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Sessions

Disenshittification Nation
April 16, 2026

How can Canada turn the upheaval of U.S.A./Canada relations over the past year ​​into a strategic opportunity to rebuild its tech sector, strengthen digital sovereignty and position itself as a global technology leader?

Opening Night Welcome
April 16, 2026

Introductory remarks by H.E. Geneviève Tuts, Ambassador of the European Union to Canada, welcoming guests and marking the continued partnership between the European Union and DemocracyXChange.

UTOPIA REWIRED Exhibition: Creative Visions for Democratic Futures
April 16, 2026

Emerging artists from Canada and the European Union explore democratic futures through art.

Building an Economy that Works for People
April 17, 2026

Join some of Canada’s most interesting local leaders as they discuss unlocking economic potential from the ground up,

Emerging Leaders: Making the Future
April 17, 2026

Leveraging culture to strengthen Canada's global middle power
April 18, 2026

Brain as a Battleground in Cognitive Warfare. How Do We Defend It?
April 18, 2026

In this workshop, we explore what that means in practice — for individuals, for communities, and for democratic societies operating under sustained cognitive attack.

Igniting the Indigenous Economy
April 18, 2026

Leading voices and Indigenous entrepreneurs come together to explore how Indigenous-led businesses, design, and innovation are shaping a new economic future.

Content Provenance and the Media
April 18, 2026

Experts in tech policy and media discuss how content provenance tools could help verify digital information — and what that means for trust, power, and democracy.

Democracy’s Second Act: Why Politics Needs the Public
April 18, 2026

Join MacLeod as he offers a hopeful, clear-eyed vision for what comes next.

On the Frontlines of Democracy
April 18, 2026

Join "On The Frontlines of Democracy" for a live podcast recording with The Honourable Bob Rae and host Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair at TMU.

The Case for Public AI
April 18, 2026

Can public AI enable both broader economic benefits of AI tech for society, and positive impacts on democratic processes? What would public-private partnerships look like to build public AI for Canada and values-aligned partners?

Anti-AI Movements Are Here! But What Do You Know About Them?
April 18, 2026

Anti-AI Movements: Who are they? Who leads them? What are they fighting for? This information session with representatives from movement organizations will explore these questions, and how their work intersects with pro-democracy movements.

Side by Side: Building the Economy from Place, People, and Purpose
April 18, 2026

Explore how place-based economies can restore dignity, opportunity, and civic trust.

Is Innovation Canada's Superpower?
April 18, 2026

Leaders from AI, venture capital, and the creator economy explore how innovation can drive inclusive prosperity and strengthen democracy.

You Want a Healthy, Peaceful, Prosperous Democracy? Gear Up for Hard Conversations
April 18, 2026

Join us for a unique opportunity to engage directly with other conference attendees using Global Centre Pluralism’s newly released question cards to open the door to unexpected interactions foundational to our capacity to engage in the hard conversations.

We the Data: Human Rights in the Digital Age
April 18, 2026

Rethink the relationship between individuals, data, and power, and consider what it would mean to reclaim our humanity in the digital age.

Security, Defence and Resilience in a Shifting World
April 18, 2026

This session brings together experts to explore how Canada and its allies are adapting—from defence strategy and international cooperation to economic security and democratic resilience in an increasingly uncertain world.

Exiled Voices, Shared Futures: Artistic Freedom, Economic Power, and Democratic Resilience
April 18, 2026

Through lived experience and institutional insight, the panel will examine how repression operates economically—and how universities, cities, and advocacy networks can help build the conditions for creative freedom and democratic participation.

Attention Monsters and How To Collapse Reality
April 18, 2026

What if reality collapse can be attributed to a single, specific type of influencer? Just how easy is it to make piles of money in the process? This workshop will explore these questions and what we can do about it.

In Conversation with Nobel Laureate Daron Acemoglu: What Happened To Liberal Democracy?
April 18, 2026

Acemoglu explores the most urgent question of our time: How can we redirect the path of innovation to ensure technology serves the many rather than the few?

Poetry as Democracy: A Hands-On Workshop
April 18, 2026

Participants will be invited to reflect on what they have heard and felt through the course of the conference so far, and as a group, we will gather words that surfaced in other talks and panels as the basis of the reflection.

The Future of Global Cooperation
April 18, 2026

Leaders in diplomacy and international governance explore what the middle power role looks like in practice, and how countries and regions with shared interests and values can build influence together, turning collaboration, pluralism, and respect for human rights into real collective strength.

Who Shapes Tomorrow? Economies for People, Not Power
April 18, 2026

This workshop examines what happens when economies centre care, connection, and community rather than market power.

Democracy Rewired
April 18, 2026

Together they’ll examine the risks and opportunities of a digitally mediated society, and what it will take to build systems that strengthen, rather than undermine, democratic governance.

The Wealth Gap: Bold Ideas for Growing Shared Prosperity
April 18, 2026

Explore the connection between economic policy, community well-being and democratic health.

Collective Action and Workplace Organizing in Big Tech
April 18, 2026

Learn from tech workers who have organized their coworkers to take collective action in the workplace from signing petitions, to unionizing and even striking as a means to regulate tech to promote a more just economy.

L'avantage économique des Francophones au Canada / Canada's Francophone Economic Advantage
April 18, 2026

S'appuyant sur les points de vue des employeurs et l'expérience des communautés, la discussion souligne pourquoi l'avenir économique du Canada et la force de sa démocratie dépendent de la valorisation et de la promotion de son atout francophone.

Sovereignty by Design
April 18, 2026

This panel explores how Canada can assert digital sovereignty, strengthen domestic infrastructure, and build resilience as a middle power in a rapidly changing world.

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