Gov. Gen. David Johnston wants to build a ‘caring country’ through new charity campaign

Governor General David Johnston announced on Monday the launch of a campaign to promote charitable activity. Johnston's "My Giving Moment" campaign, a social media hybrid between Paying it Forward and ParticipACTION, aims at getting people to donate as much time, energy or money as they can to help build strong, healthy communities. And then urge other people to do the same.

During an interview with Yahoo Canada News, Johnston addressed the importance of citizen leadership and Canada's history of charity, as well as the idea that this campaign would go down as a key part of his legacy.

Yahoo Canada News: Let’s talk about the launch of “My Giving Moment.” The idea is that people can pitch in on a personal basis and there is a larger result?

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David Johnston: We are very excited. It is intended to reach all Canadians and encourage them to give up their time, talent or treasure. Big or small, old or young, urban or rural. First of all, it is passed on. The person that you help is inspired to give in their own way. All of these acts of giving add up cumulatively to create a smarter and more caring country.

Yahoo: Is it your belief that this will improve volunteerism in Canada? I think some 50 per cent of Canadians volunteered last year.

Johnston: Yes, we hope we can reach that other half to begin to discover the joy of volunteering. We are finding that a smaller group of people are giving more and more time, and that group tends to be older. So we have a challenge of passing that on to the next generation.

Yahoo: Would you be happy if this campaign was your legacy – what Canadians remembered most about your time as Governor General?

Johnston: I guess what I’d be happy about is if this reinforces one of the fundamental values of Canadians. Throughout our history we look after our neighbours, even going back to the early pioneer days when people came to clear land. Their neighbours would help them; they would help raise the barn. Now 95 per cent of our population is urban, so we find difference ways of helping. But I hope that would be part of the Canadian legacy which we are building. We are reinventing the notion of giving for modern times.

Yahoo: I like this campaign because it puts the responsibility on each citizen to improve the country.

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Johnston: It does, and it encourages each individual to sense the joy of giving and helping another. As we say, each of us has it in ourselves to give something.

Yahoo: There are some major problems and distractions in Canadian politics right now, like the senate scandal. Is there a leadership vacuum in Canada, where perhaps initiatives like this are able to take the pressure off?

Johnston: I think we see this as something that reinforces something that has been here over the decades, and that is the notion of caring for one’s neighbour and doing it in a smart way. It is not at all political, but is intended to speak to those things we value most in Canada. That we look after one another and are known as a caring country.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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