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Canadians are highly engaged with the world beyond their borders, proud of their country's international role and eager to do more as global citizens, a new opinion poll finds.
The poll paints a picture of a people with many international connections, a strong interest in international affairs and a high, even exalted opinion of Canada's influence.
When asked to name the country that stood out as a positive force in the world, six out of 10 chose their own country, Canada. No other country was chosen by more than one in six of those polled.
Almost two-thirds of Canadians say they believe that Canada's role in the world is stronger than it was 20 years ago. Nearly nine in 10 think Canada can further strengthen its influence on world affairs.
Large numbers of those surveyed think that Canada could make a "big difference" in controlling global warming, improving human rights and fighting AIDS and other diseases, with fewer respondents saying Canada could make a difference on terrorism, nuclear weapons and the gap between rich and poor.
The head of the firm that conducted the poll, Michael Adams of Environics, said the poll showed "the untapped, seemingly unrecognized, capacity of this country to engage with the world in ways which we haven't thought of before."
He said Ottawa should tap into Canadians' idealism and international spirit. "Remember the Company of Young Canadians?" he said, referring to the 1960s program to encourage youth to volunteer in Canadian communities. "Maybe we need a Company of All Canadians."
The poll is the brainchild of Canada's World, a Vancouver-based citizens group that is trying to ignite a national conversation on what role Canada should play in the world. It was conducted between Jan. 9 and Jan. 22 from a sample of 2,001 people across the country. The poll was sponsored by the Simons Foundation, the Environics Institute, CBC/Radio Canada, The Globe and Mail and Le Devoir. The survey has a margin of error of 2.2 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
The results showed that three-quarters of Canadians have travelled outside the United States and Canada and one-quarter have taken more than 10 trips in the past 5 years. More than half said they were closely connected with one or more foreign countries through family or friends.
Nearly eight out of 10 said they followed international events, with one-quarter claiming to follow them very closely.
Interest was high even in the generally less engaged 15- to 24-year-old age group, which showed a much lower interest than their elders in national events but only a slightly lower interest in international events.
Seven out of 10 of those polled said they would be interested in living abroad to learn about another culture, while six out of 10 would consider doing volunteer work in another country.
Former deputy minister of foreign affairs Gordon Smith called the poll results a "pleasant surprise. It goes totally against what a lot of people you meet at conferences and seminars say."
In Ottawa, he said, "... if Canadians really are engaged with the world and are willing to press their government to take action, "I think we can make a real difference."
But others said Canadians may be exaggerating their own influence. "There's a certain sense of wishful thinking, of naiveté," said journalist and author Andrew Cohen, a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin.
"We've fallen to the middle, if not the bottom, in foreign-aid giving. Our military is smaller than it was in 1988. We're undertaking fewer peacekeeping missions. If Canadians think their country is more influential in the world in 2008 than in 1988, it just isn't so." *****
Canada's world role
Canadians believe this country could have a bigger influence on the world, the latest Environics poll shows.
Can Canada strengthen its influence on world affairs if it chooses?
Definitely possible: 46%
Likely possible: 42%
Don't know/not available: 1%
Like not possible: 7%
Definitely not possible: 2%
Depends: 1%
Do you think Canada can have a positive impact on world affairs by serving as a role model to other countries?
Yes, Canada can be an effective role model: 86%
Don't know/not available: 2%
No, Canada would have little impact on other countries: 7%
Note: Figures may not add to 100 due to rounding.
SOURCE: ENVIRONICS RESEARCH GROUP
