Spring into Action

Spring into Action (formerly known as Social Justice Days) is an annual event series that is organized and funded by the Quebec Public Interest Research Group at McGill University (QPIRG-McGill) and the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU). Intended to stimulate an alternative political culture in the McGill community and beyond, Spring into Action is marking its 18th year with a week of workshops, discussions, film screenings, and social events engaging local and global issues. Spring into Action testifies to the diversity of critical political engagement on the McGill campus, and offers students concrete opportunities to get active in their community.

Spring into Action 2026: Common Thread

Spring into Action will take place this year from March 16-27, 2026, in collaboration with numerous students, community organizers, and organizations. This year’s theme, Common Thread, explores the connections between struggles that appear distant, the shared conditions that link them, and the responsibilities we hold to one another across borders, movements, and timelines.

How are conflicts connected? What is the common thread that keeps vulnerable people oppressed around the world? “Common Thread” reflects on how global oppression is tied to the same extractive goals and actors. Through the military-industrial complex, the same technologies of violence and erasure used against Black and Indigenous folk on Turtle Island are employed by the Zionist entity against Palestinians, driven by the same international corporations and financial institutions. Spring Into Action encourages us to reflect on the patterns interweaving our struggles that are more visible now than ever, and yet remain confusing and hard to untangle. 

“Common Thread” evokes not only how struggles are united, but also the generative process of mending and repair, of weaving together a fabric of solidarity and justice that emerges from these struggles. From the UN Security Council’s plan to install a puppet administration to “rebuild” Gaza, to Bill C-12, which threatens migrants and refugees with deportation and violence, we invite people to critically investigate narratives of “repair.” How do communities truly repair themselves after harm, who is given the legitimacy to rebuild, and how do dominant institutions use language to mask policies that preserve the status quo? Join us to demystify the structures of oppression that undergird our struggles, reflect on growing disillusionment with the powers that be, and imagine ways to disrupt the status quo.

Accessibility

This section is intended to provide basic information about accessibility measures for Spring into Action. If you have any additional accessibility needs or specific questions about these measures, please do not hesitate to contact us.

• All events are free and open to the public
• Information on wheelchair access and the locations of the nearest wheelchair accessible bathrooms are specified for each event.
• We will do our best to provide interpretation for other events with 72 hour notice, please email info@qpirgmcgill.org to request.
• Whisper translation between English and French will be available for all events with 72 hours notice, please email info@qpirgmcgill.org to request.
• We will do our best to provide alternate lighting to avoid strong, fluorescent lighting overhead. There will be no intentional flashing lights at events.
• If you have any particular needs around lighting, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by email at info@qpirgmcgill.org, or find QPIRG staff and volunteers at events!
• Masks and social distancing are strongly recommended for all of our in-person events. Masks and hand sanitizer will be provided at the door. We offer a hybrid option (online, on Zoom) for some of our events whenever possible.