Polarization in the Public Square Conference
Polarization in the Public Square is a pivotal one-day conference hosted by Digital Public Square dedicated to addressing the growing challenge of social and political polarization in Canada. We will bring together a diverse group of experts, practitioners, and community leaders to discuss the state of polarization in Canada, learn from the firsthand experiences of individuals navigating polarized environments, and explore innovative approaches to fostering dialogue, empathy, and consensus around some of Canada's most contentious issues.
Our goal is to foster a dynamic conversation that illuminates both the difficulties and opportunities in addressing polarization in the real world. We will explore how innovative solutions—from digital tools to community-based initiatives—can help mend our social fabric.
This conference anchors day two of a series of events hosted by Public Safety's Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence on October 20-23, 2025.
Agenda
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Opening Remarks
Shlomit Broder, CEO of Digital Public Square
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Keynote address
Mohammed Hashim, CEO of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation
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Panel 1
Living and working in polarized communities
This panel is made up of managers and executives from organizations that are delivering services in contentious times. These organizations must navigate polarized viewpoints among service recipients, employees, and the public. From the hospital to the university campus, from City Hall to the school district, senior professionals have to deliver appropriate services while contending with polarized demands, opinions, beliefs, and news sources. How are they navigating these challenges and can they identify successful approaches?
Randy Boyegoda, University of Toronto Provostial Advisor on Civil Discourse and Professor of English.
Urz Heer, Interfaith Council of Peel and City of Brampton civic engagement.
Ben Rowswell, Circle for Democratic Solidarity and former Canadian Ambassador to Venezuela.
Moderated by Ghayda Hassan - Ghayda is the founder and Director of the The Canadian Practitioners Network for the Prevention of Extremist Violence (CPN-PREV).
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Panel 2
Unpacking polarization in Canada
This panel will see Canadian psychology and social science professors discuss what we know about polarization in Canada and what we don’t yet know. The panelists will explore how far the academic community has come in understanding the drivers and impacts of polarization in Canada, and offer thoughts and recommendations on where the field should focus future research.
Anne E. Wilson, Professor of Social Psychology at Wilfred Laurier University.
Michael Wohl, Professor of Psychology at Carleton University.
Moderated by Ben Windeler - Ben is the Digital Strategy Lead at Digital Public Square.
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Dialogue session
Conflict resolution, capacity-building and dialogue between polarized communities in a fracturing public square
We will hear from Niki Landau and Bashar Al-shawwa from C-Space Group about their experience teaching and leading conflict resolution, capacity-building and dialogue sessions in Canadian institutions, organisations, and communities, what has changed in recent times, and how they are adapting to the challenge.
Niki Landau, founder and CEO of C-Space, providing creative solutions to conflict.
Bashar Alshawwa, Director of Strategic Communications and Advocacy at C-Space.
Moderated by Jeff Wilkinson - Jeff is the co-author of “The Wall Between - What Jews and Palestinians don't want to know about each other.”
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Panel 3
The information challenge: media, new media, and the challenge of informing the public square
Panelists from both long-established and new media outlets will discuss how the process of informing the public square is changing, how they are adapting to that change, and how their own approaches can actually help protect the space for dialogue over the long term. Panelists will discuss the challenges of reporting in a polarized political environment, how changes in news consumption affect polarization, and what media can do to rebuild public trust.
Michelle Austin, former VP Public Affairs at Bell and former Director of Public Policy at Twitter US & Canada).
Justin Ling, investigative journalist and publisher of the substack “Bug-eyed and Shameless - Dispatches from the fringes of the information War.”
Sandra E. Martin, Standards Editor for the Globe & Mail.
Moderated by Bill Killorn - Bill is the Co-Executive Director of Journalists for Human Rights.
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Panel 4
The power of community: Canadian civil society responses to polarization
Digital Public Square will facilitate a panel of Canadian civil society organizations that will discuss innovative ways they have faced the challenge of addressing polarization within and between communities while preserving dignity, democratic action and space for dialogue. This panel will explore where technology can be a positive tool for improving these outcomes and where more work is needed.
John Beebe, founder of the Democratic Engagement Exchange at Toronto Metropolitan University, and advisor to the Dean of the Faculty of Arts.
Isabeau Morin, Digital Public Square project lead on polarization and vulnerability to online extremism.
Yusuf Siraj, co-founder of Foundation for a Path Forward.
Moderated by Yafa Sakhejji - Yafa is the CEO of Beneplan and an advocate for peace and depolarization.
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Fireside chat
Creating meaningful dialogue on Israel-Palestine: Raja Khouri in conversation with Mira Sucharov
Raja Khouri launched Khouri Conversations to deepen intercultural understanding and explore ways towards meaningful dialogue on Arab and Jewish relations in the diaspora. Mira Sucharov, a professor at Carleton University, has developed a close writing partnership on Israeli-Palestinian relations with Omar M. Dajani at the University of the Pacific. Mira has spoken regularly about the difficulties researching, collaborating, writing, and talking about Israel and Palestine since October 7, 2023. Raja and Mira will share their experiences and approaches together and invite questions from the floor.
Raja Khouri is co-author of "The Wall Between - What Jews and Palestinians don't want to know about each other" as well as being CEO at Khouri Conversations, founding president of the Canadian Arab Institute and a ten-year commissioner with the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
Mira Sucharov is Professor of Political Science at Carleton University. She is currently writing a dual travel-memoir with Omar M. Dajani on space, place and emotion in Israel/Palestine, and they are developing a podcast on the past and future of Jaffa, called “The Vacant Lot.”
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Round up and recommendations
Shlomit Broder and the DPS team
Shlomit will offer a short recap of some of the insights from the day, and lead a “call and response” with the audience to bring some insights and recommendations to the fore.
The conference won't have simultaneous translation or interpretation services, but we do encourage attendees to participate in the language of their choice. There will be DPS staff who can assist with English-French/French-English translation during question periods.