In Defence of Democracy with Naheed Nenshi

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. IDEAS served as media sponsor for In Defence of Democracy and aired a recording of the program on December 9, 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

Opening remarks were provided by provided by Sabreena Delhon, Executive Director and Zain Velji, Board Member at the Samara Centre for Democracy.

The 2022 In Defence of Democracy public lecture was generously supported by Telus, Bennet Jones, the Donner Canadian Foundation, and the Toronto Metropolitan University’s Faculty of Arts.