While views of Canada as a positive influence on the world stage remain high according to an Ipsos survey in November 2024, when compared to other countries, it is time to leverage that influence and take a bolder, more ambitious approach on the world stage, and within our borders as to how we define ourselves as Canadians.
I am a “third culture kid” , a first-generation Canadian, and I have seen firsthand that failing to adapt policies to a changing world order will leave governments and businesses disadvantaged.
Former president Barack Obama, entrepreneur and philanthropist Wesley Hall, former Governor General and broadcaster Adrienne Clarkson and entrepreneur Elon Musk are, like me, third culture kids. We have all grown up in a culture different from the one our parents grew up in.
I was born in Sri Lanka, after being forced to flee, our family moved around and finally settled in Canada when I was 16. After graduating from the University of Toronto Scarborough, I spent time travelling around the world before returning and then spending nearly 15 years working for the Government of Ontario in various portfolios. Then, during the pandemic, I joined up with my business partner, Muraly Srinarayanathas, to create 369 Global.
Given my lived experience globally, my identity as a third culture kid, and my work in government and the private sector, I believe we need to reassess our priorities and values both at home and abroad. This includes redefining what it means to be Canadian and rebuilding relationships on the world stage based on shared interests instead of shared values.
With President Trump in the White House and fractured relations with many nations, including India, we need to find ways to forge ahead, or risk being left behind. With our strong standing as a positive influence on the world stage, there is much more we can do to push for trade and economic and foreign policies that will benefit Canada. But that window is closing; we need to act now.
Each week I will post blogs along with a monthly newsletter addressing policies and politics to reimagine the approach through the lens outlined above to engage Canadians from coast to coast to coast to shape our future within and beyond our borders.
