The Broadbent Institute’s Progress Summit brings together thought leaders, movement builders, elected officials, and frontline activists to help us understand our current landscape.
The 2026 Progress Summit: Defending Democracy Across Borders will take place at the Delta Hotel City Centre Ottawa from Wednesday, March 4th to Friday, March 6th.
Defending Democracy Across Borders
For Ed Broadbent, “to be humane, societies must be democratic – and, to be democratic, every person must be afforded the economic and social rights necessary for their flourishing.”
Today, democracy is under threat in Canada and around the world. We must ask: how do we defend democracy against anti-democratic forces? How do we fulfill its promise to restore trust in democratic processes and institutions? What should democracy look like in society, in the workplace, and across the economy? How do we defend journalism and press freedom against attacks and displacement by corporate interests? How do we build an internationalist solidarity with democratic forces around the world, in order to defend Canadian sovereignty and democracy?
According to Prime Minister Mark Carney, “ the old order is not coming back,” despite the prevalence of neoliberalism being largely responsible for its decline.
In 2016, Ed Broadbent warned, “If a blind faith in unfettered markets continues to prevail, I believe the social foundation of our democracies will continue to be shaken.”
The theme of the 2026 Progress Summit, “Defending Democracy Across Borders,” is designed to meet this moment. To defend democracy and sovereignty, we need internationalism grounded in social and economic rights. It’s up to progressives to re-envision how to defend democracy in Canada and abroad.
2026 Progress Summit Sponsorship
