On April 2, the Globe and Mail, Canada’s national newspaper, published a letter written by Barry Campbell and signed by 50 prominent Canadians calling on all political leaders to acknowledge and take steps to address the growing in-civility of our interactions with each other. There will always be strongly divergent views about events abroad or here at home. However, we have to find a way to engage civilly with each other or we risk tearing apart the fabric of the country. There is much work to be done. The letter recommends a number of steps to be taken.
The Globe not only published the letter prominently on its Editorial page (and in the on-line edition), but added alongside the letter a strongly worded supporting Editorial Board opinion. In an unprecedented move, the Globe gave over its entire Editorial page to the issues the letter addresses. The Globe also ran a separate article explaining the origin and context for Barry Campbell’s initiative.
Below are links to the letter, editorial and article. If you are not a Globe subscriber you may not be able to open these links. Please consider supporting the Globe and Mail for the important and essential work they are doing as evidenced by their actions today.
This is the second collaboration we have had with the Globe. In 2014/15 we collaborated with the Globe to obtain the unanimous support of Parliament, and a funding program of $200 million in support to the surviving victims of Thalidomide.