If you require a more accessible version of the schedule, please email symposium_outreach@opirgguelph.org.
This year’s Symposium description:
Is there a grating voice inside of you screaming “EVERYTHING SUCKS RIGHT NOW!?” Are you noticing fascism becoming increasingly rampant across Canada, not just in the US? That’s because it is, and it does suck!
Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian political ideology that emphasizes ultra-nationalism, militarism, and social regression, often with a dictator at its head. It’s not a relic from the past. It’s here and gaining momentum. With the growing popularity of gluttonous military budgets, “strongman” leaders, and “trad wife” rhetoric, are we screwed? Not yet— we’re fighting back.
Join OPIRG Guelph for our annual Rebel Knowledge Symposium. Our theme for 2026 is “Here We Go Again: Fighting Fascism Then & Now.” In a time of misinformation and fear, knowledge mobilization is a powerful tool for liberation. We’re bringing together radicals, academics, activists and organizers to lead panels, workshops and art spaces focusing on how fascism is showing up in the present day, and most importantly, how to combat it.
PS! The Symposium is also OPIRG Guelph’s 50th birthday celebration– that’s 50 incredible years of radical research, activism and community building. We’ll have a special Birthday Room showcasing the work we’ve ALL accomplished over the years together, including an exclusive look at our archives and past action groups
Descriptions of panels, keynotes, workshops, and art!
Friday February 6
Keynote – Sandy and Nora Talk Politics LIVE!
Sandy and Nora Talk Politics is one of Canada’s premier news analysis podcasts. With more than 8K listeners per weekly episode, Sandy and Nora have helped to influence how Canadians look at politics, society, the economy and social movements. Sandy and Nora will be recording a podcast episode LIVE at the Rebel Knowledge Symposium on Friday February 6!
Saturday February 7
Keynote – Mark Bray
Mark Bray, a Rutgers Historian and author of Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook, will analyze histories of fascism and anti-fascism, the mounting threat of Trumpism in the United States and beyond, and the manufactured ‘terrorist threat’ of antifa that sparked a wave of threats forcing him to flee his home and leave the US for Europe.
Panels:
Signs, Signs, Signs: What’s happening on Canadian Campuses?
This panel will deconstruct the myth of the “open-minded liberal Canadian university.” Panelists Owen Skeen, Aimee Copping and Bassam will speak on tightening censorship on Canadian campuses, pushing back against everyday acts of hate on campus, and supporting each other in the face of invisible harm. How can we build a positive future for Canadian universities through student action?
The Culture of Resistance
There are many ways to resist fascism. In this panel, art and culture step out as necessary tools of defiance in the fight against fascism, drawing on a rich tradition of rebellion and pride. Join panelists Rebecca Hallett, Natasha Pravaz, and Charlotte Coates (from North Star Media) to learn about punk activism, the use of tactical frivolity to foster joy in the resistance, and the role of people’s journalism in working class resistance.
Sorry, Canada: We’re Not That Innocent
Canada is not immune to fascism. It’s showing up here too, not just in the U.S. This panel will uncover how fascist ideology is moving into (and already present in) Canadian politics, and who it affects. How does the refrain “not like the States” keep us from confronting political problems at home? Panelists: Mike Schreiner, Nora Loreto, Resistance & Resilience Guelph
Workshops:
Pod & Community Mapping for Transformative Justice Praxis w/ The Wild Queer Abolitionist Collective
Do you know who your people are? Join the Wild Queer Abolitionists Collective for an exploration of different forms of community mapping in an effort to make our care webs explicit and visible! When individualism prevails and “community” is complicated, we need conversations about how we build trust and accountability, especially as we face societal collapse. Learn more about mapping safety plans, pods, and care ecosystems.
Expanding Our Networks: Tools & Tactics For Connecting With More People Fighting Fascism w/ Kerry Duncan
Do you want to explore tangible strategies for engaging more people in the fights against fascism? In this session we will talk through the various tools and approaches for expanding beyond our core activist base to engage, retain, and build confidence in a wider network of students and community members participating in fighting back against the many forms of fascism we are facing.
Threads of Hope: Collective Art for Climate & Community Resilience w/ Climate Hope Lab
Threads of Hope is an interactive, art-based workshop that responds to the conditions in which fascism takes root: fear, isolation, disinformation, and erosion of community trust. Through collaborative artmaking, reflection, and dialogue, participants explore hope, care, and collective resilience as everyday practices that strengthen democratic culture and social solidarity. The session invites participants to engage with creative stations such as collage, writing, and drawing to reflect on questions of belonging, shared futures, and how communities care for one another under increasing social pressure. The workshop centers relationship-building, imagination, and participation as essential tools for resisting authoritarian tendencies and exclusionary narratives.
Podcast Interview Lab w/ Karim Mosna
In a time of polarization, Podcast Interview Lab will offer a rare opportunity for connection through sharing and being moved by others’ stories and perspectives. Facilitator Karim Mosna will share the key principles of effective interviewing with an emphasis on active listening, and then give participants the chance to conduct their own mini-interviews. The conversations could be aired on an upcoming episode of RadiOPIRG on CFRU 93.3 FM.
Sunday February 8
Keynote panel:
Fascism Across Time & Space : History, Resistance & Solidarity
To understand the present moment, we need to know how we got here. Join panelists Aitana Guia, Mayar Alfarra and Gord Hill (author of The Antifa Comic Book) to examine the history of fascism, resistance to fascism and solidarity between Anti-Fascist movements. Topics will include the roots of fascism, interpretation of the modern Trump regime, and the history of solidarity in global anti-imperialist politics from Turtle Island to Palestine. What lessons have we learned for the present day?
Panels:
In Your Homes, In Your Communities: Ways Fascism Shows Up & How We Can Fight Back
Fascism creeps into everyday life, far from the political stage, but no less impactful. Join panelists Craig Johnson (author of How To Talk To Your Son About Fascism), Daniel Layden and Kerry Duncan to learn about the recruitment of young men by the extreme right-wing, the rise of discrimination and hate in our own backyards, and what we can do about it as a community.
First They Come For…
First they come for disabled folks. Racialized folks. Migrants. Queer and trans folks. Fascism targets communities already fighting against systematic discrimination, using insidious tactics to attack human rights. Join anarchist, advocate and artist Pepper Rose to learn about the eugenics to fascism pipeline, comparing how the 1918 pandemic and COVID-19 pandemic shaped the conditions for fascism then and today. Migrant Workers Alliance for Change coordinator Sarom Rho will speak on migrant justice, resistance and solidarity in an increasingly fascist society. Dr. Rima Hanna will speak on how fascist movements target queer and trans communities through moral panic, legislative violence, and the regulation of bodies, intimacy, and public space.
Ain’t No Sunshine: Deconstructing Eco Fascism
Eco fascism is white supremacy and queerphobia hiding behind a green façade; it’s Thanos from The Avengers claiming that genocide is an environmental cause. How does eco fascist reasoning spread its insidious roots? And how can we deconstruct it? Join panelists Lilian Barraclough, Christopher Lozinski and Kiran Bhattarai to examine the greenwashing of fascism.
Workshops:
[DROP IN ART SPACE] Strategized Creativity: Anarchist and Queer Print Methods w/ Jude Akrey
For generations, organizers have used DIY methods- zines, mail art, posters- to share knowledge, build care networks, and strategize resistance. Inspired by the Situationist International movement and queer activist print cultures, this Rebel Symposium art space invites drop-in zine-making, letter-writing, and poster creation. Together, we will forge decentralized archives of organizing strategies, creative rage, and queer/anarchist histories! All works will be scanned and shared publicly for ongoing distribution and action.
The Pursuit of Supremacy: How We Combat the Rise of Supremist Societies w/ Chelsey Edwards
Supremacy has plagued the Earth, disenfranchising oppressed peoples, and pushing humanity to the brink of extinction. Supremacist societies are formed around a pursuit for total domination. In this workshop, we will detail the mechanisms and processes of building supremacist societies, the functions of their beliefs, and the cycle they drag wider communities into. In this workshop we will work on building your ability to spot hidden supremacist systems. We will also work together to develop paths of resistance and rejection for supremacist advancement.
Understanding and Defeating Fascism w/ Justice For Workers Guelph
This interactive workshop is composed of 3 sections. “What is Fascism?” explains what fascism is, how it feeds on capitalist crises, and the social function it serves under capitalism. “The History of Fascism in Canada” recounts how bosses have used fascist forces against workers for over a century, and how workers fought back. “Fighting Fascism: What Have We Learned?” examines past efforts to combat fascism, what worked and what didn’t, and how we can apply those lessons today.
Harm Reduction in Response to Fascism w/ Guelph Harm Redux Coalition
This presentation will explore how harm reduction is an excellent approach to resist fascism and reconnect community. Topics to be discussed will be what is harm reduction? Historical context of harm reduction. Present day political climate and propaganda used against people who use drugs and harm reduction. Tangible ways to incorporate harm reduction into our everyday lives will be explored.
Performance, art, and more (throughout the weekend or in schedule)
Dance Diaries- Drenched in Disorder: A Mad Poetic Dance Piece w/ Ishaa Vinod Chopra
Disrupting social justice themes through movement on audio clips of strings of poetry and prose drenched in Madness fusing it with Kathak- a North Indian Classical form. Utilizing abhinaya (expressions) , hastaks (hand movements) , taatkar (footwork) and swift pivots to convey underlying themes rooted in the lived experience of the performer. Themes of patriarchy, ableism, sanism, domestic abuse, expressive arts therapy, feminism, fat studies through a culturally sensitive lens.
Mutual Aid From the River to the Sea w/ EAT DIRT
EAT DIRT is committed to radical social and environmental justice, recognizing the deep link between ecological degradation and systemic oppression. Our work addresses the exploitation of land, labor, and life under imperialism, settler colonialism, and capitalism. We are fundraising mutual aid for Palestinian families via the sale of merchandise with themes of radical social, environmental justice, and expressive political art. Examples include screen-printed patches, wearable messaging, prints, and informational zines.
It Starts With YOU! w/ Owen Ross and Abdullah
We as members of society must actively seek out justice and solidarity for real change to happen. This wall symbolises everything that change seeks not to be: the immovable colonial force separating people and creating barriers to global justice—and it must be torn down! Inspired by separation walls globally, this art depicts the people’s desire for justice in light of fascism, colonialism, and apartheid. CHANGE STARTS WITH YOU.
I Promise We’re NICE zine by eddie & Mo
…is a zine that uses bills and policies surrounding border security to explore rising fascism while also tackling the long held myth of Canadian niceness, and a ‘multicultural safe haven’ that acts like rose coloured glasses painting fascist flags as ‘Canadian security’.
Pre-registration is now closed. You can still attend without pre-registering, but we cannot guarantee that your needs will be met.