Welcome to the February edition of the Broadbent Bulletin.
The world reacts to Mark Carney’s declaration at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland that, “the old order is not coming back” in spite of neoliberalism being largely responsible for its decline. At the 2016 Progress Summit, Ed Broadbent was prescient in stating, “if a blind faith in unfettered markets continues to prevail, I believe the social foundation for our democracies will continue to be shaken.”
To defend democracy and sovereignty, we need internationalism grounded in social and economic rights. On February 2nd, Canadian MPs stood in solidarity with leaders from across the Americas, backing the Panamerican Congress Declaration in defence of sovereignty, non-interference and international law against US coercion.The Declaration affirms that:
Sovereignty resides in the peoples of the Americas, not in any single State or man above the rest.
A clear indication of cross-border solidarity, the Declaration was signed by parliamentary leaders from across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Uruguay. Together, the alliance of signatories condemns the revival of the US’s foreign policy doctrine of hemispheric domination and interference, unequivocally affirming international law as enshrined in the UN Charter.
On the old order, Ed thought that as social democrats:
We see social democracy as the sum of the values embedded in the United Nations system of human rights […] Canada is signatory […], but the promise of all three remains unfulfilled.
Ed Broadbent, Broadbent Principles for Canadian Social Democracy
The old order was built on the principles of social democracy as a hope for a better tomorrow, and neoliberalism killed that hope. It’s up to progressives to re-envision how we defend democracy in Canada and abroad.
2026 Progress Summit: Defending Democracy Across Borders
Our timely theme for the 2026 Progress Summit — Defending Democracy Across Borders — is designed to meet this moment for Canada.
Sovereignty and democracy in Canada and around the world must be defended. From March 4 – 6, the 2026 Progress Summit will bring together speakers on the frontlines of this defence, including MP Leah Gazan, signatory of the Panamerican Congress Declaration.
Meet the NDP Leadership Candidates on Activists Make History
Peggy Nash speaks with candidates running to be the next leader of the federal NDP on Activists Make History. Hear from Avi Lewis, Tony McQuail and Heather McPherson on their visions for social democracy in Canada.
PressProgress Spotlight
PressProgress hit the ground running in January 2026, publishing reports on misleading private career colleges in BC, Nova Scotia care workers on the cusp of labour action, and other stories from across the country.
Here’s more PressProgress reporting from January:
- Alberta Separatists Kicked Us Out of Their Event After Asking About American Support
- “If We Have to Go on Strike, We Will,” Say Nova Scotia’s Long-term Care Workers
- Interactive – More Than 100 Gazans Have Been Accepted to Canadian Universities. Canada Isn’t Letting Them In.
- International Students Say They Were Misled by Private Colleges in Canada. Now They Can’t Get a Refund.
- Podcast – Why Won’t Canada’s Government Let Gazans Come Here to Study?
- $100 Fee and Other Restrictions Cuts Number of COVID-19 Shots in Alberta by Half
- BC Officials Know That Private Career Colleges Don’t Always Meet Standards. Advocates Say Little Is Being Done.
- Postmedia Suspends Toronto Bureau Chief After Tweet Applauding ICE Killing
- Ottawa Mayor Celebrates ‘Quality of Life Study’ Sourced from Dubious Website
- Who Could Strike in 2026?
That’s all for this February edition Broadbent Bulletin. Thank you for following our work to advance a just and equitable world, and stay tuned for other updates and announcements from the Broadbent Institute. Consider supporting the Broadbent Institute, sharing this Bulletin with your friends and family, and subscribing if you haven’t done so already.