Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05TORONTO2968
2005-11-17 16:15:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Toronto
Cable title:  

Dominion Institute Project on American Myths

Tags:  KPAO PGOV PINR KMDR OIIP PREL CA 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TORONTO 002968 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR R - Dan Smith, WHA for Terry Breese, S/P for
William McIlhenny

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO PGOV PINR KMDR OIIP PREL CA
SUBJECT: Dominion Institute Project on American Myths

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TORONTO 002968

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR R - Dan Smith, WHA for Terry Breese, S/P for
William McIlhenny

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO PGOV PINR KMDR OIIP PREL CA
SUBJECT: Dominion Institute Project on American Myths


1. This is an action message. Please see para 4.


2. On November 12, under an $80,000 grant from the
Canadian Donner Foundation, the Dominion Institute, the
Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute and the
National Post jointly launched the first of a five-part
series multi-media project called "American Myths: What
Canadians Think They Know about the USA." The project
includes an American Myths Television Series hosted by
Dominion Institute Executive Director Rudyard Griffiths
on the Canadian Learning Television channel, companion
articles in the National Post, and a web page
(http://www.dominion.ca/americanmyths/index.h tml) with
access to polling and print components. A book and DVD
on the series is planned.


3. The "American Myths" project schedule and issues
include:

-- November 12: Peacekeeping. The premise that
Canadians keep the peace and Americans fight wars is
debated by University of Toronto political scientist
Steven Clarkson and military historian Jack
Granatstein. An article by Granatstein "Is America
the World's Real Peacekeeper?" appears on the website
and in the National Post.
-- November 14: Just Society. The U.S. pioneered
the welfare state in the 1930s and National Post
political columnist Andrew Coyne and Canadian
activist Judy Rebick debate which country has evolved
into the more just society. An article by David Frum
"Is the USA the Just Society in North America"
appears on the website and in the National Post.

-- November 15: Multiculturalism. U.S is called the
melting pot and Canada is called the mosaic, but
which country represents the truest multicultural
experimenter in practice is examined by the Toronto
Star editor emeritus Haroon Siddiqui and journalist
and poet Clifton Joseph. Patrick Luciani has an
article in the National Post entitled "Is America the
True Multicultural Experiment?"

-- November 16: Democracy. National Post political
columnist Andrew Coyne and pollster and political
advisor Allan Gregg debate which nation has built a
more responsive, effective and accountable democracy.
"Is America the Real Democracy in North America" is
the companion article.

-- November 17: Values. Author Linda McQuig and
National Post culture columnist Robert Fulford pose
the question whether Canada and the U.S. are far
closer than Canadians would like to admit. "Are
American Values Canadian Values" is the companion
article.

Action Request
--------------


4. Action Request: Griffiths will be meeting with
Ambassador Wilkins on November 18 to explain the
"American Myths" project and present a DVD of the
television series. On December 1-2, Griffiths will
be in Washington to attend the Woodrow Wilson dinner
in honor of Colin Powell. We request Department
officials in R, WHA and S/P meet with him. The
effort would support the Secretary's transformational
diplomacy initiative and could serve as a model for
use elsewhere.

Biography
--------------


5. Rudyard J.F. Griffiths, BA(H),MPHIL (CANTAB) is
the founder and the executive director of the Dominion
Institute - a national charity dedicated to the
promotion of history and citizenship.

Under Rudyard's leadership the Dominion Institute has
grown into a national organization with a full-time
staff of ten and 1,600 volunteers across Canada. The
Dominion Institute's principal activities are
organizing large-scale public dialogue campaigns on
cultural issues, producing television documentaries,
publishing books and operating free educational
programs for teachers and community groups.

Rudyard is also an advisor to the Woodrow Wilson
Center, assisting in the development of a new institute
on Canada-US relations in Washington, D.C. Previously,
Rudyard worked as policy analyst with the Department of
Foreign Affairs in Ottawa and as communications
assistant in the Office of Premier of Ontario. Rudyard
is also the co-organizer of the Grano Lecture Series.

Educated in the Ontario public school system, Rudyard
holds an honors Bachelor of Arts in istoyan
PolticalScince rm th Univerity of Toroto and a
Masters of Philosophy from Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
He writes regularly on themes of Canadian history and
identify for the Globe and Mail, National Post and
Maclean's.

LECROY