On The Frontlines of Democracy
Lecture Series
About
On the Frontlines of Democracy is a public lecture series to analyze the prospects of democracy in the twenty-first century.
Around the world, democracy faces serious challenges, old and new. Can we protect individual rights and the rule of law in an era of popular mistrust, severe partisanship and resurgent nationalism? How can our democracies reduce inequalities of power, wealth and status, defend deep diversity and confront climate change in the new digital age? Can we develop innovative strategies to revitalize civic engagement, empower public institutions and resist autocratic threats? How can we support the expansion of democracy, in an evolving post-western order, without committing the mistakes of the past?
Upcoming
Conservatism at the Crossroads
On the Frontlines of Democracy presents: "Conservatism at the Crossroads", in partnership with The International Issues Discussion (IID) series at Toronto Metropolitan University and CBC Radio Ideas.
Marci McDonald, renowned journalist, the winner of nine National Magazine Award gold medals, and the author of two political best-sellers, Yankee Doodle Dandy: Brian Mulroney and the American Agenda and The Armageddon Factor: the Rise of Christian Nationalism in Canada.
Urz Heer, Conservative party stalwart who made headlines in 2015 as a critic of the party and the broader vision being pushed by some that she sees as exclusive, xenophobic, and Islamophobic.
Sam Routley, PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of Western Ontario, researching contemporary conservative politics.
and moderated by CBC Radio Ideas host, Nahlah Ayed - award-winning foreign correspondent, journalist, and author of A Thousand Farewells (2012) and The War We Won Apart (2024).
Attendance is free and everyone is welcome.
Watch Now
Can the Idea of Social Democracy be Rescued?
For many decades, Scandinavia was the celebrated heartland of classic social democracy. The strength of left-wing parties and progressive compromises between workers, employers and government enabled a commitment to full employment policies and generous welfare entitlements that produced social trust and democratic stability.
Yet the advent of liberalization and globalization has put these historic achievements under pressure since the 1980s. Moreover, the last decade has witnessed the rise of far right parties, channeling rising nativism and anti-immigrant sentiments, in Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark.
