"Glorious and Free"?! Generous Citizenship for the Next 150
(Winter 2017)
The upcoming 150th anniversary of confederation in July 2017 provides an opportunity to investigate our assumptions about citizenship and what it means to “belong” in Canada. We will consider questions such as:
- What kind of “welcome” do immigrants, refugees, migrants, displaced persons, and others experience when coming to Canada?
- Should newcomers do more to “fit in” Canadian society?
- Who decides what constitutes “Canadian” values?
- How do we understand citizenship and belonging in a pluralistic society?
- How does our role as citizens of the state relate to our role as citizens in the kingdom of God?
- What virtues might be required when we come into contact with people from whose views of life are very different from our own?
As we listen to the stories of others and deepen our understanding of these issues, we will strive to cultivate a “generous citizenship,” which encourages us to move from a stance of hostility and fear to one of hospitality and embrace.
Schedule Highlights
Jennifer McIntyre, Director of Romero House in Toronto
Maran Nagarasa, noted journalist and reporter, who will share his story as one of the Tamil asylum seekers who came to Canada by boat in 2009.
William Cavanaugh, Professor of Catholic Studies and Director of the Center for World Catholicism at DePaul University
Ronald A. Kuipers, Director of the Centre for Philosophy, Religion, and Social Ethics at the Institute for Christian Studies