CFIC is continuing our series of Town Hall gatherings. Once a month, we gather on Zoom to discuss a selected topic relevant to our society and our democracy.
Join this month’s discussion via Zoom on March 15th, 2026, at 8 pm EST.
In a recent interview, Mark Carney described Canadian nationalism as “civic nationalism.”
Carney was responding to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s speech at the Munich Security Conference, where Rubio discussed Christian nationalism in Western countries. Carney explicitly rejected the idea of “Christian nationalism” in the Canadian context, suggesting that, for Canada, the state’s duty to respect all citizens is more fundamental than aligning with a specific faith. He argued that Canadian identity is rooted in respect for “different cultures, different faiths, people without faith,” and broad diversity, rather than a single religious tradition.
In the next Town-Hall meeting, we will discuss the meaning of ‘civic nationalism’. Ask how it is different from nationalism based on ethnicity, religion or race, and whether Canadian nationalism is indeed a civic nationalism.
Please join the discussion on the 15th of March, 8:00 pm EST on ZOOM.
Background Document: Civic Nationalism: Identity, Belonging, and the Modern State (Download background document)
These meetings are not planned to be webinars; the format will be a moderated discussion in which the attendees debate and discuss. Our objective is to nurture a culture of respectful and open-minded discussion, thereby fostering democratic and participatory citizenship. The leadership team provides a background document to introduce the topic, and will also include some questions, available for download from the CFIC website a week ahead of the Town Hall meeting.