Common declaration of sovereignist and federalist intellectuals
from Canada and Québec
Since the October 30, 1995 referendum, dialogue between Quebec
and the rest of Canada has become more strained. Ignorant
and malicious attacks against Quebec have multiplied.
We do not believe that a hard-line position against Quebec
constitutes a viable long-term solution to our problems. There
are different versions of what constitutes Canada and we need
to respect the principles of diversity that underlie them.
These principles should include the following:
1. In different ways, there are aboriginal nations, a Quebec
nation, and a Canadian nation. These nations are not mutually
exclusive; rather, they overlap with one another. We need
to find new ways of living together as equal nations, recognizing
each other and engaging in discussion with one another.
2. The fundamental rights of all aboriginal peoples, Quebecers,
and Canadians must be secured.
3. The Quebec government must protect the acquired rights
of English Quebecers and all other provincial governments
must protect the acquired rights of French Canadians.
4. Aboriginal rights and aboriginal self-government are fundamental
questions for all of Canada and not just for Quebec. Therefore,the
concerns of aboriginal people should be addressed on their
own merits, both in Quebec and in Canada outside Quebec, motivated
by a shared commitment to meet just First Nations demands.
5. We recognize the existence of a Quebec nation which includes
Quebecers of all origins and mother tongues. The Quebec nation
has the right to democratically determine its own future.
6. The question of Quebec sovereignty is principally political
and not juridical in character. It is for the people of Quebec,
not the Supreme Court of Canada, to make any ultimate decision
in this regard.
7. Were Quebec to vote to become sovereign, every effort
should be made to avoid violent confrontation.
8. Negotiations between Quebec and Canada outside Quebec
should take place in a spirit of reasonableness and good will.
Aboriginal peoples must be a party to any such negotiations.
9. As an alternative to the inevitably fractious attempt
to redraw the current boundaries of Quebec during these negotiations,
ways should be sought for sharing sovereignty with aboriginal
nations, whether they currently find themselves in Quebec,
in Canada outside of Quebec, or overlapping these two.
10. Some of us believe that asymmetrical federalism can best
express the multiple national identities that make up Canada;
others believe in two sovereign states with economic and/or
political relations between them.
Signatures
Gregory Albo, Political Science, York U
Jean-Raoul Austin de Drouillard, French Department, Simon
Fraser U
Louis Balthazar, Science politique, U Laval
Barry Bartmann, Institute of Island Studies, PEI
Gregory Baum, Religious Studies, McGill U
René Boudreault, Négociateur en affaires
autochtones
Gilles Bourque, Sociologie, UQAM
Barbara Cameron, Political Science, Atkinson College,
York U
Réjean Canac-Marquis, Simon Fraser U
Linda Cardinal, Science politique, U d'Ottawa
Joseph Carens, Political Science, U of Toronto
Don Carmichael, Political Science, U of Alberta
Robert Chodos, Free-lance writer and translator
Bernard Cleary, Négociateur autochtone, Groupe
Cleary
John F. Conway, Sociology, U of Regina
Claude Couture, Faculté St-Jean, U de l'Alberta
Jocelyne Couture, Philosophie, UQAM
Frank Cunningham, Philosophy, U of Toronto
Gurston Dacks, U of Alberta
Claude Denis, Faculté St-Jean, U de l'Alberta
Micheline De Sève, Science politique, UQAM
Marina Devine, Western NWT Aboriginal Summit
Laurent Dobuzinskis, Political Science, Simon Fraser
U
Daniel Drache, Director, Robarts Centre for Canadian
Studies, York U
Paul Dubé, Langues modernes et études comparees,
U de l'Alberta
Jules Duchastel, Sociologie, UQAM
Christian Dufour, ENAP
Francis Dupuis-Déry, Romancier et essayiste
Marta Dvorak, Centre d'Études Canadiennes, U de
Rennes 2, France
Peter Findlay, Carleton U
Peter Fitting, French U of Toronto
Alain G. Gagnon, Science politique, McGill U
Benoît Gauthier, Président, Réseau
Circum
Dan Goldstick, Philosophy, U of Toronto
Peter Graefe, Science Politique, U de Montréal
Allan Greer, History, University of Toronto
Marjorie Griffin Cohen, Political Science, SFU
Randall Hansen, Researcher, Oxford U
Thomas Hueglin, U of Waterloo
Marc Hufty, Ass. Prof., Graduate Institute of Development
Studies, Switzerland
André Joyal, Économie, UQTR
Michael Keating, Political Science, U of Western Ontario
Martin Klein, History, University of Toronto
Seth Klein, Director (BC) CCPA
Micheline Labelle, Sociologie, CRIEC, UQAM
Guy Lachapelle, Science politique, Concordia U
Guy Laforest, Science politique, U Laval
Paul Leduc-Brown, Centre Canadien de politiques alternatives
Diane Lamoureux, Science politique, U Laval
Linda Leith, Novelist
Andrée Levesque, Histoire, McGill U
Michel Lord, Études françaises, U of Toronto
Rowland Lorimer, Master of Publishing Program, SFU
Liane Marie, Études canadiennes-françaises,
U of Toronto
Silvana Mastromonaco, French, University of Toronto
Louis McComber, Anthropologue et Journaliste, Yellowknife
Kenneth McRoberts, Political Science, York U
Marco Micone, enseignant et auteur
Henry Milner, GRIG, U Laval
Dawn Moffat, Political science, student, Grande Prairie
Regional College, AB
Joe Murray, Philosophy, PhD Student, McMaster U
Jean-François Nadeau, Historien et auteur
Kai Nielsen, Philosophy, Concordia
Pierre Paquette, Secrétaire général,
CSN
Howard Pawley, Political Science, Windsor U
Anthony Perl, Political Science, U of Calgary
Jocelyne Praud, Political Science, U of Regina
Judy Rebick, Journalist, Broadcaster
Philip Resnick, Political Science, UBC
Janet Ritch, Victoria College, University of Toronto
François Rocher, Political Science, Carleton U
Christian Rouillard, Ph D Student, Political science,
Carleton U
Paul Russell, Philosophy, UBC
Denis St-Martin, Harvard Center for European Studies,
Harvard U
Michel Sarra-Bournet, Historien, auteur
Jeannelle Savona, U of Toronto
Allen Seager, History, SFU
Michel Seymour, Philosophie, U de Montréal
Andy Shadrack, Political Science, Selkirk College, BC
Monique Simard, Ex-députée du Parti Québécois,
Laprairie
Donald Smith, Études françaises, Carleton
U
Henry Srebrnik, Political Studies, PEI
Garth Stevenson, Politics, Brock U
Dermod Travis, Public Policy Analyst
Mireille Tremblay, Secrétaire générale,
fédération québécoise des CRDPI
Robert Ware, Philosophy, University of Calgary
Mel Watkins, Economy, U of Toronto
Don Wells, Political Science, McMaster U
Reg Whitaker, Political Science, York
Shodja Ziaian, Peace Strategist, Earth Citizen
If you want to add your name to this list, please send your
name and affiliations to :
Michel Seymour
Département de philosophie, Université de Montréal
CP 6128, Succursale centre-ville, Montréal, QC, H3C
3J7
télécopie: 1 514 343 7899
téléphone: 1 514 343-5933
seymour@ere.umontreal.ca
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