The first time I saw democracy in action, it was not through a cast vote, but a love letter to the future. Before I was old enough to vote, my mom and dad would bring me to the polling stations in my hometown of Barrie, Ontario to watch the events[Read More…]
Tag: democracy
The convoy should truck off
On Jan. 15, the federal government implemented a vaccine mandate for all cross-border essential workers, including truckers—meaning that unvaccinated drivers would have to quarantine for 14 days, and self-test after the eighth day whenever they enter Canada. Backlash has been fierce ever since, marked most obviously by the self-proclaimed “Freedom[Read More…]
Federal candidates must work harder to earn students’ support
Viewers of the federal leaders’ debates on Sept. 9 and 10 heard many promises to solve the country’s problems. Unfortunately, details about the implementation of these sweeping goals were missing. Young people, in particular, may have felt left out of the discourse, as student issues were barely mentioned in either[Read More…]
Take note: It’s time to vote
Millions of students will head to the polls on Sept. 20 to vote in the federal election. With the semester underway and the pandemic here to stay, many people feel lost in a dizzying haze of parties, ideologies, and options. From climate change, to racial injustice, to more efficient healthcare,[Read More…]
New research centre to usher in the era of digital democracy
In an age of increased globalization, social media makes it easy for people to voice their opinions online, discuss issues, organize around causes, and hold leaders accountable. However, media and technology have a tendency to amplify both positive and negative trends in contemporary discourse. In recent years, media technologies, and[Read More…]
Dozens attend a discussion about Indian fascism
Students filled a Bronfman classroom to its capacity on Jan 13. to listen to several speakers at India Civil Watch Montreal’s first series of teach-ins mapping the rise of global fascism. The event discussed the current crisis faced by Indian democracy amidst the rise of Hindu nationalism under the leadership[Read More…]
Sorry, Justin, there’s a new kid in town
Oh, the impermanence of young love. Not long ago, Canada’s youth naively fawned over Justin Trudeau. But, as flings meet their bitter ends, so too do they begin anew. Canadians have moved on to a new flame—newly-elected, uber-chic New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh. Compared to Trudeau, his suits[Read More…]
Philosopher Charles Taylor delivers 2017 Beatty Memorial Lecture
On Oct. 12, philosopher Professor Emeritus Charles Taylor delivered the 2017 Beatty Memorial Lecture “The Challenge of Regressive Democracy,” at Pollack Hall. Taylor discussed recent nativist and populist waves in Western politics and their impact on major events such as Brexit and the 2016 general election in the United States.[Read More…]
ISID presents “Unpacking Participatory Democracy”
On Nov. 22 and 23, McGill students and faculty joined activists at a conference titled “Unpacking Participatory Democracy: From theory to practice and from practice to theory,” presented by the McGill Institute for the Study of International Development. Activists from global organizations, including South Africa’s Open Democracy Advice Centre, the UK’s[Read More…]
From the BrainSTEM: Federal science demands democratic reform
I’d like to think we live in a country where democracy is valued—a place where all groups are represented equally.
