DOMA = done!

June 26^th was a huge day in the fight for equality of rights. The United States Supreme Court voted to cancel DOMA, a policy that was preventing marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples. George Takei, famous Star Trek actor and gay rights advocate, summed up my feelings on the subject very well with his facebook status on the day the vote happened:

“Today marks a watershed moment in history and a tremendous victory for the principle of equality. The 5-4 decision by our Supreme Court striking down DOMA affirms the universality of love--the desire of all people not only to find, but to value and affirm, a lifelong commitment to another person. 

I have lived nearly four score years, and have borne witness to both the heartbreak and promise of true justice and equality in America. Today my heart soars, and my faith in the promise of our great nation is renewed. 

Now, if there's anything we gays know how to do well, it is to celebrate! Let the joy of this day ring out with PRIDE.”

Although I am not American, and not affected by American policies, I consider this change to be a great stride forward in not just in gay rights, but human rights worldwide! The United States is one of the most developed countries in the world, and has now taken a stance to show the rest of the world that marriage quality is a right. This has not only furthered the development of the United States as a nation, but also sets a precedence for other countries to do the same. In my opinion, marriage equality is a human right. I believe people should be able to marry whoever they love, no matter what. I also firmly believe that one’s sexual orientation should not affect the way they are treated. This makes gay rights an inherently development issue, because it brings into question equality and reducing discrimination against minority groups. As someone with gay family members and friends, gay rights is an issue close to my heart which I am extremely proud to support! Although this one decision doesn’t solve inequality and rights issues entirely, it’s certainly a huge step in the right direction.

Canadian... what does that mean?

With the number days left until I leave for placement winding down, there are tons of things running through my mind. One thing that I hadn’t really considered until a conversation with my fellow INDEVOUR Anna, (you can follow her blog at http://afiume.wordpress.com) is my identity as a Canadian while on placement. It was certainly on my mind yesterday while I celebrated Canada day with my family. Being Canadian is something I’m used to taking for granted, and living 8 months in another country is really going to make me question what it means to “be Canadian”.

So what makes a Canadian? Is it our excessive use of “eh”? Is it our tendency to talk about the ever-changing weather? Is it the over-politeness, or slight obsession with hockey? I think those things do help form our identity, but what makes us Canadian is our diversity and embrace of that diversity. We live in such a vastly large country, with mountains and prairies and everything in between. We’re also home to people from all over the world, with different cultures and languages which they are free to express and share. Canada is the country it is today because of the rich variety of people who live here. I suppose the question “Who are Canadians?” can’t really be answered then. However, the question “What do Canadians value?” is a pretty easy one to answer: diversity, acceptance and pride towards our great country!

When I get asked these kinds of questions, I’ll have to be careful in how I answer. As a student of development, I’m often reminded not to impose my views and Western ideals when working in a developing country. I need to respect and immerse myself in local culture, and learn as much from the people I work with as they learn from me. Of course I wholeheartedly believe that I need to do all those things, however, that doesn’t mean I cannot express and uphold my Canadian values and beliefs. Also, I think development practitioners often forget that development work is a two-way exchange. The people I meet in Vietnam will want to learn about Canadian culture just as much as I want to learn about Vietnamese culture! I definitely experience this sentiment when I lived in Ecuador. People loved when I shared my stories, photos and recipes with them. I was reminded that Ecuadorians were sharing so much about their lives with me, that it was only fair I share some of my culture with them. I don’t doubt that I’ll experience this mutual sharing again in Vietnam, and I want to be prepared to do it in the best possible way.