In conversation with Colleen James, founder of Democracy In Action WR, on The Mike Farwell Show

The founder of the non-profit Democracy In Action Waterloo Region, Colleen James, appeared on The Mike Farwell Show Sept. 15 to chat ahead of the big launch date, the wavering thin line democracy stands on currently, and to encourage more community leaders to get involved.

Interview with Colleen James, Founder, Democracy In Action WR

Mike Farwell: “What are you trying to achieve here, Colleen?”

Colleen James: “We’re trying to showcase and empower individuals and organizations, shaping an informed, inclusive and thriving community. I think we need that, and we often hear from certain voices, but I’m like, there’s a lot happening here. Democracy, to me, is, I think, under threat; it’s under attack. It’s on a thin line. I want to provide a space for there to be resources, for there to be education, for there to be an opportunity to recognize sometimes the people we’re not hearing from — who are actually part of an engaged community. This really is about civic engagement, not so much the voting. We know there’s the get-out-the-vote. I think that comes later on, but first we need to really focus on how are we engaging each other in some of the challenges and finding solutions and doing it in a way that we’re not working in silos anymore. We’re bringing the sectors together.”

Mike Farwell: “So is the hope then here, Colleen, to bring and encourage more voices to come to these tables, to have these conversations?”

Colleen James: “Absolutely, that’s part of it. People are powerful. You know, people look to government and say, ‘Well, government’s going to fix it.’ We don’t know the answers to everything. And in the many conversations I have, I firmly believe that the solutions are right around us. Maybe they’re not speaking to us as elected officials, but they’re in the community, doing the work — democratic work. You’re Farwell4Hire, that’s democracy in action. You have an initiative. It has grown. It is engaging community, it is raising awareness — it’s an example of democracy in action, how we engage. Sometimes it looks like going to government and legislation, sometimes that engagement is that community building.”

Mike Farwell: “You launch officially with an event on Wednesday. What happens there to really help people become more aware of Democracy In Action?”

Colleen James: “That is where we will release fully what Democracy In Action is. But more importantly, there are groups and individuals who will be speaking about the work that they are doing, starting locally, building to one of the organizations that is expanding globally, and how their work is part of Democracy In Action.”

“I think we are in a critical time. Democracy means different things to different people, but at the end of the day, it’s about our communities. It’s about, you know, human rights, human dignity, but also, how do we engage in a way that we’re bringing people along.”

Mike Farwell: “What does democracy mean or look like to you?”

Colleen James: “We know that there are systems, but what are we doing? How do we work around and see organizations and individuals that are doing that, and they’re engaging in ways that you know are solving challenges? To me, that’s democracy. Yes, there’s the voting piece, but you know, I firmly believe people are good people, but sometimes it’s the systems that are problematic. So, how do we do this work about engaging communities and bring people together, break those silos down? I keep thinking that the few organizations, and all they said to me when I was speaking with them was, everybody’s working in different things, and how are we doing things together? So that is one of the things that they’ve worked hard for and are doing, and then you’ve got youth. I was just reading the Waterloo Region Community Foundation. I mean, there’s positive in there, but when you look at some of the data, especially around youth and mental health and belonging, it’s something that comes up all of the time. I think we really need to be paying attention to that. So I’ve been intentional to make sure that there are young people and post-secondary students who are part of this.”

Mike Farwell: “How, Colleen, do you go about doing this work through Democracy In Action Waterloo Region; breaking down those silos, drawing out those voices that, perhaps historically, have not been heard?”

Colleen James: “The reality is, you don’t do it alone. This is where you lean on community. There’s a lot of resources out there. There are a lot of things that are being done, and really, there needs to be a hub for all of this. Democracy In Action is saying, ‘You know what, I don’t know all the answers. We’ve got a strong team. They don’t know all the answers.’ But there are people, there are groups, there’s information. There’s an education piece here. So it is a collective, it’s a collaborative, and it’s coming together.”

Mike Farwell: “Colleen, if people were more encouraged or enthusiastic about seeking political office, would that be a good byproduct of something like this?”

Colleen James: “Yeah, I love to see people who are engaged in government and politics. I think this is part of it. You know, when was our civics class? They do something in Grade 5, maybe you have something in high school. I ask many people, do you even know what the Senate does? Most people have no idea that Sober Second Thought, has to go through the Senate. We don’t need to necessarily wait for some of these systems to teach us or educate us. We can do that ourselves. These organizations speaking on Wednesday are doing that themselves as well. And I mean, ultimately, if people are going to be involved and run for office and vote, you really need to know what is the system we’re going to run in, be in and also, where are there ways that we can work around the system to get better outcomes?”

Mike Farwell: “What would you say about your experience running for office for the first time?”

Colleen James: “The experience running is one thing; you’re knocking on doors, you’re meeting people, you’re hearing from people, and I’ll tell you, anytime you have something on your show, I hear from people — Okay, that’s engagement. You’re bringing people in. There’s a whole journalism element to Democracy In Action, too, that will be launched sooner because I think that’s very key and critical at this point in time. But as for my experience running, I enjoyed the experience, all the good, the bad. I think when it comes to systemic change, challenging systems, we’re working in systems that are deeply, deeply, deeply embedded in our society. But I don’t necessarily mean that’s a barrier; you can change things. I enjoy it. I love meeting with people, connecting with people and learning more. As a result of that, I’ve been able to say, ‘Wait a second, there’s something we can do differently here.'”

Mike Farwell: “How can people get involved?”

Colleen James: “They can follow us on Instagram, Democracy In Action Waterloo Region. Visit our website, and you can reach out to me. Come on Wednesday, we have made this barrier-free. I want everybody. This isn’t about political stripes or anything. This is about community engagement, and what do we need? And the answer is going to come from those who are involved, and it’s really calling out for people to get involved.”

Democracy In Action WR launch event details:
Kitchener Public Library
5:00–7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, September 17, 2025