Join the University of Waterloo for an engaging conversation on current affairs straight from the headlines. Who's defending democracy? will be hosted by Dean of Arts, Sheila Ager and President Feridun Hamdullahpur, and features three experts from the Faculty of Arts in a conversation moderated by CBC-KW host Craig Norris.
We live in an age of increasing political polarization and a decreasing level of trust in institutions. Democracies need to reengage civil society in the face of growing uncertainty.
Speakers
Daniel Gorman is a professor in the Department of History and a faculty member at the Balsillie School of International Affairs. His research explores the history of the British Empire (19th and 20th centuries), modern Britain, and the history of global governance. He is currently working on a project that assesses the role of the UN as a venue for debates over decolonization from the end of WWII to the early 1960s. This winter term he is teaching the undergraduate course, “Bond, Bowie, and Brexit: Britain from 1945 to the New Millennium”.
Emmett Macfarlane is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science whose research examines the relationships between rights, governance and public policy, with focus on the Supreme Court of Canada's impact under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He has provided non-partisan policy advice to the Government of Canada on both the Senate and Supreme Court appointment processes, and to the Senate on Senate reform. He frequently authors op-eds and contributes expert commentary in national media outlets. His latest research examines nativist, hateful speech in the context of freedom of expression in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.
Bessma Momani is a professor in the Department of Political Science and a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance and Innovation (CIGI), among other past and current international academic appointments. Her research expertise spans international, Middle Eastern and domestic political and economic topics, as well as Canadian issues in diversity and populism. She regularly appears in domestic and international media, writing op-eds and offering expert commentary on the Middle East and other topics. Two of her recent research projects examine Canadian resilience to the rise of global populism.