Just people

I have now lived in three countries and closely known persons from at least 14 countries.

My conclusion: there is no better people, in the sense of peuple. In each of those countries, there are good and bad persons, people struggling to make sense of their lives, carrying their ancestors' legacy as a burden or as wings, consciously or unconsciously.

There are no superior people: simply persons challenged by their environment, who attack circumstances with the means they have, and try to make the world better for themselves. Mauritians are not superior because some of them read a lot and usually know four languages. Canadians are not superior because they belong to the second largest country in the world and are among the least corrupt in their dealings. Mauritius is not yet "one nation, one people" as goes our national anthem. We are "one nation, many peoples". Canada is not bilingual as it claims. It has individuals speaking a variety of languages living next to each other, often sharing either English or French, not both. Every nation still has objectives to reach, quests to attain.

There is no need to diminish what comes from other countries to feel good about one's own. We can learn what's relevant, and simply respect the rest as things that work for them, but not for us. We can be proud of our own achievements, irrespective of others. I will, I think, always be a little too proud of my country, but there is no right place for nationalistic chauvinism in this world.