For the past few days, I have been listening to and reading the chronicles, analyses, comments in the newspapers, on the radio and even in the social media on the Catholic solidarity of Prime Minister François Legault. And I’m amazed! Surprised to see the outpouring of comments from our intellectual and journalistic elite who drink in the Prime Minister’s words to talk about our past and our present as Quebec society. Surprised to see the poverty of certain analyzes of the facts about our society. It seems that journalists and analysts are fueled by comments as clumsy as those of Francois Legault. They have an analysis of Quebec and the complex relationship between religion and secularism which, for many, resembles that of the Prime Minister.
Here are some well-felt statements heard and seen here and there: “Quebec is no more united than other societies”; “A real community spirit has developed in Protestant countries”; “Solidarity is one of the important values conveyed by the Koran”. A distinction is made between the spontaneous solidarity of donations and the solidarity imposed by the State. In the first case, Quebecers are less good than the others in Canada and, in the second case, all that remains mechanical, nothing to do with the value of solidarity. We could thus continue the list of comments of all kinds.
One thing is certain, the concept of solidarity deserves to be clarified and better defined. It’s even worse if we add the adjective Catholic, then we risk falling into nothingness, if not into hell. By entering into the vagueness of his words, we risk saying many things and their opposite.
Without going into the definitions and nuances that would be necessary, but too long, can we highlight historical and verifiable facts that should pose serious questions to our Quebec intelligentsia about our solidarity? Does Quebec have singular traits of solidarity that could indicate a particular type of living together?
Without being exhaustive, I would simply like to draw their attention to the particular dynamism of some of our social movements. Here are some examples.
Our trade union movement is one of the most rooted in society. Quebec is the most unionized society in North America, with more than 35% of workers. Its role is not limited to defending labor rights. This movement had a social impact in the construction of the social State, but still today, by its importance, on its political commitments and its economic investments in all regions of Quebec.
Our community movement is not just a charity movement. It is a movement of help, mutual aid, defense of social rights, etc. A movement where we can see several variants and nuances of what solidarity means on a daily basis. It is the only grassroots movement funded, in part, by the state in the Americas. Imagine the Quebec government funding organizations like FRAPRU to challenge the terrible decisions of the Coalition avenir Québec on social housing!
Our women’s movement is also unique. With the Bread and Roses March and the World Women’s Marches, the local women’s movement has succeeded in establishing an autonomous women’s movement on a global scale. Our Quebec intelligentsia should re-read the history of the Women’s World Charter. Within this charter, which includes five values, solidarity is defined for Quebec as “covering the essential needs of people on social assistance”. It’s concrete! Not yet done so far. Solidarity remains to be done!
There would be many other solidary social facts to put before the conscience of our interpreters of Quebec society. But it is surprising, to say the least, that our intelligentsia has lost its bearings by forgetting the qualities of our social specificity and the nature of our roots, nourished by particular solidarities. It is also surprising that we are so blinded by the relationship between the religious of religions and the religious of secularism to lock ourselves up so much in the religious imagination period.