The Samara Centre’s latest podcast series, Group Chat, is a nominee in the 2025 Canadian Online Publishing Award (COPA) Best Podcast (Consumer) category.  The five-part series, hosted by Samara Centre CEO Sabreena Delhon, invites Canadians to join us in making sense of this moment of democratic uncertainty - with a few friends. Episodes tackle a range of topics central to the political moment including diaspora politics, the use of the notwithstanding clause and whether technology can support democracy. This is the Samara Centre’s second COPA nomination, having won Silver in the Best Podcast Consumer category in 2024 for Humans of the House which was also a national finalist in the Best Podcast category at the 2024 Radio Television Digital News Association Awards.

Delhon sits down with a variety of guests including political leaders, journalists, lawyers and active citizens who share their perspectives on the key issues having the biggest impact on democracy today.

“The motivation behind Group Chat was to provide Canadians with a fresh take on political conversations and shake up how we approach civic engagement in this country,” says Samara Centre CEO and podcast host Sabreena Delhon. “We are grateful to our guests for being so forthcoming and passionate about sharing their insights in an accessible way.” 

Since its release in June 2025, Group Chat has been featured on Apple Podcasts where it has topped the Government chart, been spotlighted by Amazon Music as a Best Podcast This Week and featured in Amazon Music and ACast’s Indie Podcast Amplifier. The show has also been covered by The Hill Times, Pod the North, and the CBC. Group Chat episodes and learning resources are used in high school and university classrooms across the country, helping nearly half a million students learn about active citizenship.  

Group Chat is generously funded by the Rideau Hall Foundation and the Flanagan Foundation.