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View Answers
Question 11: Values and CultureShould Canada seek out opportunities for fostering global intercultural dialogue
and interfaith understanding? |
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| Contributor: | ACSUS |
| Date: |
2003-04-30 17:17:45 |
| Answer: |
As a past-president of the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States, and as an individual with academic expertise in the field of Canadian politics, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to participate in your "foreign policy dialogue."
One of the most important points I can offer, that I am certain you will hear from others, is the important role played by The Association for Canadian Studies in the United States in American familiarity with Canada. I am certain that I do not need to tell you about the level of ignorance of Americans about Canada, or about the extent to which when they do think about Canada they think about incorrect perceptions. One of the most important considerations for a Canadian foreign policy dialogue has to be how you are going to "get the message out," at least in the United States. Those of us who know Canada, who have worked in and on Canada, and who appreciate Canada's importance to the world and the United States know that it is vitally important that we continue to do a good job -- indeed, that we continue to strive to do a better job -- in educating Americans about Canada. ACSUS is key to this goal, since we are a point of contact for college, university, and in some cases high school teachers who are interested in, and appreciative of, Canada.
It is true that you can find other organizations in the United States (e.g. CSIS, Woodrow Wilson) that have Canada among a variety of interests and passions, but ACSUS is exclusively focused upon Things Canadian, and therefore is much more effective in continuing to keep Canada "front and center" in American higher education. It is vitally important to us that we continue to have your support, and it is vitally important to you that you continue to support us.
Thank you for providing this opportunity to contribute to your very important dialogue.
Sincerely,
Gregory Mahler
Provost, Kalamazoo College
Past President, A.C.S.U.S. |
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