Conflict and disaster on the other side of the globe have people asking for Canada's help.

In the case of Pakistan, and the millions of people whose lives have been disrupted if not destroyed by the flooding, they are asking for Canadians and our government to give aid and money generously, because we have so much to give.

In the case of the Tamils fleeing Sri Lanka, who came here last month on a ship seeking refuge, they are asking Canadians and our government to share our lives and our homeland, because we have so much to share.

The distinction is a subtle one, perhaps. But, generally, Canada is a generous country, always ready to help when a natural disaster strikes and there with open arms to newcomers who are willing to sacrifice to share our values.

Migrants from Sri Lanka are escorted from the MV Sun Sea at CFB Esquimalt in B.C. on Aug. 13, 2010. The vessel is believed to be holding as many as 500 Tamil refugees with unknown numbers of women and children. (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)

Still, the reaction to these two, most recent pleas for help seems to be less "Canadian" than in the past, certainly less than what we did for the disaster in Haiti or the Vietnamese boat people.

In the case of Pakistan, some people have said they don't want to give money because of what they perceive to be Pakistan's corruption, its anti-Western movements and/or the increasing Islamic radicalization of the country.

I understand those concerns, but when you see ordinary people, poor people, starving on the sides of Pakistan's highways, how can you punish them for the stupidity of others?

A boat arrives

As for the Tamils coming from Sri Lanka, many have openly said those asylum seekers are not welcome here.

Some of these new arrivals are seen as Tamil Tiger operatives, sent here to spread the message and the cause of a now defeated but still influential terrorist group.

Others are seen as queue-jumpers who somehow could afford tens of thousands of dollars to pay human smugglers, likely the Tigers, for their passage.

While some of those on the ship may have come with less than honourable intentions, we do have a system to interview them, question their motives and reject those who don't qualify.

But that system is also supposed to allow innocent people — true refugees — who face real persecution at home and want a better life to be able to have that life here.

It's not easy being a refugee, as I've discovered in a series of interviews I've been doing over the summer for our show Promised Land.

You have to work hard, be an outsider in a country where the language, customs and lifestyle are unfamiliar.

But we do give people a chance. We Canadians do know how to share.

Lessons learned

Of course, Canada does not have to allow in everyone who seeks refuge across our borders. But being generous, I would argue, is good for all of us because there is nothing that binds a country together more than being able to help those who are truly in need.

While there are surely some Tigers among the influx of Tamils who came to Canada in the 1980s and '90s, most of these new arrivals have built good lives for themselves here: Their children do well in school, they start businesses, they pay taxes and they contribute to this country's success.

Nora Lopez being interviewed by Natasha Fatah. (Mark Ulster/CBC)

We should not be so harsh as to just wave needy people away at the door because we are fearful of a few undesirables.

A couple of weeks ago on Promised Land, we brought you the story of Nora and Eduardo Lopez.

Eduardo was a young journalist and left-wing activist in Honduras in the 1980s, writing against his country's corruption and the influence of the Reagan-era U.S.

Not long after he published a particularly critical article, he was picked up by the Honduran security forces and beaten badly.

In fact, he was only released when his wife Nora threatened to go on a hunger strike with her children in front of the building where he was being held captive.

Knowing that he was a marked man, Eduardo applied for refugee status in Canada.

Unfortunately, Canadian officials rejected his application, stating that he had not made a strong enough case to become a refugee.

A few months later, Eduardo was picked up again and was murdered by the Honduran security forces.

At this point, Nora, fearing the worst for herself and her three young children, was able to make a successful refugee application to Canada and has been living in Hamilton, Ont., since 1985.

Today, Nora helps other refugees settle into the Canadian system while her three children, now grown up, have established their lives here.

But there is a part of that family that still hurts because they know that if Canada had allowed their father to come here when he first applied, he might well be alive and with them today.

Drive to succeed

This final week's episode "Escape from the Holocaust" has many of these same themes.

It features the inspiring story of Max Eisen, who was 10 years old when the Second World War started. At its end, he was a teenage orphan who had survived the Holocaust but lost every single one of his family members at the Auschwitz death camps.

How different life could have been for the Eisens, or for the millions of Jews of Europe if they had been given a real chance to come to a place like Canada.

Think of the millions of lives that could have been saved if someone had offered a helping hand.

I can understand the initial reluctance to help those around us — the lack of trust. And sometimes those seeking refuge haven't made it easy.

Sometimes the prejudices and conflicts from the old country are brought over — which we don't want.

But overwhelmingly, from what I have seen, newcomers to this country bring with them a good work ethic, strong commitments to their families and to education, a drive to succeed, and a real affection for this country.

From what I have seen, we win far more than we lose.