Making Sense of How Leaders Weaponize Gender to Advance Authoritarianism (October 7, 2025)

Across Europe and North America, authoritarian populist leaders are weaponizing narratives and policies related to gender identity, sexuality, and women rights to normalize and build a permission structure for authoritarianism and political violence. Is gender a red herring, a side issue, or another item in the culture wars? Or is it central to authoritarians’ efforts to consolidate power? How can we understand the mechanics of how gender is weaponized, what to do about it, and similarities and differences across countries? In this session, featuring Míriam Juan-Torres González and Stefánia Kapronczay, we come together to share a six-strategy framework that shows how authoritarian movements exploit gendered anxieties to divide society and opposition movements, launder and normalize social hierarchies, reshape cultural norms, and construct a threat—lately often in the form of so-called “gender ideology”—to justify extreme measures.

Making Sense of Resistance Tactics to Authoritarian Populism (Apr. 24, 2025)

Across the globe, democracy is under threat as authoritarian populists rise to power, capturing institutions, undermining the rule of law, and scapegoating marginalized communities. Yet history shows that resistance is possible. What can we learn from past struggles in the fight for both democracy and justice, whether successful or not? In this session, Zsuzsanna Szelényi, a Hungarian former member of parliament, foreign policy expert, and author of Tainted Democracy, Viktor Orbân and the Subversion of Hungary, and Scot Nakagawa, director at the 22nd Century Initaitve and a 42-year veteran of social and economic justice advocacy, come together for a conversation exploring global resistance tactics against authoritarian populism.

Making Sense of the Tech Oligarchy (February 26, 2025)

Elon Musk’s 2022 takeover of Twitter exemplifies a growing “tech oligarchy,” where tech leaders such as Musk and Mark Zuckerberg openly exert political influence for commercial gain. Facing increased regulation and shifting public opinion, these tech CEOs have allied with authoritarian populists, becoming key supporters of far-right infrastructure. Examples include Zuckerberg’s concessions to Trump, attacks on EU regulations, and Musk’s promotion of extremist figures. In this session, Forum Head of Research Miriam Juan Torres leads us in collectively sense-making the multiple strands of influence that tech oligarchs exert across Europe and the United States, how they intersect with political power, masculinity, climate change, and the rise of authoritarian populists.

Making Sense of the 2024 Elections: Trends, Surprises, and the Road Ahead (Nov. 20, 2024)

An illuminating conversation with OBI researchers Miriam Juan Torres and Joshua Clark as they break down the key outcomes of the 2024 U.S. election. Together, we examine major voting trends, unexpected results, and implications for the future of the global authoritarian populist movement, both domestically and around the world. This conversation uncovers learnings and essential takeaways that point toward what lies ahead in our journey to strengthen democracy and foster belonging in the US and beyond.

Sensemaking the EU Elections (June 21, 2024)

In this session the Forum’s Head of Research Míriam Juan-Torres guides us in understanding the election taking place across EU member states, and its implications for democracy & belonging in Europe, the US, and around the world. Questions we explore include: What were the major issues animating voters this year? What are the implications of the election results for the global far right? How do they differ across different countries? What does this mean for our work towards belonging without othering in the EU and beyond? And what is the role of bridging in the months to come?