Global is local (and messy)
Canadian culture wars.
In church we talk about global and local missions. In justice circles a common slogan is “think global; act local.” In Canada these days the global is local in new ways that may prompt Christians to rethink our roles as Christians, as Canadians and as global citizens.
Climate change and the pandemic bring the global and the local together in complex ways, but so does foreign interference. Interference in Canadian affairs by authoritarian regimes in China, India, Iran and other foreign powers is in the spotlight with allegations of India’s complicity in the murder of a Canadian citizen because he advocated for radical change in his former country. Then uproar over the official recognition of a former Nazi soldier in Parliament during the visit of Ukrainian President Zelensky created global diplomatic challenges and reopened local questions about how Yaroslav Hunka and others were accepted in Canada in the first place, while some Jews were turned away.
Limits to pluralism?
It’s always messy and complicated when immigrants bring with them struggles of their home countries: issues of accurate information; propaganda wars that are as important as battlefields in modern armed conflicts; and tensions between human rights to freedom of expression and security of persons. It requires vigilance to anticipate unintended consequences of otherwise reasonable actions and nuances of language use, such as “terrorist” and “freedom fighter.” When global issues are also local, it tests our commitments to diversity and raises questions about limits to the exercise of pluralism in Canada.
Pronoun wars
On top of this, foreign interference of another kind is fueling culture wars in Canada, such as the recent street wars over pronouns for trans kids in schools. Vulnerable adolescents are caught up in campaigns designed to polarize the public for other purposes. U.S.-style culture wars are not the way to address these issues in Canada. Parental rights and children’s rights can work together. When I went downtown to listen to both sides on Parliament Hill, I heard a lot of inaccurate and intentionally distorted information that gets in the way of serving the best interests of children. Already young people are feeling less safe in schools because of this insidious form of foreign interference. In addition, it erodes the spirit of accommodation and respect for the human rights of all in Canadian democracy.
Borders are both important and porous, for governments and for Christians who take seriously a connection between our faith and our participation as local and global citizens. The merging of global and local affairs also creates new opportunities for good. Navigating the complexity is a skill I need to sharpen.
