Current students, faculty, and staff
DemocracyXChange (DXC) 2025, Canada’s annual democracy summit, returns to Toronto from April 3 to 5, 2025, for its sixth edition, featuring talks by sociologist Musa al-Gharbi and award-winning author and historian Timothy Snyder.
On Thursday, April 3, at 7:15 p.m., sociologist and writer Musa al-Gharbi, an assistant professor in the School of Communication and Journalism at Stony Brook University, delivers a keynote address on his new book,We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite. His address follows an opening night artist exhibition, Counterbalance, at 6 p.m.
Al-Gharbi examines how the beliefs and language of society’s most influential citizens can perpetuate inequalities. We Have Never Been Woke argues that challenging superficial social justice efforts is critical to helping the marginalized and disadvantaged.
On Friday, April 4, at 7 p.m., Timothy Snyder discusses his new book On Freedom, with CBC Ideas host Nahlah Ayed at the Toronto Reference Library for a free Salon Series talk. Snyder, the Richard C. Levin Professor of History at Yale University, has received many accolades for his writing on history and politics. His work has appeared in 40 languages and has been quoted in political demonstrations around the world. Please note that separate registration is required for this talk.
On Saturday morning, at 9 a.m. Snyder joins summit delegates for a conversation about his new book, which draws on the work of philosophers and political dissidents, conversations with, contemporary thinkers and his own experiences with American exceptionalism. He identifies practices that will help us design a government in which future generations can flourish. In contemporary society, the term “freedom,” a fundamental component of democracy, has begun to lose its meaning. Snyder argues that true freedom is the ability to thrive and take risks for the future by working together.
Also on Saturday, April 5, the Cultural Policy Hub at OCAD University has organized two panels to contribute to the summit’s main themes of integrity of information, economic and social inequality and trust in governance. At 9:40 a.m., a panel will discuss the fight for local news, answering the question, who pays for journalism in Canada? The panel will explore the challenges of journalism today, new business models and the future of local journalism.
At 3:50 p.m., a second panel conversation will explore the impact of recent arts and culture-led citizen engagement initiatives in two cities: Calgary and Toronto.
Panelists will discuss the Citizen Assembly model that Calgary Arts Development Authority, working with Mass LBP, used to develop and implement their city-wide strategy Living a Creative Life from 2021-24, as well as the recent citizen engagement work of over 4,000 Torontonians that led to Culture Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto (2025-2035), developed by the City of Toronto’s Economic Development and Culture Department and Monumental Projects.
The DemocracyXChange Summit connects, celebrates and equips people who are taking action to strengthen democracy and civil society. The Summit welcomes all members of the public and brings together students, practitioners and leaders from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.
Co-produced by OCAD University, the Open Democracy Project and the Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University, DXC25 will challenge participants’ assumptions about democracy and will cultivate actionable solutions for a more resilient future.
Join renowned policymakers, activists and engaged citizens for three days of interactive workshops, expert panels and keynote addresses that tackle the most pressing issues society is facing today; topics will include integrity of information, climate change, artificial intelligence and social and economic inequality.
OCAD U’s participation in DXC25 is aligned with its priorities to drive impact as an art and design university and emerge as a vibrant hub, as outlined in the University’s Academic and Strategic Plan.
Tickets and the full summit schedule are available at democracyxchange.org.