Addressing the challenges facing democracy today

Raghu Rai. Local commuters at Church Gate railway station. Mumbai. 1995

Around the world, democracies confront serious challenges, old and new.

These range from enduring challenges, such as enhancing civic participation, political representation and democratic accountability, to confronting the ramifications of digital technologies, rising social inequalities and shifting power relations in the evolving international order. The Jarislowsky Democracy Chair pursues critical research and collaborative partnerships that advance public understanding and explore practical innovations to meet these imperatives.

Learn how you can be on the frontlines of democracy.

What’s New

26 January 2024

The Year 1989: Uprisings and Downfalls

CBC Ideas broadcast

Panelists: Sanjay Ruparelia

Co-panelists: Meglena Todorova (University of Toronto) and Arne Kislenko (TMU)

Moderated by Nahlah Ayed

19 January 2024

Narendra Modi is forging a Hindu nation in the world’s largest democracy

Sanjay Ruparelia

Special to The Globe and Mail

09 January 2024

The Politics of Remebering the Chilean Coup with Marcela Rìos Tobar

Host Sanjay Ruparelia talks with Marcela Ríos Tobar, a visiting scholar at the Latin American Center at the University of Oxford, and the former Minister of Justice and Human Rights in Chile.

How can we revitalize civic engagement, empower public institutions and strengthen the prospects of democracy today?

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