful to Canada for the life it gave me and all the things that make it great. I love Canadians and our beautiful country, but above all, I love the principles that are the foundation of our lives here: multiculturalism, freedom, peace, compassion, and respect. I love that around the world we are known as peaceful, polite, kind, and open-minded people. For two decades, I have lived here believing that Canada is a great place where people are free to have different opinions, religions, cultures, sexual orientations, and abilities while getting a fair and equal chance to live and grow.
But recently, I hear and see alarming things. Losing our right to decide what to wear under the excuse of secularism or the right to speak our mind as it may not be politically correct were examples of what I saw as threats to the precious freedom and tolerance that attracted many to Canada. Then on Canada Day, I saw this:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/majority-of-canadians-against-accepting-more-refugees-poll-suggests-1.5192769
Could it be that the majority of Canadians are now against sheltering those who need our help? Are we losing our principles of multiculturalism and compassion? Are we joining the dangerous trend of xenophobia and the right-wing populist wave that is strong on the south side of our border?
I hope not. Let’s keep Canada great!
The Man Who Had Nowhere to Go
a short story for children (and adults)
by Ali Arya
The man had nowhere to go.
He was running from a war.
He was tired.
He was hungry.
He was alone.
He had lost everything: his home, his family, his hopes.
He needed to rest.
He needed to eat.
He needed some place to live.
He needed some people to love.
He had come for help.
The grown-ups asked him questions:
“Do you have the same language as us?”
He said no.
“Do you have the same religion as us?”
He said no.
“Do you have the same skin colour as us?”
He said no.
“Do you have the same clothes as us?”
He said no.
“Do you have a lot of money?”
He said no.
“Then you have to leave,” they told him. “We don’t like you. We don’t want you here.”
The man walked away.
Children were playing in the playground.
Their parents were watching them.
He remembered his son and daughter and stopped.
The children asked him questions:
“Can you throw back our ball?”
He said yes.
“Can you be our referee?”
He said yes.
“Do you like children?”
He said yes.
“Do you play with children?”
He said yes.
“Do you read them stories?”
He said yes.
“Do you know how to spread butter on bread?”
He said yes.
“Do you know how to sword fight with carrots?”
He said yes.
“Do you know how to make a tent with blankets?”
He said yes.
“Do you know how to draw stick figures?”
He said yes.
“Do you help a child put his socks on?”
He said yes.
“Do you hug a child when she is sad?”
He said yes.
“Then you can stay,” they told him. “We like you. You are always welcome here.”