Global Commons 2021/2022 Innovations in Democracy and Citizenship

This is an exciting opportunity to engage internationally, to share perspectives and lived experiences, and to participate in global dialogue and learning. The focus of the 2021-2022 Hart House Global Commons is Innovations in Democracy and Citizenship. 

Democracy is under threat in both the Global North and South. Over the past decade, a resurgence in populist and authoritarian governments, entrenched corruption, elite capture, and weakened democratic institutions are among several well-documented trends that point to what some have called a “democracy and pluralism under assault” (Sarah Repucci, 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated many of these trends, further disrupting global governance and democracy exacerbating restrictions on the media, human rights, and civic space. 

This shifting context for citizen participation and democratic practice also presents a wide range of implications for civic and democratic learning—for practitioners, for students, and for the community. Please join us for this unique opportunity to share perspectives, ideas, and insights from the front lines as we hear from students, experts, and practitioners around the globe about how they are working, responding to, and shaping stronger democratic institutions and practices.