Five years ago, Kindred Credit Union (formerly Mennonite Savings and Credit Union) Centre for Peace Advancement opened its doors. The grand opening coincided with the International Day of Peace, September 21st, foreshadowing the local and global role that the Centre for Peace Advancement would soon play.
Hi there! We’re Hannah and Grace, this term’s PeaceTech Living-Learning Community (LLC) peer leaders. We are very excited for what we have planned this Fall and to share reflections from our community with you throughout the term.
Kris Braun, VP of Engineering at Bonfire, was a guest speaker in my Engineering and Peace class last week, and shared the inspiring story of how they hired a Syrian refugee named Mohammed Hakmi through a new program called Talent Beyond Borders. You can watch the video of Kris’s talk at Communitech’s True North conference last summer here.
Every year, on September 21, the world celebrates the International Day of Peace. Established by the United Nations in 1981, Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to peace above all differences and to build a culture of peace. Inspired by this initiative, the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement at Conrad Grebel University College invites students, staff, and faculty at the University of Waterloo to attend peace events from September 16 to 22.
There is never a shortage of PeaceTech-related events to attend, either on our campus or in our wider community.
The Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement is excited to be supporting the newly launched PeaceTech Living-Learning Community at Conrad Grebel University College. For the past several years we have connected with Grebel students enrolled in a range of academic programs who are eager to reflect critically on the impact of technology on our world, and are yearning to apply their creativity to advance peace.
Since 2016, the Centre for Peace Advancement has been privileged to welcome participants from Mennonite Central Committee's International Volunteer Exchange Program (IVEP). IVEP is a year-long volunteer work and cultural exchange for young adults. Since its establishment in 1950, IVEP has emphasized peacemaking and building understanding across cultures.
Written by Hannah Hill, former Incubator Fellow at the Centre for Peace Advancement
Written by Hannah Hill, former Incubator Fellow at the Centre for Peace Advancement
When I was in high school, I always saw university as the next step for me. I was interested in both business and environmental studies and wanted to combine these disciplines with a co-op program. I knew the University of Waterloo was known as the “entrepreneurship school” and had tons of resources available for students who have an idea and want to put wheels to it.
This reflection was written by Suyeon Kang, International Volunteer Exchange Program Participant from South Korea 2018-2019.
“Whatever you expect, you will experience beyond your imagination.”