The Role of Dignity in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 of 5

First of all, bear with me, my first language is not English. I grew up speaking French and Haitian Creole because I was born in Haiti. And I speak five languages, but at the same time, if you see a screen before me, it's because sometimes I stumble on words and sometimes I'll go to my notes. What I was saying is that I have experienced and know both ends of the dignity spectrum. I have been called the Right Honorable Michaëlle Jean, Excellency, since 2005 and then became Governor General and Commander in Chief of Canada. One would say that one definition of dignity is high responsibility, honorable place, elevated rank... For someone like me, who wasn't born in Canada, I arrived in Canada as a refugee and a migrant like many, many families and Canadians. And that experience as a forced exile has shaped me, definitely, because of all the challenges that it implies. However, I learned about dignity much before I was elevated to such rank. I was talking of dignity through my roots, by my mother, my grandmother, my history. And I think it's important, the struggles of my ancestors matter to me.