Oakville News received the following Letter to the Editor from reader Marta Tavares Fernandes, in regards to their local perspective on global affairs.
As a University of Toronto Student and Oakville resident, perhaps the most notable thing I encounter day-to-day is the melting pot of cultures that constantly surrounds me. This has allowed me to meet people with experiences far more interesting than I thought to even exist.
I have friends from India, Pakistan, Congo, Afghanistan and many more places. The GTA is one of the world's most culturally diverse areas, thus, when such a large number of residents from both our community and those around us are from countries in desperate need of international global assistance, Oakville citizens should make Canada’s involvement in foreign affairs a top priority!
According to Global Affairs Canada in “2023, the government committed to reducing [international assistance] spending by $14.1 billion over the next five years, starting in 2023–24, and by $4.1 billion annually after that.” This includes humanitarian aid to countries facing extreme conditions.
As global citizens who share our very neighbourhoods with people from all over the world, we should think about whether or not we would want to help them if they were facing the same realities many continue to face today.
Marta Tavares Fernandes,
Oakville, Ont.
