News

“If you don’t have anything to compare your data with, you don’t know where you are standing at,” reflects ESGTree Customer Success and R&D Lead, Pedro Alguindigue. After wrapping up its first year of business in April, incubator participant ESGTree shared that client feedback prompted the platform to grow in new and exciting ways. Rather than stopping at creating an outstanding reporting platform, ESGTree is expanding its services to help users address the question “Now what?”

Friday, June 11^th 2021 marked the end of another cycle of the Map the System pitch competition. Teams from around the world dedicated their time and effort to addressing systems change in their local campus semi-finals, national finals, and finally the global showcase throughout 2021.

Sparked by anti-Black racism protests this past summer, the Centre for Peace Advancement team has been reflecting on our strengths and shortcomings as we work to confront and challenge white supremacy. Read Centre Coordinator, Michelle Jackett’s article in the Spring 2021 issue of Grebel Now.

On May 8, 2021, Founder and Executive Director of The Ripple Effect Education, Katie Gingerich, was recognized as an outstanding representation of the incredible peace work of Canadian women. Gingerich received the 2021 Kim Phúc Award for Youth Peace Leadership for her work supporting youth through conflict resolution. Following the award ceremony, staff from the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement caught up with Gingerich to discuss what the award means to her.

On May 5^th, the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement, The Ripple Effect Education (TREE) and Kindred Credit Union celebrated the 2020-2021 Peace Innovators Scholarship and Mentoring Program participants. Supporters of the program heard from students about the social issues they tackled, what they learned, and how they are going to continue to build peace in their communities.

On Friday May 7^th, 2021, eight teams of students from across Canada competed in the Map the System Canadian Finals for the chance to present their research on a global stage. For their incredible presentation and systematic investigation of the precarious foreign labour conditions in Malaysian palm oil plantations, Leah Feor, Ewomazino Iyanu Oluwa Odhigbo and Muhammed Ahsanur Rahim will be representing the University of Waterloo as one of four Canadian teams at the Map the System Global Finals from June 9-11.

From January to April 2021, the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement’s three-time returning co-op student took on a different kind of role. Kirsten Mosey’s fourth and final co-op term with the Centre emerged through the connections she made during her previous semesters as a Communications Assistant and Incubator Fellow.

Did you know that none of the Centre’s initiatives would be possible without support from our community? Donations are a key source of income for the Centre, which never would have existed if not for the generosity and ongoing support of the Kindred Credit Union and Conrad Grebel University College.

Many of Map the System’s 2021 competitors are participating from their homes this year, however that did not prevent the University of Waterloo’s campus finalists from tackling systemic issues on local, national, and global scales. Over 200 students applied to participate this year through the University of Waterloo, representing nearly one fifth of Canadian registrations!

Sunday, April 11^th marked the end of the season for Theatre of the Beat cast members and their latest production, Unmute. After 26 performances for audiences across Canada, sparking critical reflection and discussions about domestic violence and the role played by bystanders, Theatre of the Beat co-founder Kimberlee Walker is thrilled to announce that this is only the beginning for Unmute.