Publication Source: Island Tides
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Author: Jan Slakov
Like Patrick Brown, my Canada ‘puts human values first…a vision far beyond that of an ‘energy superpower’ or a colonial source of unprocessed raw materials’.
Where do I see the ‘loyalty to an unprecedented idea of complexity, which in turn meant that everyone, leaders in particular, would have to discipline themselves through restraint’ in today’s Canada?
Without a doubt, Elizabeth May is the politician who comes to mind first. She shows us how to resist the bullying of the Harper regime with the fundamental tools of nonviolence: an ability to listen to all points of view, to do huge amounts of solid research and to share the conclusions of that listening and research. Her commitment to the public good, rather than personal or partisan success, is exemplified by inviting a former NDP MP, now Independent, Bruce Hyer, and another wonderful person, Stéphane Dion, to speak at the Green Convention. I am sure all three would heartily agree with something Dion once said to a friend, who was wondering if the work had been worth it: ‘It is never a waste of time when you are doing the right thing’.