Humanity progresses through the dialectic of visions, ideas, passions and hopes of successive generations and those that champion them whether in leadership positions or those that labour in the front lines of civil society and the academy. This site is a small contribution to that global dialectic through the vision, ideas, passions and hopes of this life lived in Canada and around the world. It is my  hope that visitors will take away from this site at least  one similar idea, one similar passion, one  similar hope that can be promoted within their own fields of endeavours and carry them to others. 

To carry out these aims, this site will highlight books, ideas and a blog that promote the most cherished of principles of the author of this site, namely global justice, universal values of human dignity and the treatment of all humans as equals. In addition, the site is designed to encourage all sectors of society including governments, civil society and the private sector to be active champions in the promotion of these principles. Through different endeavours from public presentations, advising and consulting, this goal will also be promoted.

 However, the site will not hesitate to critique those, especially in governments in Canada and elsewhere that are undermining these concepts that can further human progress within their own nations and globally. In this regard, there will be a focus on promoting a vision of Canada as a template for global pluralism that speaks to the principles that are mentioned above. The following Canada Clause that this author promoted during the 1990 Meech Lake Accord negotiations with the First Ministers and the Prime Minister exemplified this desire for Canada:

 

THE CANADA CLAUSE

PROPOSED BY PROFESSOR ERROL MENDES TO THE FIRST MINISTERS AT THE FIRST MINISTERS CONFERENCE ON THE MEECH LAKE ACCORD

JUNE 1990

Let me then describe the spirit of our nation in the form of a Canada clause that could become a preamble to the fundamental law of our Constitution. It goes as follows:

"Whereas the spirit of Canada was born in the ancestral homes of the first nations of the land,

 

"And whereas the people of Canada recognize as a fundamental characteristic of the Constitution, the unique, proud and dignified nationhood of the first peoples of Canada vesting in them the full protection of their existing and inherent treaty and aboriginal rights,

 

"And whereas the spirit of Canada was further formed from the pact of fraternity and co-operation that survived the battlefield between the first English- and French-speaking settlers of the land,

"And whereas the people of Canada recognize as a fundamental characteristic of the Constitution, the linguistic duality of Canada that gives succor to the English- and French-speaking minorities across the land, and affirms the role of the Quebec and Canadian governments and legislatures to preserve and enhance the French Canadian culture and language in Quebec and Canada,

"And whereas the spirit of Canada has been nurtured by the evolving multicultural reality of its people,

"And whereas the people of Canada recognize as a fundamental characteristic of this country the racial and cultural diversity, present and future, of all regions of the country,

"And whereas the Canadian people have demonstrated their unique identity to the community of nations through their diversity of regions, cultures and languages, creating a union that enshrines both the dignity of difference and for the fundamental individual and collective rights of humanity, including substantive equality for the disadvantaged and those discriminated against by reason of gender, racial and ethnic origins, colour, religion, age and disability.

"Therefore we the people of Canada declare the following to be the supreme law of the land:"

 

 

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