Season 4: Whose Democracy?

We're thrilled to bring our network Democracy Dialogues, a free virtual series that will answer some of the biggest questions and concerns we have about what it takes to build a vibrant and inclusive democracy now and in the future.

Each session is designed for learning and building community during this challenging time.

Beyond the town hall

Faith in our democracy’s ability to address pressing issues in our communities is in decline. Participation in recent elections hit record lows. Town hall style public meetings meant to address issues of local concern too often become a form of theater that support a pre-ordained outcome reinforcing cynicism about “democracy.”

Join two leaders who are doing public engagement differently. Dave MacLeod, CEO and a co-founder of ThoughtExchange, and Daniel Fusca, Manager of Public Consultation for Toronto's Parks, Forestry, and Recreation Division are creating new approaches to public engagement that offer the opportunity for much broader public participation in decision making.

While participation in elections is declining, the public’s concern about critical issues is rising. If we do not create an effective democratic response, the public will turn towards authoritarian leaders who promise to address their concerns.

Using innovative on-line tools, MacLeod and Fusca have involved tens of thousands of people in contentious issues involving their community from how to create new parks to how to respond to school shootings.

MAKING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS MEANINGFUL AND FUN

In next month, Canadians in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and the City of Yellowknife will be electing people to represent them on their city and town councils. In these municipal participation rarely exceeds 50% and usually much lower. This year 50 towns and cities in Ontario won't have an election for their Mayor or Reeve because only one person is running and they were acclaimed. That is not democracy.

Something has to change.

Join us for an engaging and fun conversation about how we can do local elections differently with Andrea Reimer and Dave Meslin, dedicated community activists who have succeeded by doing things differently, engaging people from all walks of life and having fun along the way.

Empowering Citizens’ Voices through Digital Democracy

Thursday, September 22, 1:00 PM - 2:00 pm EDT

How can we use the internet to earn back faith in democracy and trust in government?

Can we harness the power of the internet by using digital engagement to bring together people from different perspectives, experiences and backgrounds? Can we provide citizens with a vehicle to shape the government services they need and come together to address the pressing challenges we face as a community? Are there new tools that will allow us to deliberate and address pressing public policy challenges? In this session, we will explore who is brought into the conversation and who is left out?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of on-line public engagement where activities can be asynchronous, geographically dispersed and anonymous. What is lost without the in-person interactions that can help build social trust and connections?

Is Toxic Partisanship Destroying Democracy?

Wednesday, June 15, 12:00 PM - 1:00 pm EDT

Democracy is how we disagree.

In a healthy democracy all voices have an opportunity to be heard, people compromise, everyone's a little frustrated, and decisions get made. Then we do it again.

But what happens when toxic partisanship makes healthy democratic discourse impossible? When people talk but no one actually listens. When compromise becomes impossible because the “other side” lies or thinks of you and your community as deplorable. What can we learn from events in the United States? Can social media ever live up to its original promise of an open forum for all voices to be heard?

Join us for a deep dive into the challenge posed by toxic partisanship with two keen observers of the state of democracy in the United States and Canada.

Are Political Parties Good For Democracy? Building a Diverse and Inclusive Candidate Pool

Wednesday, April 13, 1:00 PM - 2:00 pm EDT

Political parties are the gatekeepers of our democracy. Through the nomination process they control who we, as citizens, elect to represent us. But the nomination process seems to run counter to the most fundamental principles of democracy.

Join us as we unpack the the pros and cons of Canada’s nomination process and consider alternatives to our current system with two of Canada’s leading scholars on representation in politics, Dr. Erin Tolley & Dr. Quinn Albaugh. Their perspectives will help make sense of what we are experiencing now and what we can do to build a diverse and inclusive candidate pool.