Canada faces a defining moment:

Canada faces a defining moment: Prime Minister Mark Carney warned at Davos on 20 January 2026 that we are “in the midst of a rupture” in the rules‑based international order, and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) is urgently needed to ensure our civil liberties and Charter‑protected freedoms are not sacrificed to short‑term security or economic pressures.

Dear Friend of Civil Liberties,

When Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos on 20 January 2026, he used a single word that should wake every Canadian: “rupture.” He described a world where great‑power rivalry and economic coercion are reshaping the rules that once protected open markets, collective security, and the rights of ordinary people.

In times like these, governments and institutions often reach for extraordinary powers in the name of security or economic survival. Left unchecked, those powers can erode the very freedoms that define our democracy.

The CCLA exists to stop that erosion. For more than six decades we have defended freedom, equality, and the rule of law, standing up in courts, in communities, and in classrooms to protect the rights guaranteed by the Charter and to hold power to account.

Our work ranges from challenging overbroad surveillance and policing practices to defending democratic and equality rights when governments push the boundaries through legislation or the use of emergency powers. Our mandate is not abstract — it is the practical safeguard that keeps Canadians free to speak, assemble, worship, and live without unfair and disproportionate government intrusion.

Prime Minister Carney’s warning is a call to action for middle powers like Canada to adapt without surrendering our values. Adaptation must not mean trading away civil liberties for a promise of security or economic advantage. It must mean building resilience that preserves human rights while responding to new threats. That is precisely what CCLA does: we litigate, we educate, and we mobilize public pressure so that policy responses are proportionate, rights‑respecting, and transparent.

Right now, your support will determine whether CCLA can meet the moment. We need resources to intervene in court cases, to challenge unlawful surveillance and emergency measures, and to provide public education so Canadians understand their rights when governments claim exceptional powers. Your gift today will help ensure that the “rupture” Carney described does not become an excuse to normalize rights‑curtailing practices.

Will you stand with us? A donation of $50, $100, $250 or any amount you choose will help fund legal interventions and public education campaigns that protect the Charter for everyone. Please give what you can to ensure that Canada’s response to global instability is guided by the rule of law and rights, not fear.

Thank you for defending the freedoms that make Canada a just and open society. Together, we can ensure that adaptation to a changing world strengthens — rather than weakens — our democratic values.

Sincèrement,

Howard Sapers
Directeur exécutif
Association canadienne des libertés civiles

P.S. The rupture is real; our response must be principled. Your support today keeps civil liberties at the centre of Canada’s choices.