The most recent issue of the Walrus Magazine has a short article about Tarek, a twenty-two year-old Libyan Canadian, 2nd year business student at Bishop's University in Sherbrooke, and rebel fighter in the uprising that unseated Moammar Gadhafi. It's available online.
Like so many Canadians, a passionate connection to the place of ancestral origin is a cornerstone of his identity. As a result, he became glued to his television at the first indications of a true challenge to the Gadhafi regime. Not content as a spectator, he took the extreme step of returning to Libya and enlisting with the armed forces of the National Transitional Council. The Walrus article finds him at a Tunisian hospital, after catching two bullets in action.
Tarek is not the only Canadian to return to Libya, and this has generated controversy. While sympathetic to the cause itself, some Canadians have asked whether it is desirable that our citizens should become so directly involved in the politics of foreign places; whether in doing so they commit Canada to foreign involvement in ways that run counter to our national interest; and whether such examples of diaspora participation indicate a lack of commitment to or a devaluing of Canadian citizenship. To the first two questions, we offer no definitive answers, but it does make us uncomfortable to think of any Canadian taking up arms to fight for a political cause, unless he or she is doing so as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces. To the last question, however, we at Mosaic answer no – or, at least, not necessarily.
That profound link to the place of origin is a fact of life for many Canadians - something that cannot be wished away even if it was deemed inconvenient. It is ahistorical and incorrect to connect this phenomenon with official multiculturalism, increases in immigration from 'non-traditional sources', or anything so recent. Diaspora issues have always played out in Canadian politics. One need only remember the immense significance of the Irish question to Canadian public affairs, all the way back to the early 19th century. The question becomes how best to mobilize that transnational connection to the greatest benefit of the individual and both the Canadian and global communities. In other words, how can Tarek better exercise his passion for the fate of the Libyan state through Canadian institutional channels, in a way that demonstrates a commitment to fundamental Canadian values such as the rule of law, “peace, order, and good government”, and the pursuit and practice of pluralism.
We believe such a thing is possible. Beyond that, we believe that Canada can benefit significantly from the engagement of people like Tarek – if it is harnessed the right way. Diaspora politics aren’t going anywhere. Managed correctly, they can help ensure Canada’s place as a leader among nations in an increasingly globalized world.
For more on this, please check out our recently published report with the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation, Tapping Our Potential.