If one day Quebec becomes sovereign, I would like it to be because we decided to build bridges rather than sow division. That as a nation, we have decided to stand up and be at the forefront of energy transition, sex education classes and the process of reconciliation with a common living environment based on respect. As our politicians rip their shirts off over fires in the pan, I reflect on who I am and where I stand on this grand chessboard.
My grandfather falsified his papers in order to join the army at 14 during the Second World War. He fought for our democracy on behalf of the British Crown, as he answered Winston Churchill’s call before the call to arms here. My mother, for her part, directly participated in the growth of the Quebec economy by building a model of regionalization of immigration when she had just learned French and still had a heavy accent. Thanks to her and to all the families who have chosen to settle in Beauce, several villages and businesses have managed to remain open.
Drawing on the knowledge and experiences of all my ancestors (African, European and South American), I devoted my entire youth to a mission that is beyond me: the fight against sexual assault. When I look around me, I see a whole generation of young bilinguals, trilinguals, polyglots, who have traveled the world and who dream of making their own contributions known to society. Whether they were born here or elsewhere. This silent majority struggles to find its place in a society that widens the gap between generations and clings to the societal models of the past.
Education, justice, voting system, environment, mental health: we are neglected by our elites, who read and listen to too many conservative (even far-right) ideologues. The appeal to the nation that Mr. Legault made during the last federal election campaign was dystopian, regardless of our political allegiances. Personally, I am no longer jealous: I no longer vote. No party currently represents me, I am one of those “selfish” young people who get involved in causes that appeal to them personally, who travel and who are above all open to the world.
If so many of us no longer watch TV or force ourselves to follow “the political game”, it may be a sign that it is time to write our own constitution on the Internet (like the did Iceland) and to throw away this old way of doing things which divides while sowing hatred. Wanting to reduce inequalities in the “post-pandemic” era should not be seen as a failure of society, but as a sign of progress. More than ever, we must mobilize in the face of the coming climate collapse rather than entering into “controversies” which aim only to retain “power” (or to fight to obtain it) every four years.
I have no faith in a foreign-funded “liberation” movement propelled (via the algorithm) on our social media by American interference. Leadership—true leadership—is a dying commodity, especially when we see schools falling into disrepair, some communities still without access to clean water, and the cost of groceries escalating. to explode from week to week with no viable solution in sight.
On the eve of a potential Third World War, we should start planning a fair and equitable transition for everyone if we are really interested in our Quebec “identity”. The Quebecers I know are most often open and curious about difference. I am a local girl. I tried Montreal, and everywhere I found love when we gave each other the slightest time to get to know each other, to chat.
More than ever, the world is connected. We have hundreds of thousands of online communities, all of humanity’s knowledge at our fingertips and, of course, the ugliest too. We have no more excuses. We know the story, there are plenty of Netflix movies and series to remind us of it. It is time for our institutions to modernize if they no longer wish to be outdated, the world is elsewhere. It is time to transform them, because we owe it to the next generations.