News

On Sunday, July 24, 10 refugee and immigrant women from the Waterloo Region performed their personal narratives in front of family, friends, and community members in the Chapel at Conrad Grebel University College. By developing their writing and performance skills throughout a 12-week workshop facilitated by local, professional artists, these women were given the opportunity to showcase their narratives in front of a live audience.

As COVID restrictions have lifted, the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement has become a livelier place with old faces returning and new ones joining. Among them are a number of students hired for co-op, internship, and volunteer positions by the Centre for Peace Advancement and its participants, particularly The Ripple Effect Education (TREE), Project Ploughshares, and ESGTree.

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) starts from the ground-up. This is why community-based research is vital in working toward these 2030 goals, as outlined by the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement has teamed up with the Centre for Community-Based Research (CCBR) to create resources on localizing the SDGs for grassroots communities, small start-ups, and community-based organizations.

The last four University of Waterloo Global Impact Reports have featured at least one story on a Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement participant. The journey of Cassie Myers, Founder and CEO of Grebel Peace Incubator participant Lunaria Solutions, was highlighted in 2022 issue for her team’s work on using data to advance diversity, equity and inclusion.

When the COVID-19 pandemic drove people around the world to shelter in their homes, building closures prompted reflection about what it means to be a church when the congregation is unable to gather. Systems mapping research developed in summer 2021 by Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (MCEC) and the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement reveals that faith-based relationships extend well beyond the structures that house them.

April 30 marked the culmination of the 2021-2022 Peace Innovators Scholarship and Mentoring program. Eleven students celebrated their community projects at the Peace Innovators Showcase with friends, family, and supporters held in the Grebel Gallery.

Last week, the University of Waterloo Map the System team demonstrated their systems thinking skills on a national stage. Map the System is a global pitch competition that asks students to apply systems thinking to complex social and environmental challenges. The winning team at the Waterloo campus final, made up of Calyssa Burke, Yawei (Selina) Han, Alex Petric, Janet Song Cornett-Ching, and Ayesha Zerin Tasnim, focused on understanding the root causes of the problem of housing inadequacy in Northern BC.

Between April and August 2022, the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement welcomes Victoria Lumax to the team as Interim Coordinator. Less than one month into her new role, Lumax’s confidence and expertise have enabled her to hit the ground running as she supports the Centre’s many initiatives and stakeholders. Having previously worked as the Centre’s Communications Assistant, Lumax is a testament to the potential of the Centre’s network to advance careers in an impactful way.   

As part of a thriving innovation ecosystem, the Grebel Peace Incubator at the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement provides students with opportunities to apply their knowledge beyond academia. Access to Mitacs funding and a diverse, collaborative network of innovators allows participants like Majid Mirza, Sean Campbell, and Brendan Wylie-Toal to pursue entrepreneurship and education at the same time, helping them bring their initiatives to market more efficiently and effectively. 

On Thursday, April 7th, 2022, the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement hosted the University of Waterloo’s Map the System campus finals for the fourth time, welcoming undergraduate and graduate students from all faculties to explore some of the world’s most pressing issues using systems-thinking methodologies.