US embassy cable - 05TORONTO2968

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