The Samara Centre for Democracy celebrated its 15th anniversary on November 17, 2022 by welcoming former Mayor of Calgary Naheed Nenshi as the keynote speaker for the In Defence of Democracy public lecture.
Partisan division, civic alienation and regional disparities continue to perpetuate barriers to meaningful democratic engagement and political representation. The purpose of the event was to answer an urgent and defining question of our era: How do we inspire renewed civic purpose in Canada?
In addition to providing keynote remarks, Nenshi was in conversation with Nahlah Ayed, host of CBC Radio's IDEAS.
Opening remarks were provided by Sabreena Delhon, Executive Director and Zain Velji, Board Member at the Samara Centre for Democracy. The event later aired as an episode on CBC Radio's IDEAS.
Listen to the 2022 In Defence of Democracy IDEAS episode featuring former Mayor of Calgary Naheed Nenshi in conversation with Nahlah Ayed
Read the CBC's feature story about In Defence of Democracy 2022
"How do we help people come into the conversation of making things better rather than watching it burn? That's where empathy comes in." —Naheed Nenshi
Thanks our Sponsors and Partners
We are grateful to those who have made this year's In Defence of Democracy program possible and support our mission to strengthen Canadian democracy. Thank you to our sponsors and partners: Telus, Bennett Jones, the Donner Canadian Foundation, Toronto Metropolitan University’s Faculty of Arts and CBC Radio's IDEAS.