‘Countries Need to Do More to Welcome Immigrants’: Trudeau at IIMA

The Canadian Prime Minister also said that empowering women is a smart thing to do.

Justin Trudeau addressing students at IIM Ahmedabad

(Photo Courtesy: IIM Ahmedabad)

Video Editor: Ashustosh Bhardwaj

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed a gathering of students at the prestigious Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) on Monday, 19 February, as part of his bilateral visit to India.

In his address, the Canadian Prime Minister talked about the world refugee crisis and urged other countries to welcome immigrants and refugees.

We are doing as much as we can but frankly speaking, more countries need to do more to welcome immigrants, not because that is the right thing to do, but because refugees who flee the persecution in their country for a better life in another are extremely grateful to the country that welcomes them.

Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister, Canada

Calling himself a "feminist", Trudeau also said that "we as a society" are underperforming as women are not being given opportunities to contribute to their full potential.

He stressed that understanding that empowering women is not just the right or nice thing to do, but it's the smart thing to do, is extremely important.

I am a feminist. It is a word with certain connotation, loaded with meaning, but at the very root of it it is very simple. If you think man and woman ought to be equal, and ought to have same opportunities, and if you recognise that there is still a lot of work to do to get there, you are also a feminist. We are underperforming as a society because we are not giving women the opportunity to contribute, we are not allowing them the opportunity to fulfil their full potential.

Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister, Canada

Trudeau also responded to the similarities and differences between himself and US President Donald Trump. He thinks they both look at the same problem but have a different approach in solving it.

Both President (Donald) Trump and I got elected in a very similar approach. I made the case that the middle-class in Canada, the hardworking people hadn’t been the beneficiaries of the growth we have had over the past decade. Donald Trump had a very similar approach...Now, the two of us have a very different approach on how to solve that.

Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister, Canada

Trudeau his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, and children Xavier, Ella-Grace, and Hadrien, began their India visit by visiting the Taj Mahal.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and children visit the Taj Mahal in Agra (Photo: PTI)

He also visited the Akshardham Temple and Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat on the second leg of his week-long visit to the country.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau along with his family spins cotton on a traditional ‘charkha’ in Sabarmati Ashram(Photo: PTI)

(The Quint, in association with BitGiving, has launched a crowdfunding campaign for an 8-month-old rape survivor in Delhi. The survivor, who we are calling 'Chhutki', was raped on 28 January 2018, allegedly by her 28-year-old cousin, while her parents were away from home. She has just been discharged from AIIMS hospital after undergoing three surgeries, but still needs more medical treatment to heal completely. Her parents, who belong to a lower income group, have stopped going to work to take care of their baby. Please donate to help with Chhutki's immediate medical expenses and to secure her education in the future. Every little bit counts. Click here to donate.)