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