'Nothing wrong with saying hello to a stranger:' Graham Greene to speak on kindness

A group of acclaimed and diverse guest speakers will be sharing the Confederation Centre stage on Saturday night.

The event is The Walrus Talks: We Desire a Better Country, and speakers include a mix of Order of Canada members and youth leaders, people like Chris Zhou from the Prime Minister's Youth Council, War Child Canada founder Samantha Nutt and writers Charlotte Gray and David Helwig.

They will be speaking on the future of Canada from their own unique perspectives.

Award-winning Canadian actor Graham Greene is also one of the guests, and considers the invitation to speak a great honour.

"I was delighted when they asked me to write something about how I would make Canada better," Green told Island Morning's Matt Rainnie.

He has chosen to focus on kindness and compassion.

"There's nothing wrong with saying hello to a stranger, tipping your hat to somebody, opening a door, or pulling out a chair. It all ends up as respect for your fellow human being on this planet.

"I've experienced discrimination, I've experienced a lot of things, and instead of using the old fists like I used to do when I was a kid, it's saying thank you, and saying I'm sorry, and as most Canadians do, saying excuse me."

Greene was invited because he is a Member of the Order of Canada, and despite his many accolades, including a Grammy Award and an Academy Awardnomination for Dances With Wolves, considers that his most prized achievement.

"That was like finding the biggest peach at the top of the tree," he said. "That was indeed an honour for me, and I don't think I can top that."

The Walrus Talks event happens Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Confederation Centre of the Arts. Tickets are free, and you can register online at thewalrus.ca/Canada150.

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