There\u2019s an increasing sense of anxiety among young people about their future, said Axworthy, noting the standard support, educational and employment systems are beginning to look precarious and problematic. \u201cThat sense of uncertainty has really translated into political movements and attitudes, which \u2014 in a paradoxical way \u2014 end up providing responses and answers that are totally antithesis to the kind of anxiety and grievances that people face.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Read: 2025 Global Investment Conference: Trump accelerates uncertainty, cost of resources for businesses around the world<\/a>\n<\/p>\n He described his early days, growing up in the north end of Winnipeg in one of Canada\u2019s most culturally diverse neighbourhoods, which he said helped him understand the importance and benefits of pluralism. It was one of the things that led him to politics in 1968, when he represented the Liberal Party against a veteran Member of Parliament in downtown Winnipeg. The election, which he lost, made him realize the endowment of trust that\u2019s given to leaders.\n<\/p>\n \u201cThat to me goes back to, . . .\u00a0 how do we begin to rebuild trust in our political institutions [and] in our democratic institutions?\u201d\n<\/p>\n Axworthy called his 27 years as an elected official an opportunity to be engaged, to be involved in some important decisions. During his tenure as Minister of Employment and Immigration under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, Canada\u2019s private sponsorship of refugees program was introduced as a response to the massive migration of Vietnamese refugees after the war.\n<\/p>\n \u201cWe were a unique country in the world. Close to 80 per cent of Canadians fully endorsed refugee and immigration programs opening up our doors. . . . We don\u2019t do that anymore. For all kinds of reasons, the sponsorship program doesn\u2019t work. And we brought in large numbers of Ukrainians escaping that horrible war, but we didn\u2019t sponsor them. We gave them temporary visas, which meant they didn\u2019t have the level of public support or government support.\u201d\n<\/p>\n The country\u2019s shift in attitude around immigration represents that old institutions are no longer working, he said. \u201cWe\u2019re not paying attention to them. We\u2019re not supporting them. We\u2019re not funding them.\u201d\n<\/p>\n While Axworthy agreed countries should take a look at how their systems and programs are being delivered, he also noted many countries aren\u2019t looking towards reform, they\u2019re trying to collapse and reject the system. In particular, he pointed to a global financial system that\u2019s being hijacked by tariffs and even sanctions.\n<\/p>\n