A recent open letter to Canada’s political leaders in The Globe and Mail urged for a stand against the rise of aggression and decline of civility in our public discourse. The 51 signatories, from artists to former politicians such as Jean Charest, called for action to foster mutual respect and tolerance in these divisive times.
“The decline of civility is a symptom of a deeper malaise,” says Daniel Béland, Director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada (MISC). “We’ve seen with the rise of populism there’s a challenge to individual and minority rights. This is happening all over the world, and has been raised in Canada too, with, for instance, all the discussion about the use of the Notwithstanding Clause.”
So it is fitting that the inaugural Conversations: sponsored by Charles Bronfman, hosted by MISC on April 8, discussed “The threat to civility and the fight for liberal democracy.”
More than 600 people packed the event at downtown’s Centre Mont-Royal. Nahlah Ayed, host of CBC Radio One’s Ideas, moderated a 90-minute discussion with Luis Roberto Barroso, president of the Brazilian Federal Supreme Court, who took on populist former President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro; former High Commissioner of India to Canada Vikas Swarup (also author of Q & A, the basis for the movie Slumdog Millionaire); and Rosalie Silberman Abella, LLD’99, retired Supreme Court of Canada justice and human rights law expert.
“It’s a conversation. It’s not a debate, not a stand-alone lecture,” says Béland of the annual discussion series. “Instead of seeking controversy for the sake of controversy, we’re trying to find common ground and discuss broad issues that are important to Canadians, especially issues that relate to Canada and its place in the world,” Béland says. “This first conversation sets the tone for the entire series.”
MISC co-founder Charles Bronfman, BA’50, LLD’90, first floated the idea of the series over lunch with former MISC director and Dean of Arts Antonia Maioni. He sees the initiative as a way of making a good institution even better, and foresees that each year’s theme could be folded into the MISC curriculum.
“World situations of consequence should be discussed at a high level,” Bronfman said in an interview. The advisory committee, chaired by MISC trustee member Alex Johnston, a lawyer and policy advisor, agreed that these talks should be as broadly available as possible. An engaged, informed, and respectful populace is crucial for smooth democratic functioning.
Canada’s usual temperate manner can set an example in a world with loud extremes, and these conversations can help bring moderation and understanding. “We don’t want to start with a message that there’s one side who wins,” Bronfman says. “This isn’t a win-lose situation, this is a going forward situation.”
“Democracy is under serious threat,” says Bronfman, who sees too many countries led by autocrats or dictators. “And that’s not very healthy. A lot of the world has turned far right.” He believes Canada has the capacity to re-emerge as a leader among nations, which it was last when Brian Mulroney was at the forefront of Nelson Mandela’s release. “We haven’t led much since,” he says. “We hope to bring to the attention of the government of Canada that they should examine Canada’s role.”
Though Bronfman lives in the US and holds dual citizenship, he tells his American pals that he’s Canadian at heart. He also co-founded Historica Canada, maker of the widely loved Heritage Minutes.
“The land my grandparents came to, both my mother's and father’s side, gave us a huge welcome and allowed my family to prosper,” Bronfman says. “Canada’s a fascinating country. We don’t get too high, we don’t get too low, we take things in stride.”
“It’s a wonderful country. The climate’s lousy, but aside from that, the people are wonderful,” he says.
“We need more countries like Canada”
The evening’s conversationalists agreed these are rough times, rife with polarization and inequality. Independent justice systems are threatened, news sources aren’t trusted.
Swarup, a seasoned diplomat of 35 years, said he’s never seen such rapidly evolving geopolitical turbulence, from the refugee crisis to Brexit to the invasion of Ukraine and worldwide inflation. “I call it geopolitics on steroids.” He sees the wide appeal of populist politicians because they “tap into politics of grievance, those who have been left behind by globalization, whose incomes have not risen,” as well as a “politics of hope – I will make America great again, I will bring you back to a golden era.”
Authoritarian populism’s appeal arose from democracy’s shortcomings, Barroso added. “Democracy did not offer equal opportunities for everyone and prosperity for everyone.”
Social media plays a role in civility’s decline. Though the internet has many benefits, Barroso pointed out that groups often talk among themselves. “We don’t share common facts, so people just create their own narratives according to their own preferences.”
Abella, who was born in a refugee camp and whose brother was murdered in the Holocaust, stated that democracy “doesn’t mean you can say whatever you want to whomever you want in whatever way you want.”
“If we don’t understand that our betterment cannot thrive without ensuring we’ve looked after the betterment of those we live with in our communities, what the public interest demands, we’re not going to get anywhere,” she added.
Solutions include having schools teach about civility, empathy, and kindness, and, in the short term, better control over social media, Swarup believes.
While Abella believes laws are required for behaviour to change, Barroso cautioned that laws are not enough. “You still need the social movement to make it happen.”
Not unlike Bronfman, Abella believes that “We need more countries like Canada. We need to show the world it is a good investment to protect democracy.” Though autocratic regimes can offer security and economic development, she says, Canada also offers, “the right to say what you want without hurting other people, the right to be a full member of society, the right to aspire to everything you want for your family, the right to hope.”