This I Believe is a CBC Radio project that engages Canadians in writing and sharing the core values and beliefs that guide their daily lives. The first forty essays have been commissioned by the CBC from prominent Canadians, known for their achievements in their communities, nationally or on the international stage. Members of the general public are encouraged to write their own This I Believe essays and submit them through the website. A wide sample of those essays will be recorded for national broadcast as well.

This I Believe is based on a 1950s radio program of the same name, hosted by acclaimed journalist Edward R. Murrow. Murrow said the program sought “to point to the common meeting grounds of beliefs, which is the essence of brotherhood and the floor of our civilization.” In 2005 two producers in collaboration with National Public Radio in the United States began production of a modern day series of This I Believe essays. Jay Allison and Dan Gediman believed the conflict and uncertainty in the post 9/11 world mirrored in many ways the circumstances that led Murrow to host the original This I Believe. “As in the 1950s, this is a time when belief is dividing the nation and the world," says Allison about life today. "We are not listening well, not understanding each other—we are simply disagreeing, or worse. Working in broadcast communication, there's a responsibility to change that, to cross borders, to encourage some empathy. That possibility is what inspires me about this series.” Over the past two years over one hundred essays have been produced for the National Public Radio series. Go to NPR's This I Believe series

CBC Radio is committed to revealing the varied and rich beliefs of Canadians through our This I Believe project. Our goal, like that of the original series, is not to have Canadians agree on a similar set of beliefs but rather to encourage people to develop respect for beliefs that may differ from their own. It is also our hope that many of the essays will offer inspiration or affirmation that there are at least as many reasons to be hopeful about our collective future as there are essayists willing to write honestly and openly about their personal beliefs. This I Believe is produced by Anne Penman, a Vancouver based CBC Radio producer.

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Preston Manning served as a Member of the Canadian Parliament from 1993 to 2001. He is the founder of two political parties — the Reform Party of Canada and the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance — both of which became the official Opposition in the Canadian Parliament. Mr. Manning served as Leader of the Opposition from 1997 to 2000. He is delighted to host This I Believe — a series of essays, written and read by prominent Canadians. “Personal values and beliefs shape how we think, what we do and how we relate to others. Taking time to pause and reflect on personal values and beliefs, those of others and our own, can only be a positive exercise”.

Mr. Manning is currently President and CEO of the Manning Centre for Building Democracy a national not-for-profit organization supporting research, educational, and communications initiatives designed to achieve a more democratic society in Canada guided by conservative principles.