Democracy Under Siege:
Strengthening the Safeguards

Parkland Institute's 29th Annual Fall Conference

November 21 – 23, 2025

We are living through extraordinary times — times that would have seemed unthinkable just a few years ago. Around the world, autocracy is on the rise. The new U.S. regime threatens the sovereignty of these lands currently called Canada. Here at home, misinformation and corruption have taken hold in Alberta’s government. The pillars of liberal democracy are crumbling under the strain of growing authoritarianism. 

This year’s Parkland Institute conference confronted these urgent threats head-on. We took a hard look at the political institutions meant to act as guardrails against autocracy and asked how well they are faring in this role. More importantly, we started a conversation about how we can strengthen those institutions, defend our struggling democracy, repel the current threat, and create a future that is built on the foundations of equality, justice, and solidarity.

The 2025 conference program is available for download here.