Liberalism - Sidebar #2

Putting together these blog postings on liberalism hasn’t been without its challenges.  When the idea first occurred to me near the end of June, I brought a number of key young people together to solicit their opinions and to discern how they saw the liberal spirit being effective in the coming years.  They responded with an enthusiasm that never fails to surprise me.  Not all are large “L” Liberal, but each is keen on finding ways to find commonalities that can assist in drawing this country back together under a broader spirit of respect and understanding.  For the record, here’s a brief bio on each.Josh Chadwick – while he would classify himself as an average citizen, Josh has taken a real interest on the procedural issues of government – not just the political side but also its bureaucratic realities.  He brings to the table the belief that for politics to be truly successful it must result in a working relationship between politicians and the career civil servants in the various ministries.Ben Rich – comes from a strong Jewish tradition of social justice in both domestic and international politics.  A former intern with the Canada Israeli Committee, Ben urges that the new liberalism return to the kinds of policies that seek a middle road between the conflictive sides in the Middle East.  He is presently going through for a law degree at the University of Ottawa.Sarah Ruttan – is a self-professed soccer mom, with two young boys, who has had occasion to develop a new appreciation for the abilities of liberalism to focus on personal growth and the ability of communities to self-organize.  Sarah has worked on communications for various community outlets and is keen to make sure any lessons learned in these blog postings find their culmination at the community level.Graeme Thompson – a Master’s student who is presently studying at the London School of Economics in England, Graeme was fortunate enough to get a ringside seat for the last British election that resulted in a coalition government.  His own deeper understanding of the theories of political science has brought different ideologies and theorist notions to the blog.  For Graeme, the exercise isn’t worth it until we comprehend the historic roots of liberalism.Mariam Hamou – a highly educated young mother with numerous degrees who also happens to be Muslim, Mariam’s continued work emanates from her deep connection with the immigrant population of Canada.  Her belief that only a true liberal spirit can possibly house and empower all the various points of view and experiences within the Canadian population has flavoured much of the language in the postings.Harris Berton – a student taking political studies at Carleton University in Ottawa, Harris is a tour de force and simply won’t give up on anything he sets his mind to.  The grandson of well-known Canadian journalist Pierre Berton, he has already developed a penetrating frustration with those who would seek to enforce just one ideology on the country.  He simply won’t accept ignorance for an answer.Jessica Muller – a keen student of public administration at Brock University, she is only interested in the kind of Canadian spirit that makes room for others points of view, listening to them in respect.  She has contributed ideas on natural law and how it first came to empower the early liberalism.  She is counting on the lessons learned in these studies on liberalism to empower her future career as a public servant.Through hastily assembled meetings, emails, phone conversations and text messages, this keen group have helped to cobble together many of the thoughts running throughout these postings.  They are “the team,” and their very youthfulness has infused the blog with an impatience to get Canada back to a place where ideologies can never trump enlightenment and new understanding.There are a few others, like the two Conservatives who feed in their ideas regularly.  Both are the more traditional “Red Tories” who are growing increasingly concerned at the intolerance beginning to work its ways through their own party.  For obvious reasons they have asked to remain anonymous.  And there is a former NDP MP who spent years fighting for a more enhanced spirit in the House of Commons and who has contributed considerable insights to the political side of liberalism.  Many thanks to all.I have received no coaching from the Liberal leader’s office, or from Michael Ignatieff , a friend.  This needs to be said because of the claims from numerous Conservative commentators that I merely channel Liberal Party policies.  Naturally I am a Liberal and delighted to be so, but my ultimate interest in the party lies in the broader philosophy of liberalism that inhabits it.   It is my hope that by reintroducing many of these principles, that politics in Canada, and the citizens it represents, can discover a new way of “self-organizing” in the historic manner of individual and collective empowerment.