A Gift of Mentorship and Peace Incubation

Peace has been an important value in the lives of Aden and Joanne Bauman and their sons Barry, who passed away in 2016, and Michael. “Peace is a Mennonite thing,” observed Joanne. “Peace is important to our family, and our boys remember that their uncle Elias was a conscientious objector during WW II,” noted Aden.

Michael, who now lives in Concord, CA, has worked and volunteered at not-for-profits involved in peace and development work his entire life. Barry was a teacher by profession and was involved in shaping and mentoring young people to have a passion for making the world a better place. An active associate student at Grebel, he graduated with an Environmental Studies degree in 1992 and was very involved with the PACS program.
The family recently gave a gift of $100,000 to support the efforts of emerging peacemakers at Grebel’s Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement (CPA).

Half of this gift will establish the Barry Bauman Mentorship Fund in memory of Barry. This gift reflects his values and helps to positively impact the lives of others. “Barry cared about his students—cultivating their skills and interests to make the world a better place,” noted Joanne. “They appreciated learning from him, including through many memorable field trips to different cultural communities. Having a fund that focuses on mentoring young people reflects Barry’s values as a teacher.”

The Barry Bauman Mentorship Fund will concentrate programming resources on developing mentor relationships for Epp Peace Incubator participants. “Over the past three years we have learned that making connections with the right mentors is an absolutely crucial ingredient in the success of a peace start-up,” said CPA Director Paul Heidebrecht. “These resources will be used to both deepen and expand this dimension of the Epp Peace Incubator.” Whether it is providing strategic advice, introducing new community partners, or helping engage government, there are no shortage of ways that mentors have contributed.

Accessing capital to develop ideas is also critical at the early stages. The Peace Incubator Fund is a part of the CPA’s program that provides small seed funding for participants in the Frank and Helen Epp Peace Incubator. The other $50,000 of the Bauman gift will magnify the impact by adding substantially more investment funds for start-ups in the CPA.
“By matching all gifts up to $50,000, we are inviting others to join us in this endeavour,” said Michael. “This gift is established so that the funds are released as donations come in to the Peace Incubator Fund.” In this way, donors double their impact immediately to help emerging ventures in the Epp Peace Incubator develop. Early-stage—and risky—investments in areas like training, equipment, and pilot projects accelerates both learning and impact.