LeftForward at the Global Progressive Mobilisation

As the world faces critical turmoil, the Global Progressive Mobilisation (GPM) offers a necessary alternative to conservative and far-right forces. This platform aims to make progressive solutions visible and credible, proving they are the key to humanity’s prosperity. By uniting regions and generations, we will defend democracy and advance social justice. That is why we will come together in Barcelona, Spain, on 17–18 April 2026 for the inaugural Global Progressive Mobilisation — to turn conviction into action and ambition into results.

LeftForward is hosting two side events at the Global Progressive Mobilisation in partnership with the Global Progress Foundation. The first looks at what a progressive migration agenda can look like in the 2020s, using Spain’s recent large-scale regularisation of undocumented people as a practical reference. The second turns to technology and AI—how progressives can treat digital tools not only as a risk to manage but as infrastructure for organising, narrative power and durable democratic engagement.

The Future of Human Mobility: Spain’s Example and the Path to a Progressive Migration Agenda

When & where: Saturday 18 April 2026, 11:00–12:00 · Dolores Huerta

Migration remains one of the defining political and moral challenges of the 2020s. Across continents, the far right has weaponized the issue to erode democratic norms and advance exclusionary agendas—from the mass deportations of the Trump era in the United States to the rise of populist movements in Europe. Too often, progressive voices have found themselves reacting within frames set by their opponents rather than advancing a confident, alternative vision.

This conversation aims to chart a new course. Progressives must move beyond the false binary of “compassion versus control” and instead articulate a migration governance agenda that stands on both rights and responsibility, regularity and integration, labor market pragmatism and humanitarian commitment.

Spain’s recent initiative to regularize approximately 500,000 undocumented people, framed around human rights, integration, coexistence, and economic growth, has resonated globally. It shows that bold, values-based migration reforms are both possible and broadly supported when paired with clear communication and credible policy design.

The discussion will bring together perspectives from both origin and destination countries across the Atlantic to explore:

  • Reframing the narrative: How can progressives communicate on migration without ceding ground to the far right? What lessons from the 2024 U.S. elections can inform this effort globally?
  • Policy innovation: From Spain’s reformed migration framework to Canada’s refugee resettlement tradition, what policy models best combine regularity, integration, and shared prosperity?
  • Global South perspective: How do origin and transit countries view current European and North American debates? What does genuine partnership look like beyond enforcement-first externalization?

Speakers

Related work: Building Consent for Migration and Asylum →

Technology for Progressive Power in the Age of AI Politics

When & where: Friday 17 April 2026, 17:00–18:00 · Nelson Mandela

This session is by registration only. Register for the political tech panel

Technology is often associated with surveillance, manipulation, polarization and disinformation and misinformation, and is widely used by anti-democratic, authoritarian and extreme-right forces. Yet the same tools can be turned to our advantage to strengthen progressive, values-driven organizations and build lasting political power.

The progressive movement faces an asymmetric challenge, but also a strategic opportunity. The question is how to deploy technology not just as a set of tools, but as infrastructure for progressive power across public debate, governance and democratic participation—and how to do so in ways that are consistent with our values.

Digital platforms and AI can still supercharge grassroots mobilization and public engagement when used deliberately. Social media, data and generative AI systems can help grow supporter communities, test and refine narratives, and sustain always-on communication that challenges extreme-right frames and counters disinformation and misinformation in public life.

This side event will focus on how progressives can turn technology and AI into a competitive advantage, not just a threat to manage. We will look at the progressive tech gap, emerging efforts to close it, and practical ways to build a coherent ecosystem that links media, organizing, and governance—using digital tools and AI proactively to organize supporters, shape the agenda, and build durable influence over the direction of our societies.

Speakers

Related work: Technology for Progressive Power →