Beyond Pride month in June, there are many opportunities to celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community throughout the year, for example, October marks 2SLGBTQIA+ history month. First celebrated in 1994 in Missouri, the month serves as an opportunity to reflect on how far the 2SLGBTQIA+ community has come and how far there still is to go.
In addition to the turning of the season, October marks Islamic Heritage month. Established in 2007 by the Canadian federal government, the month was created to provide an opportunity to honour the rich history of Islam, the diversity of Muslim communities across the country, and the many contribution of Muslims in Canada. As Mifrah Abid from the Coalition of Muslim Women of Kitchener-Waterloo shared with the Waterloo Record last year, “Islamic History Month is a way to bring back the focus and centre these voices. It’s also a time for Muslims to reaffirm themselves, to be who we are unapologetically.”
Friday September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day, an occasion to publicly commemorate and re-commit to the important work of building towards reconciliation with the diverse First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples who have called Turtle Island home since time immemorial. As a citizen of the settler state, living, working, and studying here, I am reminded on this National Day of Remembrance of the progress made but also of the distance we still have to go as we continually work to meaningfully address the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action published in 2015.
As the world grapples with the concept that our lives are interconnected and the systems we rely on are a complex network of causes and effects, systems thinking has continued to be important for advancing peace.
On August 29, Teresa Edge began serving as the Coordinator of the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement. Teresa comes from New Zealand, and first connected with the Centre in 2016 when she took a summer Peace and Conflict Studies course while doing her Masters in Economic Development and Innovation at the University of Waterloo.
Demine Robotics, a former Grebel Peace Incubator start-up stationed in both Cambodia and Canada, has left its mark around the world. With the goal of accelerating the clearance of landmine-infested land, Richard Yim, CEO & co-founder, Jared Baribeau, CTO & co-founder, have safeguarded 100,000 m2 (25 acres) of land containing explosive weapons in Cambodia.
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.