At the 2026 Progress Summit, we look to those defending democracy in Canada, and to our progressive allies at home and abroad, for lessons and answers on how to do just that. From campaign tactics, to progressive economic ideas, to building solidarity across broad fronts, this edition of the Summit reflects on the crises of democracy identified at the 2025 Progress Summit, and seeks to rally its defence led by the progressive left.
Stay tuned for programming updates, speakers and schedule!
Keynotes & Panels
Defending Democracy Across Borders
How do we defend democracy against anti-democratic forces? David Adler speaks at the 2026 Progress Summit as Co-General Coordinator of the Progressive International. Launched in 2020, the Progressive International unites, organizes and mobilizes the world’s progressive forces to fight for democracy, where all people have the power to shape their institutions and their societies. Adler is joined by a panel of progressive organizers from Europe, Canada and Latin America who are also building movements to defend democracy.
Canada’s Role in Defending Democracy Across Borders
Economist and 2021 Ecuadorian presidential candidate Andrés Arauz has been on the frontlines fighting for democracy in his home country. Facing off against the political establishment and media in Ecuador looking to accelerate deals with Canadian mining companies, despite the threats to social and economic rights for ordinary citizens, Arauz found himself standing up to defend democracy in Ecuador and across Latin America. He speaks with Ricochet reporter Brandi Morin, whose recent investigation on “Canadian Mining in Ecuador” exposed Canada’s role in weakening democracy in the country. What should Canada’s role be instead, to defend democracy across borders?
Defending Democracy from the Risks of AI
As governments, markets, and institutions around the world race to adopt AI tools, the social risks are often left behind. Machine learning models that emulate human-produced outputs like media, behaviour, and thoughts are accelerating the erosion of social trust through the spread of mis- and disinformation, the use of algorithmic outputs in place of demonstrated human learning in schools, and have thrown jobs into precarity as cost-cutting for profits eyes the use of AI as a replacement. This has major consequences for democracy–how do we defend it against the risks presented by AI’s increasing footprint on society?
Nation-building for Canadian Democracy
Nation-building Workshop Suite
This nation-building workshop suite at the 2026 Progress Summit reinforces the theme of “Defending Democracy Across Borders” by taking a comprehensive approach to the new nation-building initiative put forward by the federal government, and proposes an alternative vision to build a robust economic foundation for Canadian democracy. While re-orienting Canada’s staples economy away from the US is necessary amidst the ongoing economic war, defending democracy at home requires us to rethink how citizens benefit from nation-building. This workshop suite features panels and fireside chats that include moderated Q&A discussion.
Building Infrastructure, Defending Jobs
Investing in the construction of Canada’s infrastructure is a tried and tested response to defending jobs through an economic crisis. When we lose jobs, fail to fight for affordability, and do nothing to build economic resilience, democracy becomes harder to defend as citizens lose hope. Amid the economic war being waged by the United States, the government’s new “nation-building” initiative does call for investments in infrastructure, however, its priorities lie with the interests of monied stakeholders. Much needed economic and social infrastructure, like transportation, renewable energy, affordable housing, and energy efficiency–projects that could have an impact on affordability and sustainability–are on the backburner while infrastructure to export “staples” commodities faster on behalf foreign mining and oil company profits are prioritized. Canada’s industrial policy is geared towards short-term gains, rather than long-term vision. What do we need to build today to defend Canadian workers and democracy against threats from the US?
Repairing the Foundations of Canadian Medicare
Canadians often talk about universal health care as a defining feature of our nation – something that fundamentally differentiates us from our neighbours south of the border. Across Canada, however, the foundations of universal health care have eroded under a combination of underfunding, privatization, and policy choices by some provincial administrations. The Carney government’s new “nation building” initiatives do not currently include plans to repair the foundations of Canadian Medicare or invest in its expansion. This panel will make the case that it should. Speakers will discuss which investments in healthcare are in the national interest, what role the federal government can play in the protection and expansion of our health care system, and how we can organize together to get health care on the national agenda.
Building Real Canadian Digital Sovereignty
Canada is overly dependent on U.S. tech giants for digital infrastructure, data, and artificial intelligence. U.S. laws and corporate dominance threaten Canada’s control over its digital systems, putting Canadian sovereignty, privacy, and democracy at risk. Canada’s new nation-building initiative has little concern for building the foundations for a new Canadian digital sovereignty. Canadian democracy cannot be free if our digital public sphere is overrun by foreign influence and made toxic for profit. How do we make digital sovereignty into a nation-building initiative to defend Canadian democracy?
Rebuilding Nation-to-Nation Relations
While the federal government’s new Building Canada Act reassures that it, “commits that Indigenous Peoples whose section 35 rights may be adversely affected by the carrying out of [a nation building] project are consulted throughout the process,” Indigenous groups like the Union of BC Indian Chiefs have raised concerns. The fast tracked processing of the federal government’s nation-building projects risks bypassing environmental regulations, legal obligations, and the principle of free, prior, and informed consent. Meanwhile, the infrastructure gaps in First Nations have yet to be prioritized or addressed. What does a real nation-to-nation relationship look like that respects sovereignty, builds social infrastructure, and ensures we defend rights and democracy across territories?