MEDA and the monarchy
Excerpt from The MarketPlace - September/October 2010
By Wally Kroeker
Canadians may be forgiven for paying extra attention to their country’s choice of governor general these days.
The governor general, a quaint holdover from Canada’s British past, officially represents the Queen, who is still technically Canada’s head of state. Appointed every five years by the government in power, the GG spends a lot of time shaking hands, acting regally, meeting dignitaries and presiding, in a technical sense, over Canada’s Parliamentary system. On very rare occasions, the GG also wields a bit of power.
The current appointee, Michaelle Jean, warmed the hearts of many in the MEDA community because she is from Haiti, historically a major MEDA field. Haitians rejoiced when her appointment was announced five years ago. “You Canadians have made us proud,” a longtime MEDA employee in Haiti exulted. Jean has paid special attention to Canada’s reconstruction work following last January’s earthquake, and when her term concludes this fall she will
become United Nations special envoy to Haiti.
Now MEDA folk in Canada are again smiling at the latest selection. He is David Johnston, president of the University of Waterloo, and a good friend of MEDA. He and his wife, Sharon (who will be formally referred to as “viceregal consort”), live on an equestrian farm in the heart of Mennonite country where they are known as “everyday people” who hob-nob with local Old Order Mennonites (and even sometimes help out with the haying).
Johnston is also a member of The MasterCard Foundation board, where he was introduced to MEDA by Ron Schlegel, a long time supporter of MEDA. Johnston subsequently met with senior MEDA staff to learn more about our youth and microfinance work in Egypt. The MasterCard Foundation then awarded a contract to MEDA to establish its YouthInvest program in Morocco and Egypt.
Mennonites are disinclined to show much political exuberance, but when it comes to the Queen’s new representative in Canada, we’re pleased that he knows of our impact around the world.
