Hong Kong’s anti-extradition movement has taken the world by storm, impressing and inspiring the global public with its energy, creativity and tenacity. This talk analyzes three “revolutionary” moments – re-imagining community, combating violence, and global city diplomacy – all in reaction to an increasingly repressive and aggressive Chinese regime. The objective is to highlight breakthroughs already achieved and envision possible challenges ahead.

‘An Improbable Revolution’ is the inaugural lecture of On the Frontlines of Democracy, a new public lecture series to analyze its prospects in the twenty-first century, conceived by Professor Sanjay Ruparelia, the Jarislowsky Democracy Chair at Ryerson University.

Around the world, democracies face serious challenges, old and new. Can we protect our constitutional democracies in an era of popular mistrust, severe partisanship and resurgent nationalism? Can they reduce inequalities of power, wealth and status, defend deep diversity and confront climate change in the new digital age? And can we develop innovative strategies to revitalize civic action and empower public institutions to renew the promise of democracy?

This is a first lecture in the Ryerson’s ‘On the Frontlines of Democracy’ lecture series.

About the speaker:

Ching Kwan Lee is Dr. Chung Sze-yuen Professor of Social Science at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Professor of Sociology at UCLA. Her latest books include The Specter of Global China: Politics, Labor and Foreign Investment in Africa (Chicago 2017) and Take Back Our Future: An Eventful Sociology of the Hong Kong Umbrella Movement (Cornell 2019).

This venue is fully wheelchair accessible. Please contact accessibility@ryerson.ca, opens in new window if you require any accessibility accommodations to ensure your full participation.