Search

Citizenship is about more than the passport an individual holds; it goes far beyond nationality. The terms of citizenship determine in part who has access to goods, services, and resources and how they are distributed within a community. Rules of citizenship determine who can participate, who can decide about matters of diversity, distribution, inclusion, and exclusion. While citizenship is a useful concept, sometimes it is also a confusing one. The paper provides a brief overview of the concept of governance. It turns to a consideration of the appropriateness of this social initiative by the International Development and Research Centre (IDRC). It examines some of the reasons why Canada's historic and current experience of citizenship might advance IDRC's thinking about a citizenship entry point for its research agenda, and its attempt to answer the key question: "To what extent does the Canadian experience past and present have anything to say about options for Africans?" It provides a brief overview of the four commissioned papers and what they have revealed the links among citizenship, governance, and service delivery in Canada. The paper concludes with an overview of lessons drawn from the Canadian experience. (BT)