You, Mr. President, did not keep silent. All of us who live in the democratic world owe an immense debt to you and all other Nigerians who have kept Nigeria's democratic vocation alive through the darkest days of dictatorship. I think that your artists, who are world renowned, have sought to heal the national soul and by the universality of their language have made us all aware of the importance of the artistic vision to the progress of Nigeria. Your internationally acclaimed writers such as the Nobel Prize winners Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe have had committed and vocal concerns for their country over the past four decades. I know that in Africa's communal culture, art is intended to help society and your writers have helped Nigerian society regain its belief in itself after periods of profound national doubt.
Art is a generous vessel.
It can hold together the burden of memory and the hope of forgiveness. In our country, Canada, we believe in a forgiving society, one which lets the past lie and looks forward towards the future. We also, with Soyinka, can say that we have one abiding religion human liberty. We know how enormous a task you're facing in order to bring reforms to your country and a permanent peace among Nigerians of every ethnicity and creed. We as Canadians live in a rich, multicultural society with an admirable record of peace and understanding.