Beliefs and Values of Canadian Citizens

• Belief in the importance of respecting human dignity

• Meeting people’s physical needs does not necessarily mean that they will live with dignity

• People must also be treated with respect

• Important goal of governments make sure people have opportunities to make the most of their lives

Responsibilities of Citizens

• Citizenship in a democratic society involves more than simply voting in elections. Other responsibilities of citizenship include:– Understanding and obeying Canadian laws– Allowing other Canadians to enjoy their rights and

freedoms– Helping to preserve Canada’s diverse cultural

heritage

• Citizens can also work with other people to create a safe, enjoyable environment for the people in their communities neighbourhood watch programs, volunteering, etc.

• People also pay taxes to help fund services to contribute to the common good health care, garbage/snow removal, etc.

Citizenship in a Global Community Immigration and Refugees:

Immigration

• Today, three principles guide decisions about who can immigrate to Canada:– Promoting Canada’s economic development– Reuniting families– Protecting refugees

• Canada uses a points system to decide whether

individuals qualify to immigrate measure potential for contributing to the Canadian economy

Refugees

• Refugees people fleeing their homes to escape war or persecution (for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a certain social group). Refugees are not required to meet the qualifications required of other immigrants

• Refugees count on other countries to provide a safe haven for them and their families

• About 25,000 people claiming refugee status enter Canada every year (about 45% of refugee claims are eventually accepted)

Canada and Peacekeeping

• Canada has a long tradition of international peacekeeping

• Canada has taken part in most UN-sponsored

missions

• When nations are in conflict, countries and organizations in the international community use the following tools to try to resolve disputes peacefully:

• Peacemaking: negotiating to prevent disputes from arising in the first place and to prevent existing disputes from erupting into armed conflict

• Peacekeeping: placing troops between warring sides until a conflict can be resolved peacefully

• Peace enforcement: Sending troops to an area to stop one nation from attacking another