Many countries and organizations around the world celebrate Peace Week every year. In Waterloo Region, the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement at the University of Waterloo hosts a community calendar to help spread peace and connect people across the region. It features a mix of in-person and online events happening locally between International Day of Peace on September 21st and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th.
The theme of the 2026 International Day of Peace is Invest in Peace — For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day. In a time when humans, animals, and the environment are facing what can easily feel like unpredictable or unavoidable conflict and hardships, the United Nations seeks to remind each of us that "peace is more than the absence of war, it is the foundation necessary to collectively tackle humanity's challenges. It is the lived experience of safety, dignity, opportunities, and cooperation in our daily lives," and it is shaped by everyone, everywhere, every day." The 2026 theme honours the "everyday architects of peace" that take action — no matter how big or small — to show up, speak out, and stand strong for peace.
For Peace Week 2026, the Centre invites our community to #InvestInPeace by hosting or taking part in events that advance peace and that support the people using local action and long-term thinking to create sustainable systems and lasting peace.
Peace Week 2026
The Community Calendar of events for Peace Week 2026 will be launching here soon, so make sure to submit your event today!
10 Day Peace Challenge
SEPTEMBER 9 - SEPTEMBER 18
Online daily from 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM (EST)
Join Heartfulness Institute Canada online for one hour over ten days of reflection, meditation, conversation and practical tools to cultivate peace within ourselves. Then, then let it ripple out into our communities.
Everyone is invited to cultivate calmness, compassion, and connection with meditation and mindfulness guidance from voices across Buddhist practice and multi-faith traditions. Successful participants will receive a Peace Ambassador 2026 award at the in-person closing event on September 20th at Maureen Forrester Recital Hall, Wilfrid Laurier University.
Peace Ambassador Community Celebration
SEPTEMBER 20, 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Maureen Forrester Recital Hall, Wilfrid Laurier University. 75 University Avenue W, Waterloo, ON.
Celebrate Peace Week with your local Heartfulness community and Special Guests Bhaktimarga Swami of ISKCON and Raj Sookha of Brahma Kumaris. Following the 10-day online Peace Challenge, participants and supporters are invited to come together at this in-person event to recognize this year's Peace Ambassadors and Champions.
Anyone who completed all 10 days of the online challenge will receive a Peace Ambassador 2026 award. Visit the event registration page to see the full programme of activities.
All Nations Grand River Water Walk
SEPTEMBER 21, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
In-person day trip around Six Nations, ON
The Ripple Effect Education (TREE) & Mennonite Central Committee Ontario (MCCO) are partnering to take a small group of university students on a day trip to participate in the All Nations Grand River Water Walk. This will be an educational opportunity as well as an act of Respect and Reconciliation. To learn more about the All Nations Grand River Water Walk please visit the Grand River Water Walk website.
Students must be:
- 18 years of age or older
- able to walk long distances
- have good walking shoes
- able to bring their own drinking water, snacks, and lunch
- free to attend a pre-walk meeting on Friday, September 18th, from 12 - 1pm at Conrad Grebel Private Dining Room (pizza lunch provided)
- free from approximately 10am–5pm on Monday, September 21st
- aware that they will be driven to, and accompanied by, staff from TREE and MCC, somewhere approximately around Six Nations, Ontario, and expected to walk quietly and respectfully for 3–4 hours, knowing that some flexibility is required due to the ever-evolving details of the walk from day to day
If you have any questions before you sign up, please contact Laurel Boytim at: laurel@therippleeffecteducation.ca. Register to join TREE and MCCO on this river walk by scanning the QR code in the graphic or clicking the linked registration form.
What to Expect from a Restorative Justice Process as a Survivor of Sexual Harm
SEPTEMBER 21, 11:00 AM-12:00 PM (EST)
Free Virtual Webinar
Have you ever been curious about what happens in a restorative justice process for survivors of sexual harm? Are you interested in learning more about restorative justice to help you or someone you care about decide if it could be a helpful process?
This webinar is intended to demystify what happens in a restorative process by providing survivors of all genders, as well as their supporters, an overview of Community Justice Initiatives (CJI)'s restorative justice approach to sexual harm. In this one-hour session, you will learn the values that are foundational to this work, but also the practical steps that survivors can choose to move through as they work with facilitators to prepare for a conversation about the harm they experienced. The webinar format allows for anonymous participation.
There will be time allotted for questions at the end of the 45-minute presentation.
Project Ploughshares 50th Anniversary Gala
SEPTEMBER 21, 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Federation Hall, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON
Please join us to celebrate 50 years of Project Ploughshares building peace and pay tribute to the people who have made - and continue to make - it all possible.
Featuring dinner and a keynote from Lloyd Axworthy, this fundraiser will support the continuation of our important work for global peace and security, needed now more than ever.
Tickets must be purchased in advance for this paid, in-person event.
Wear Peace, Share Peace
SEPTEMBER 22, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Atrium, Conrad Grebel University College, 140 Westmount Road North Waterloo
What does peace look like to you? What does it feel like? How do our identities and experiences shape the way we understand peace?
Join The Ripple Effect Education (TREE) for an interactive community art experience during Peace Week! Drop by our booth and contribute to a collaborative art piece exploring identity, belonging, and what peace looks and feels like in our lives and communities.
Everyone is welcome to contribute, reflect, and add their own piece to our collective vision of peace. You can also learn more about TREE’s peace education work and purchase some TREE swag to support our programming.
No registration required, just drop by and get creative!
What Victims and Survivors Need from Restorative Justice
SEPTEMBER 22, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (EST)
Free Virtual Webinar
This webinar will share key findings from Community Justice Initiatives’ Victim-Initiated Restorative Responses literature review, exploring how victims and survivors are understood within restorative justice and what best practices can support more victim-centred approaches. Participants will reflect on survivor choice, safety, dignity and self-determination, while considering how practitioners, agencies and systems can create more meaningful pathways for healing and accountability.
AI and the SDGs: Promise, Challenge and Community Impact
SEPTEMBER 23, 12:00-1:00 PM (EST)
Free Zoom Webinar
Artificial intelligence is changing how we approach the world's most pressing challenges and Canada has a distinct role to play in shaping that future. From advancing health and education to strengthening climate resilience and food security, AI holds real promise for accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. But that promise comes with hard questions about equity, energy use, data governance, and who ultimately benefits.
Join us for a conversation that bridges theory and practice. Our speakers will share their perspectives on the promises and the challenges of AI for sustainable development, drawing on the technical realities of how these systems are actually built and how they can be put to work to advance community goals here in Canada and beyond.
Gidinawendamin/Ska’nikú•lát 23rd Annual Pow Wow
SEPTEMBER 26, 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
University of Waterloo, Colombia Icefield (CIF), Outdoor Field 7220 Columbia St W, Waterloo ON
Hosted by the Office of Indigenous Relations at the University of Waterloo, this one-day celebration of Indigenous heritage features vendors, dancers, and singers from the Waterloo region and beyond. Join us as we celebrate Indigenous culture and tradition through song, dance, arts, and cuisine. Gidinawendamin/Ska’nikú•lát Pow Wow is intended to be a safe, welcoming, and vibrant opportunity for Indigenous and non-Indigenous folks from the UWaterloo community and beyond to gather in celebration.
We welcome everyone to join. Admission is free.
Pow Wow Schedule
- 8:00 AM: Vendor set up begins
- 9:00 AM: Dancer check in begins
- 10:00 AM: Doors open (welcome!)
- 12:00 PM: Grand entry and opening ceremony
- 12:30 PM: Dance categories begin
- 5:00 PM: Retiring of flags and closing ceremony
- 5:30 PM: Pow Wow ends
In Conversation with MT Space: Behind the Scenes as an Arts Presenter
SEPTEMBER 26, 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St N, Kitchener, ON
Go behind the curtain with MT Space, an intentionally multicultural arts organization working to centralize marginalized voices, address social issues, and nurture vibrant intercultural communities in and through the arts. At this Peace Week event moderated by Pam Patel, Artistic Director of MT Space, art presenters will reveal how they build seasons and the decisions that shape what audiences see on stage.
Join arts programmers from across the region for a candid conversation about how programming decisions are made, from selecting artists and building seasons to navigating negotiations and audience expectations. Panellists will share behind-the-scenes stories, insights, and lessons learned from their experiences working in the performing arts. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage directly with presenters during an interactive Q&A session.
Featured panellists:
- Isabel Cisterna – Artistic Director of Neruda Arts
- Sam Varteniuk – Executive Director of the Registry Theatre
- Eric Lariviere – Executive Director of Centre In The Square
- Danny Harvey - Director of Programming at Centre In The Square
- James Sommerville – Artistic Advisor of the KW Symphony
Reserve your spot to attend this free, in-person event.
Open Rehearsal with Unwrap Theatre
SEPTEMBER 26, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
First United Church, 16 William St W, Waterloo, ON
Step inside the rehearsal room and experience a sneak peek of mixed(er), a comedic coming-of-adulthood story exploring identity, family, and belonging.
Presented by MT Space, go behind the scenes of mixed(er), an upcoming comedy from Unwrap Theatre. During this special open rehearsal, you’ll get a sneak peek of this MT Space season opener as well as experience the creative processes as artists bring scenes to life.
This open rehearsal is a drop-in session for the public. You can join this free, in-person event anytime between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM.
Waterloo Count(r)y Peace Work 101
SEPTEMBER 29, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Kitchener Public Library Central Meeting Room D, 85 Queen St N, Waterloo ON
In this fourth annual Peace Week offering from the Home Range Generator & Story Kitchen, founder Dr. Marinus de Groot will present a proposal for a new kind of lifelong "learning by doing" survey course.
Community members are welcome to attend this in-person event from 6:30 PM when doors to Room D open. No registration is required.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
SEPTEMBER 30, 7:00 AM - 12:30 PM
BC Matthews Hall (BMH) Green, 20908 Ring Road, Waterloo ON
In September 2022, the University of Waterloo made a commitment to reconciliation, Indigenization, and decolonization across our institution. Since then, the UWaterloo community has continued to build meaningful relationships with Indigenous Peoples and communities, guided by respect, reciprocity, and a shared commitment to advancing truth and reconciliation through learning and action.
All ceremonies will start and end at the B.C. Matthews Hall (BMH) Green. The entire University community is welcome to attend these and observe free, in-person ceremonies throughout the day as their schedule allows. Please RSVP for all of the components you plan to attend.
Approximate Schedule of Events:
- 7:00 AM - Sunrise Ceremony
- 10:00 AM - Commitment Polishing Ceremony
- 11:00 AM - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Walk
- 12:00 PM - Closing Remarks, Drumming, and Round Dance
50 Years of Turning Swords Into Ploughshares
JUNE 23–SEPTEMBER 30, WEEKDAYS, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Grebel Gallery, Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement
4th floor of Conrad Grebel University College, 140 Westmount Road N, Waterloo, ON
Come see some of the people and partners, art and archival materials that have contributed to Project Ploughshares' peace and disarmament efforts over the last 50 years. Ploughshares' current research and advocacy, which focuses on Canada's role in the arms trade, outer space security, and technology in warfare, is more critical than ever!
50 Years of Turning Swords Into Ploughshares offers glimpses into the people and partners, as well as the research and campaigns that have made key contributions to peace and disarmament efforts in Canada and around the world. Visit the Grebel Gallery website to learn more about the gallery and this exhibit.
This free, in-person exhibit is leaving the Grebel Gallery after September 30th, so don't miss your chance to see it by dropping by or booking a tour. To request a guided or group tour, contact the Centre for Peace Advancement's Program Assistant by email.