Political leadership
Citizen participation
Public affairs journalism
Samara is an independent charitable organization that studies citizen engagement with Canadian democracy. Through our projects we hope to strengthen the health of our democracy and encourage others to do the same.
Samara was created in 2008 out of a belief in the importance of public service and public leadership. We are named for a samara, which is the winged "helicopter" seed that falls from maple, elm and ash trees.
Our work focuses on three areas: political leadership, the participation of citizens in public life, and public affairs journalism.
Learn more about our projects.
Read, watch or listen to media coverage of our work.
Read op-eds or other pieces we've contributed to the public debate.
Get involved or make a donation to strengthen Canada's democracy.