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COMMON DECLARATION |
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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; ou télécopie:
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