Research highlights

Ernie Regehr, O.C., authors the article as part of the Arctic Security Briefing Papers. He writes the paper series in his work as the Senior Fellow in Arctic Security and Defence at The Simons Foundation.

"Remotely piloted vehicles' get frequent mention in last spring’s Canadian defence policy statement. They are characterized as integral to a range of new capabilities to be acquired by the army, air force, and navy, as bringing new operational sophistication to the armed forces, as enhancing joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities in the Arctic, and as enabling precision strikes. But don’t expect to see prominent military drone operations in Canada’s high north any time soon – it’s a foreboding environment, adapting models to the north’s unique geography and climatic conditions will take time and money, the advantages are not self-evident, and, what should be top of mind, the international community has yet to agree on credible international standards for the responsible transfer and use of drones."

Canada, the Arctic, and the Expanding World of Drones (PDF)

This issue covers the work of the authors at the Global Mennonite Peacebuilding Conference and Festival held June 9-12, 2016 at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario. The papers are presented under the theme "Global Mennonite Peacebuilding: Exploring Theology, Culture, and Practice".

"The Conrad Grebel Review (CGR) is a multi-disciplinary peer-reviewed journal of Christian inquiry devoted to advancing thoughtful, sustained discussions of theology, peace, society, and culture from broadly-based Anabaptist/Mennonite perspectives. It is published three times a year."

The issue can be read on the journal's website.

Project Ploughshares publishes 2017 report on trends and developments in space, in collaboration with its partner institutions, including The Simons Foundation, McGill University Institute of Air and Space Law, Research Unit for Military Law and Ethics at the University of Adelaide, George Washington University Space Policy Institute, and Xi’ian Jiaotong University School of Law.

"The Space Security Index is the first and only annual, comprehensive and integrated assessment of space security. The project seeks to provide a policy-neutral fact base of trends and developments in space security based on primary, open-source research in an annual report."

The Index report can be obtained on the project's website.

"Developing innovation capacity within our communities and the non-profit sector has now become a strategic imperative. With the array of complex challenges now confronting communities, the solutions we need will not be found by simply making incremental changes to our current programs and approaches."

"In this paper, Sylvia Cheuy explores community innovation - a unique form of social innovation that is place-based within the specific geography of a community."

The Community Innovation Imperative Paper (PDF)

A preceding paper for Tamarack’s Community Change Institute "Cities of the Future: Co-Creating Tomorrow" held in Vancouver, Canada from September 25-29, 2017

"Authentic community change moves at the speed of trust. And yet, we spend so little time and focus on intentionally building trust amongst partners. This paper explores the intricacies of trust, how to build it and what to do when trust is broken."

Turf, Trust, Co-creation and Collective Impact Paper (PDF)

The summary report of "War or Peace in Cyberspace: Whither International Cyber Security" Conference held in Waterloo, Ontario, on May 24, 2018. This report prepared by Stephanie MacLellan highlights some of the key themes emerging from the discussions.

The conference was made possible by The Simons Foundation Canada's support, along with other sponsors, including the Balsillie School of International Affairs, Project Ploughshares, the Canadian Pugwash Group, and the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement at Conrad Grebel University College.

Cyber Security Conference Report (PDF)

Good intentions. Good ends. Failure. People usually assume peacebuilding is morally good because well-intentioned people are pursuing good ends. Likewise, reconciliation. But, what happens when the moral values that drive peacebuilding become a problem?

Reina Neufeldt explores how moral and ethical claims that are intrinsic to peacebuilding can contribute to failure and can be part of transformational engagement. Her research is featured in 2017 Benjamin Eby Lecture, an annual lecture that presents the research of a faculty member at Conrad Grebel University College. It is named after Benjamin Eby (1785-1853), an early educator and Mennonite church leader in Waterloo County.

Reina Neufeldt’s research interests include the ethics of peacebuilding, civil society peacebuilding, the relationship between peacebuilding and development, ethno-national conflict, reflective practice, monitoring and evaluation. She has worked with a number of nongovernmental organizations on peacebuilding, including Catholic Relief Services and Mennonite Central Committee. She is currently an advisory board member for the Peacebuilding Evaluation Consortium (PEC) and serves on Project Ploughshares’ governing committee. A professor in the Peace and Conflict Studies program at Conrad Grebel University College, University of Waterloo, she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on research, ethics, development and peacebuilding, as well as music, peace and conflict, and the quest for peace in literature and film.