Events
Latest Event
14th Annual Day for Diplomats
14th Annual Day for Diplomats – EngageParlDiplo offered a half-day orientation session for newly arrived foreign representatives in Canada. It took place on Thursday, November 21, from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Carleton University’s Richcraft Hall.This initiative is led by the Parliamentary…
Past Events
After Afghanistan: The Future of Democracy Support in Post-conflict States
Democracy support is deeply connected to post-conflict stabilization and transition processes in many parts of the world. Inclusive conflict mediation processes, especially those integrating the Women, Peace and Security agenda, are reflected in more inclusive democratic processes. The international community devotes significant technical and diplomatic resources to shore up elections in new democracies, and the governments of countries affected by electoral violence have pursued a host of political reforms designed to reduce it. Despite these efforts, violence continues to haunt elections before, during and after the vote across the developing world. This session looks at the relationship between democracy assistance and peace.
Foreign Meddling & Disinformation: State actors’ influence on electoral integrity
Malign foreign actors pose a major threat to global elections and democracy. This dialogue examines tactics of foreign disinformation campaigns and cybersecurity and discusses effective strategies to defend democratic processes.
Hostile foreign disinformation is no longer a platform-based problem, it is an ecosystem. We’ll look at causes and drivers, including the connection between gender-based disinformation and authoritarian strategy. What are upstream and downstream entry points for action? Where are entry points for different actors from states and legislatures to intelligence & security communities to digital activism/technology groups. How to approach coordination of malign foreign actors? How to/should we prioritize entry points? Join us as we discuss these questions and more.
Private Support for International Democracy Assistance
Support for international democracy is funded through partnerships with the private sector and philanthropy, in addition to traditional bilateral and multilateral aid programs. This event explore how private sector actors contribute to progress in this area. How do democracy programs funded by foundations and other private sector sponsors align with state-supported assistance programs? How does coordination take place? What are the benefits of private sponsors in this field compared to traditional donors?
National Security Through a Feminist Lens
From the crisis in Ukraine to the powerful influence of Big Tech, a new era of security challenges is upon us. Interest is growing around feminist foreign policy. But, as national security threats increasingly dominate the news, how can feminist foreign policy keep us safe? This special edition of the Global Democracy Dialogues looked at how feminist approaches contribute to diverse areas of national security.
A New Architecture for Canada’s Democracy Aid?
Canada has committed to expand the availability of Canadian expertise for democracy strengthening but not defined the architecture to house and nourish that expertise. The success of Canada’s renewed support for global democracy depends on the infrastructure it will build to direct and guide this vision. In our upcoming dialogue, the leadership of USG agencies for international democracy assistance come together to discuss the rich and complex landscape of U.S. democracy support. What can American structures suggest for Canada’s path forward? This discussion is part of our ‘Global Democracy Dialogues: U.S.-Canada Virtual Speaker Series’.
Protecting Democracy at Home: Mitigating Violent Domestic Radicalization
Democracy in the US and Canada faces unprecedented challenges, from rising populism, low voter participation to fraud and suppression. The second edition of the Global Democracy Dialogue takes a deep dive to look at one of the most serious threats: rising violent extremism. This discussion is part of our ‘Global Democracy Dialogues: U.S.-Canada Virtual Speaker Series’.
Protecting Democracy at Home: Mitigating Violent Domestic Radicalization
COVID-19 had a profound impact on democracy in the world. It resulted in dozens of cancelled or delayed elections and gave momentum to resurgent authoritarianism and populist movements in parts of the world. It had surprisingly positive consequences as well, from accelerating digital learning for transnational democracy movements to spurring the widespread adaption of technologies that enhanced accessibility for parliamentarians and voters. This panel takes stock of these new threats and potential gains and asks “How should democracy assistance actors adapt their post-pandemic approaches accordingly?” This discussion is part of our ‘Global Democracy Dialogues: U.S.-Canada Virtual Speaker Series’.
The Global Development Primer 
In partnership with the US-Canada Virtual Speaker Series, the Global Development Primer podcast is hosting a special series on democracy assistance in international development. Podcast host and Dalhousie Professor Robert Huish speaks to some of our guests.
The U.S. Virtual Speaker Series was funded by a grant from the United States Department of State. The opinions, findings and conclusions stated herein are those of participants and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State.
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