I am about to embark on one of the mostimportant projects I have ever undertaken – a missionthat could have a profound impact onthe world – or fizzle. This will depend on three things:
1. How well prepared I am, and how well I execute this mission.
2. The readiness and appetite of my audience for the message I am going to deliver.
3. Your support.
This week, I am going to Ottawa to meet with representatives of the Canadian Parliament to present a heartfelt message for Canada. We are working on arrangingsimilar meetingswith Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid in the US Congress and Senate respectively. But this first meeting is crucial. And I know you can have a significant influence on the outcome. With your support, we can build a grassroots movement, organize a Twitter and Facebook campaign, write letters to elected officials, and let our voices be heard loud and clear in these and many other ways that you know well, andI do not.Please show your support for this initiative and make it plain and clear to our leaders that we are looking for change – we want to be inspired. Hereis the message I will deliver this week:
Rebuilding Canadian Confidence in Politics and Politicians
There are many reasons why Canadians are more disenchanted with politicians than at any time since polls have been measuring this question. In 1965, for example, 49% of Canadians thought that “the government does not care what the people think”. By 1979 this proportion had grown to 53%, by 1984 to 63% and by 1990 to 70%. The level of rhetoric and bombast in the media about politicians and politics has risen to match the decline of civility in Canada’sHouse of Commons.
And there we may have both a definition of the problem and the solution.
Most Canadians would say today, that our political system is either broken or rapidly approaching a broken condition. A minority of the population study issues and assesses our political condition through a calm discernment of facts, knowing that we canÃt have everything we all want, and not without paying for it or making some trade-offs. But the majority doesnÃt think this way. They are looking for leadership, and they yearn foróand deserveósomething different from what they experiencing today. They watch what they perceive to be a collection of argumentative, insulting, yelling, name-calling boors behaving in ways that they would never tolerate from their children. And these are the ìleadersî they have elected to represent them in the worldóand they are ashamed and disappointed.
When we ask politicians why they behave in such a disrespectful and unproductive way, they make excuses like, ìpolitics is adversarialî, ìpoliticians are paid to opposeî, or ìthat is the way the system worksî. And when they are asked if it is effective or inspiring they acknowledge that it is not, that it is disgraceful, but that they feel powerless to change it.
But if our elected leaders canÃt change it, then who can? And who should? Surely this is the very group who should arrest this behavior now, so that Canada does not become governed in the same way as the Greeks or the Italians, and more recently and shockingly, the British and the Americans. (According to Rasmussen Reports, 45 percent of likely voters in the United States think a group of people selected at random from the phone book would do a better job of leading America than the current Congress). We have not reached this same critical conditionóyet.
Before we do, letÃs reverse the trend. This could easily be done if Canada’s House of Commons made an all-party commitment to being inspiring in every communication and action. This does not mean we have to change our views or compromise our beliefsóit just means that we make our points in ways that make people feel better, not worse; that we honor the other human being with whom we are communicating; that we are conscious of the example we are setting for 40 million Canadiansóespecially young Canadians, and that we modelóevery dayóthe behavior we wish to see in a civil society. We cannot continue to slander or libel colleagues with the impunity afforded by Parliamentary Privilege, and then put citizens in jail for doing the same thing.
The party Whips could join together to raise the bar of Parliamentary decorum and respect, setting a new standard for all levels of government in Canada and eventually the rest of the world. And Canada is the one best suited country to set this example. The example displayed by Canada as host of the 2010 Winter Olympic Gamesdemonstrated to the worldthe country’s status as an international good neighborófamously captured in Tom Brokaw’s “Love Letter to Canada”. This is a momentum that can be built upon.By declaring our intentions, and then living up to these new standards, we would begin the renewal of confidence in politics and politiciansóand we would become the envy of the world. Politics could, once again, become a vocation that attracts the best and brightest of our citizens.
Lance,
You have my support and commitment to do all I can do to help. Please keep us informed.
With gratitude,
Brad Garbus
Suffolk, VA (USA)
Hi Lance
I appreciate to support you! This very good Message is also valid for Switzerland and we have election of national Parliament next year.
Is it possible, that you (let) translate this message in German and French? Then I can spread this in Switzerland, but Switzerland has at minimum this two Languages. The way how I will spread it, is not clear for the moment – but any way is better than”do nothing”.
I wish you inspiring moments with open hearts of your audience!
Thomas
I am astonished and thrilled that such a message would be brought to our leaders. We need inspiration, credibility, honesty and common sense in our leaders – something we have not had in my lifetime. thank you for doing this and all the best in getting this message across!
Lance, you truely are an INSPIRING LEADER!
Thank you for having the courage to BE THE CHANGE that
the world is longing for in these troubled times!
Best of luck on Parliment Hill!
Lance,
Although I am not a Canadian, I pledge to support you and this
movement in whichever way I can.
Sincerely,
Nerio Vakil
Mumbai, India
Lance, as always, you have my support and love.
Lance,
I send you wings.
I SO agree there is an opportunity for the written material that comes from government to be written from inspiration and love rather than fear. I personally was emotionally moved to write my MP when I received a mail piece.
The flyer had, at it’s intention to say “Hey, well will work hard to punish & lock-away all the addicts in your community”. What they forgot was that for 1 person who has an addiction issue – they touch about 40 lives, including everyone one in their own family. So what the were talking about was punishing someone’s family member and loved one. Did they forget they we were all connected?
In the flyer there was no compassion, no heart, no inspiration. It was about blame, fear and scare tactics.
My letter pointed out they had a very limited perspective – one that excluded our connectedness. I never heard an acknowledgment to my letter in response. I don’t really think they knew what to do with it honestly.
Good luck Lance
Thank you for having the courage and passion to believe enough to do this. Our world needs people like you step up and speak loud and challenge the norm. i am just learning how.
I admire and honour your courage and vision. Working in a large company I see this behaviour reflected in our own people, and we are based in Switzerland, not America or UK. As above so below, so below as above.
I have a vision for the company I work for, that is not so dissimilar. Your passion gives me the inspiration to keep moving forward in the direction of with what I see and believe is truley possible.
Thank you
Dawn Voyce
Switzerland
Lance,
Wow!!–this is exactly what is needed. I get so excited thinking about the possibbilities of what could happen if our politicians and political system allowed itself to become better leaders–to be the kind of leader they all probably wanted to become when their heart led them into politics in the first place.
My daughter (who will be going into grade 11 next year) was chosen to go to a Canada inspired leadership week called encounter next year. There were several topics to choose from–one of them being politics. She actually chose politics. I want our politicians to think about what she is going to see when she goes there. How muc time and monet tdo we spend investing in our children? Is this behaviour the best that we can offer them?
Yes, Lance the world is ready for your message. Thank you for your courage and leadership. My heart is with you and I will be sending positive energy your way.
Please keep us all posted.
Misti
Excellent initiative taken. Congratulations and good luck. You have inspired me to make some comments: “Peace in the country is peace in the world.” This saying of M.Kemal Atat¸rk may be evaluated as supportive of this as we well. Sound behavior / decion of a politician is dependent on proper education and having needs met. Of course, this also needs right level of courage and belief in oneself. Right behavior of Politicians and Opinion Leaders of a society at a given point time is a key factor in a country’s wellness I believe. That right behavior stems from education in one’s core family and continues all through one’s life. I conclude all good results may be achieved with education in the long run. And Teachers are the most important leaders of a society!
Lance
You told us you were going, but how did it go, what was the response?
Dawn
The meetings in Ottawa were very successful. I met with the Government Whip and also with the Opposition Whip, Roger Cuzner. Roger was the most helpful of the two, guiding me to Scott Reid, who is a federal member parliament, and personally interested in the subject of improving the quality and tone of debate, especially in Question Period in the House of Commons. In turn, they suggested that I speak with another Member of Parliament by the name of Michael Chong, who is attempting to introduce a Private Member’s Bill promoting higher standards of dialogue in the House of Commons. Since my return I have attempted to move this project along and I can see that it will take considerable and regular prodding to make progress. But I will keep trying.
One of the things that may work well is if we could put together a petition — perhaps on Facebook — to engage Canadians in a grassroots movement asking for their leaders to display greater civility and to model leadership in a more inspiring way. What do you think?
Lance;
planting a seed is an act of faith and otimism in the future. I takes time and effort for it to grow and to flourish.
Thank you for being a gardener of hope and care. a petition would certaintly help.
love
Real