Peace Week | Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement

This year the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement once again marked Peace Week by hosting a public community calendar of events and activities.

Kicking off with the International Day of Peace on September 21st and culminating with the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th, Peace Week was a time for reflection, learning, and community building.

#PeaceWeek2023

Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981, the International Day of Peace was intended to strengthen the ideals of peace through observing 24 hours of nonviolence and cease-fire.

This year’s theme announced by the UN was Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for the #GlobalGoals:

It is a call to action that recognizes our individual and collective responsibility to foster peace. Fostering peace contributes to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals will create a culture of peace for all.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said, “Peace is needed today more than ever. War and conflict are unleashing devastation, poverty, and hunger, and driving tens of millions of people from their homes. Climate chaos is all around. And even peaceful countries are gripped by gaping inequalities and political polarization.”

2023 marks the mid-point in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2023 observance of the International Day of Peace coincides with the SDG summit (18 – 19 September) to mark the mid-point milestone.

The SDGs aim to bring us closer to having more peaceful, just, and inclusive societies, free from fear and violence. But without the buy-in and contribution of a wide range of actors including the 1.2 billion young people alive, the goals will not be achieved. We invite you to join the United Nations’ call to take action for peace: fight inequality, drive action on climate change, and promote and protect human rights.

2023 is also the 75th anniversaries of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide. IDP 2023 encourages all youth to be ambitious in their engagement as positive and constructive social agents, to join the movement to reach the SDGs and contribute to building sustainable peace. Together we can help to lead our world towards a greener, more equitable, just, and secure future for all.

Peace Week 2022

The theme of Peace Week 2022 was 'End Racism. Build Peace'. It built towards the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th. You can read CPA student staff member Emma's Reflections on Truth and Reconciliation and see the full Peace Week 2022 calendar of events.

Peace Week 2021

The CPA marked Peace Week through a series of publications and community events that invited participants to reflect on the challenges faced over the course of the pandemic and look forward with hope and a vision for the fututre. It centered around our fall 2021 exhibit, Not Traumatic Enough for a Shock Blanket.

The theme for the United Nation's International Day of Peace 2021 was "Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world". The CPA believes that we can recover by being in community with one another. As a community, we can acknowledge the ways in which we may have developed or changed, and better support one another through transition back to in-person activities.

Peace Week 2020

The theme for the United Nation’s International Day of Peace 2020, "Shaping Peace Together,” calls us to unity, collaboration, and kindness in the face of the violence and isolation we are seeing in our world right now. This call for connection resonates with the Centre for Peace Advancement community, which is catalyzing meaningful connection around issues of justice and peace.

Beginning during Peace Week 2020, the Centre for Peace Advancement will be hosting conversations with participants, partners, and staff that highlight peacebuilding journeys at the heart of the Centre. These stories will be shared with the broader community through short, documentary-style videos throughout the Fall of 2020.

Peacebuilder's Circle Series Ep. 1

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Peacebuilder's Circle Series Ep. 2

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Peacebuilder's Circle Series Ep. 3

View on YouTube

Peace Week 2019

Students chatting in Grebel's atrium at the Centre for Peace Advancement's 5th Anniversary celebration

Peace Week 2019 hosted the largest community calendar for Waterloo Region with 14 different events spread over a week, culminating in the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement's 5th Anniversary celebration.

Peace Week 2018

Paul Heidebrecht shaking hands with Heng-Gil Han in the backlit Grebel Gallery

Peace Week 2018 was made up of 13 community events, including the Grebel Gallery Exhibit Launch for A New Era of Peace and a Peaceful Land.

Peace Week 2017

The Centre for Peace Advancement began to coordinate the community calendar for Peace Week in 2017. Opening up the calendar to broader community events increased participation with Waterloo Region residents.

Peace Week 2016

In 2016, the Centre for Peace Advancement contributed to the Grebel community calendar, and celebrated The Ripple Effect Education (TREE) launch.

Peace Week 2015

The Centre for Peace Advancement worked alongside Grebel in 2015 to implement a calendar of events with expressions of peace from different departments and partners within the college.

Peace Week 2014

Peace Week began in 2014 when Conrad Grebel University College initiated a series of community events for the week surrounding the International Day of Peace, culminating in the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement's official launch.