MEGASTARS
MEGASTARS
Humanity should question itself, once more, about the absurd and always unfair phenomenon of war, on whose stage of death and pain only remain standing the negotiating table that could and should have prevented it.
- Pope John Paul II
Canada's
New Governor General
Michaëlle Jean
A Symbol for Multiculturalism
By Essam Farag
The 48-year-old, former university literature professor, social activist, and veteran CBC broadcaster, has been installed as the new Canadian Governor-General on September 27, 2005, carrying the title Her Excellency, the Right Honourable 27th Governor-General of Canada and Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces. The Queen's new representative is the youngest and third woman to hold this post since Ronald Michener. Her female predecessors were Jeanne Sauve, a life-long advocate for issues surrounding youth, and Adrienne Clarkson. The decorated broadcaster, film-maker and journalist, is the first black Governor-General, and the third broadcaster in a row to be selected after Romeo Le Blanc and Adrienne Clarkson. She is best known in Quebec as a television journalist on Radio-Canada and was lastly the host of the English-language CBC Newsworld program - The Passionate Eye since 2000. She had also been host for the CBC show Rough Cuts and made award-winning documentaries.
The Canadian Prime Minister appeared at her side and said that "[her] inspiring personal story, as well as a unique perspective and an uncommon experience make her ideal for the post. "Here is a story that reminds us what is best about ourselves and about Canada, a nation where equality of opportunity is our most defining characteristic, giving treatment to our longest held values." Then the former broadcaster and new Governor-General of Canada, Michaelle Jean, took her husband and adopted daughter, Marie-Eden, to the Royal family's summer residence at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 6 for a meeting and supper with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The castle is on 50,000 acres that was bought in 1952 by Queen Victoria.
The Journey
The new Governor-General is the daughter of Haitian immigrants who fled dictator François Duvalier's regime in 1967, after her father was tortured. She came to Canada in 1967 as an 11-year-old child of parents fleeing persecution of dictator Francois Duvallier. The new Governor-General is fluent in 5 languages including Italian, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. "I'm a black woman of Haitian origin-which is perfect - but I don't see myself as a visible minority. She is married to the talented filmmaker, Jean-Daniel Lafonde and together they adopted Marie-Eden, a young Haitian girl who is now 6-years-old. In an adroit performance before her media colleagues, she laughed aside questions about whether she had been picked more because of who she is - a black woman of a Haitian origin from Quebec - than because of her acumen or ability. She said, "I think all of this goes together, whom I am, and what I have done, how can I separate the two."
Before becoming a journalist, she helped create Shelter for Battered Woman, and wrote about the experiences of immigrant women. She joined Radio-Canada in 1988, serving in several journalistic roles, and has worked with her husband to produce independent documentaries about Haiti and Cuba. She was awarded the Amnesty International Journalism Award in 1995, for a 15-part series on women. Besides building a successful career as a broadcaster, the master of five languages (French, English, Spanish, Italian and Haitian Creole) has been a consistent advocate for women, children and those without a voice.
In 2003, Michaelle Jean danced at a celebration in a Montreal club, marking the 30th anniversary of the Quebec Council on the Status of Women as part of her community activities.
After her installation as the Queen's representative in Canada, she spoke of
her early years in Haiti, a country her family fled in 1968, "my own story
begins as a young child in another country, one draped in barbed wire from head
to toe. The story of that girl who watched her parents, her family, and her
friends grappling with horrors of a ruthless dictatorship, who became the woman
standing before you today is a lesson in learning to be free," adding that "years of involvement in
social issues and in journalism have deepened my conviction and my appreciation
for the increasingly complex reality of our world."
After the official ceremony, a limousine carried the family to Rideau Hall, a majestic edifice, that will be there home for the next 5 years. Her new coat of arms includes the motto, "Briser les solitudes" which means Breaking Down Solitudes, and features two black mermaids blowing conch shells.
Her unique talents as an interviewer was listed in Radio Canada's hour-long show titled, "Michaelle." When she did an interview with playwright and poet Marcel Dupe in 2001, she read all of his books first. Literature, not journalism, remains her grand passion. Her bookshelves include works by Kafka, Dostoyevsky, Albert Camus, and Marguerite Duras, all of whom delved into the suffering side of the human condition. "Michaelle" ran without commercials, a rarity on Radio Canada and tackled taboos and tough questions. Her guests ranged from former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour, now the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to Patrick Vinay, an expert in palliative care. The first black newswoman on Quebec network TV showed the the respect and dignity of human beings. Furthermore, her uncle is a world-renowned Haitian poet, Reve Depestre.
Her new job, as Governor-General, is an opportunity to advance the
integration of immigrants and the rights of woman and minorities. This post
would be trampoline for pushing forth humanitarian causes. Chantal Albert, a
fellow Haitian immigrant, said that, "when my 10-years-old daughter found about
Mrs. Jeans's nomination, she said "mommy, that I too can become Governor
General.
The President of the Canadian Media Guild, Lise Lereau, said "most journalists have a wealth of knowledge about a lot of topics. In a job that is partly diplomatic and partly ceremonial knowing about a lot of things really helps," as she described the new Governonr-General. Her friend Sonya Biddle doesn't need to wait before she passes judgment on Prime Minister Martin's choice for Governor-General, saying, "It makes so many people so proud to be represented by her....to have a black woman representing Canada, it's beautiful, I can't wait to see her on Oprah."
Commencing her new position, the Governonr-General took time to visit rural schools and Inuit children in elementary schools, where the students enjoyed her kindness and friendship. She also began her official duties by offering different awards, including the Governor-General's Literary Award for fiction, which she presented during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa to Mr. David Gilmour, who was honoured for his sixth novel, "A Perfect Night to Go to China."
The first black Governor-General symbolizes multiculturalism and the equality of opportunity in Canada. While Mrs. Clarkson championed Natives and the military, the new Governor-General will be an ambassadors for children, Canadian unity and equality of opportunity.
 G.G. Jeanne Sauve (1984-1990) |
 G.G. Adrienne Clarkson (1999-2005) |
 G.G. Michaelle Jean (2005- ) |
Essam Farag, BA Honors (Dalhousie), MA (Guelph) is currently the special projects coordinator for the National Council on Canada-Arab Relations (NCCAR). He is the Production Editor of the Ambassadors Magazine. Email: essamfarag@ambassadors.net
