On March 22nd, the Canadian International Council – Toronto Branch and the Ryerson Leadership Lab, in partnership with the CIC National Office, hosted a panel discussion on the impacts of technology at democrcy at Ryerson University’s DMZ with the Minister of Democratic Institutions Karina Gould.  The panel was moderated by CIC President Ben Rowswell and included Minister Gould, Nobel Peace Prize nominee Wael Ghonim, Upturn Senior Policy Analyst Miranda Bogen, and Canada Research Chair in Social Media Data Stewardship Anatoliy Gruzd. The goal was to facilitate a discussion between these international experts on technology and democracy from Asia, the Middle East and North America, and to explore the impact of digital technologies and social media platforms on democratic decision-making and political participation.

The discussion paid attention to how digital technologies have transformed the politics of every nation in the world. The same tools that helped topple autocratic regimes just a few years ago are now used to spread misinformation and sow confusion and hate in democratic societies. The insights from so many international perspectives were brought together to craft a common understanding for the audience of how the future of democracy will depend on those who can grasp the opportunities presented by technology while protecting citizens from new threats.

The event also provided an opportunity towards the event for audience members to ask questions and engage with our panel both in the formal panel setting and then afterwards during a reception.

VIEW A RECORDING OF THE PANEL HERE