UPDATE: We have been closely monitoring the developments of COVID-19 and because of an announced event ban in Québec, we have made the difficult decision to cancel 6 Degrees Montréal at this time. As we face this challenge together, we view it as responsible citizenship to do everything we can to mitigate the spread of the virus.
If you have any questions, please contact Phil Chalk at [email protected].
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6 Degrees is the global forum for inclusion and a project of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship. Through annual gatherings across Canada, and in Berlin and Mexico City, 6 Degrees challenges our unsettled age, and works to counter growing divisions in society by providing forums for conversations and action on inclusion, diversity, and citizenship.
Questions of inclusion and belonging, civic engagement, fighting mis- and disinformation, and strengthening democracy continue to be at the forefront of Canadian political and social conversations. 6 Degrees Montréal 2020 will examine these challenges, empower citizens and community members, and connect Québec to our international coalition. We aim to make positive change in policy, business, digital communities, civil society, and in attitudes on diversity and inclusion across Québec, Canada, and around the world. Montréal is a uniquely rich city, providing the opportunity to learn on the ground, explore best practices, and disseminate the knowledge we acquire through our networks worldwide.
6 Degrees Montréal 2020 is our 15th edition globally and our first in Montréal.
What you can expect at 6 Degrees Montréal 2020:
– Unique, transformative conversations in our signature 360 in-the-round sessions
– Tactical change-making opportunities in multidisciplinary small-group exchanges
– More than 15 featured speakers, including influential international voices and high-profile local leaders
– Ample opportunities to contribute and influence the conversation
– Coalition and capacity building with grassroots activists, artists, change-makers, and leaders from governments and businesses from around the world
– Cultural and artistic interventions and performances
– Real tools and action on the most pressing issues of our time
– Simultaneous French-English interpretation will be provided for sessions that take place on the main stage
Click here to register for 6 Degrees Montréal. Sign up for our newsletter for updates.
09:00 – 09:30
Opening Circle
09:30 – 11:00
360: Where We Stand
Divisive rhetoric about identity, values, and belonging dominates the public sphere, and its negative influence is compounded by misinformation and digital manipulation. Despite that, we each have the power to advocate for diverse, welcoming, and resilient communities. How can we better engage in our civic spaces, online and off? How can we fight misinformation, exclusion, and hatred, and band together for positive change?
11:00 – 11:30
Break
11:30 – 12:45
Coffeehouse
The engine of 6 Degrees is deep conversation. The Coffeehouse is where we take our dialogue as far as we can – exploring the ideas that bring us together, and the fault lines that divide us. For centuries, coffeehouses have been engines for innovation and gathering spaces where culture, politics, and current events are debated. Join this session for a deep dive into embracing diversity, socio-economic inclusion, and building resilient communities.
12:45 – 14:00
Lunch
14:00 – 15:30
360: Where We Go
Real change comes from many places, from local communities to established institutions. It requires a commitment to the public good, and a thorough examination of whether our institutions — governments, schools, media, corporations, and more — are genuinely serving our interests. How can we hold these institutions to account and ensure they’re hearing and acting on public will? How can they become vehicles for citizen engagement, and large-scale systemic change?
15:30 – 16:00
6 Degrees Presents
16:00 – 17:00
What’s Next
How do conversations, and the ideas emerging from them, become concrete solutions and calls to action?
For our final session, we leave the circle open and invite everyone in the space to work together to frame what we’ve learned, and what next steps should be.
17:00
Reception
About the Institute for Canadian Citizenship
Powered by a passionate national network, the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) encourages active citizenship and inclusion, creates opportunities for Canadians from different backgrounds to connect, and develops research and advocacy to move those goals forward. Our community-focused programming blends tech and arts and culture to deliver our Canoo app that gives new Canadian citizens free access to more than 1,400 cultural sites during their first year of citizenship. 6 Degrees extends the reach of the ICC’s work through a global conversation on inclusion and citizenship in the 21st century. The ICC is a national charity co-founded by the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson and John Ralston Saul.