News

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.

For one year starting in March 2021, Emily Charron will be joining the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement as the Coordinator. It takes a special person to keep track of everything going on in the Centre’s community on top of promoting peace and personal growth. Fortunately, Charron is just the person to fill Michelle Jackett’s shoes during Jackett’s maternity leave.

On February 26^th, 2021, The Globe and Mail announced the recipients of its inaugural Report on Business Changemakers award. This new award celebrates the accomplishments of 50 entrepreneurs and academics who are working to create unique and equitable solutions to the world’s problems. The University of Waterloo and its entrepreneurial community were thrilled to see alumnus Cassie Myers recognized for her work as CEO and Founder of Lunaria Solutions.

The Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement, along with its partners, The Ripple Effect Education (TREE) and Kindred Credit Union, kicks off the next cycle of the Peace Innovators Scholarship and Mentoring Program on March 1, 2021 when the 2021-2022 application period opens. 

Despite worries that the COVID-19 pandemic might interfere with the ability of Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement participants to continue their peacebuilding efforts, transitioning to a virtual environment jump-started new innovation at established organizations and new peace start-ups alike. This February, The Ripple Effect Education (TREE) introduces a brand new virtual program: The Conflict Toolkit Cohort.

Friday, January 22^nd was a monumental day for many countries around the world as the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) became international law for over 51 states in 122 nations. More work needs to be done, but as Core Collaborator at the Centre, Project Ploughshares, explains in Five things to know about the nuclear ban treaty, the TPNW is “the most consequential nuclear disarmament development in decades”.

Affordable housing is becoming harder and harder to find. Union Sustainable Development Co-operative, the newest member of the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement’s Epp Peace Incubator program, is addressing this problem by helping Waterloo Region build the city—or rather, the home—they truly want, together.

As students and working professionals struggle to find employment in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Conrad Grebel University College and the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement (the Centre) have increased their opportunities for meaningful work. Past and present participants can attest that the benefits of working at the Centre extend beyond the workplace.

In response to Kindred Credit Union's call to generosity this holiday season, the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement got creative about how to give back to its local community.

For the past three years, for twelve consecutive days in December, the Centre has joined eleven other local organizations in participating in “acts of good” during #12Days4Good, a social media campaign led by Kindred Credit Union. The Centre kicked off the 2020 campaign on December 7 with the release of an online Peacebuilders’ Inspiration Toolkit.