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Grebel's 60 Stories Project | Devon Spier is a 2012 PACS and Religious Studies graduate from the University of Waterloo, a bestselling author, theologian, and rabbi-to-be. They currently teach students to write their own theology through poems, prose, and digital images. A recipient of peacebuilding awards from YMCA and Interfaith Grand River, they were recently honoured by the Ontario Government with a "Leading Women, Building Communities" award. Devon's poetry books are currently used in religious communities and academic courses taught in Asia, Europe, and North America.

The number of Christian-affiliated Canadians has dropped by more than 200,000 people. 800,000 affiliates have left the United Church of Canada since 2011. Canada’s Catholic representation is down 15% since 1996 and statistics predict the Anglicanism could be gone by 2040. While a selection of media reports may sound daunting, is the situation really that dire?  

Brad is a member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in Saskatchewan and a survivor of the Sixties Scoop. In his distinguished career as a lawyer spanning more than 25 years, he was part of the legal team that successfully defended a challenge to a First Nation’s tax laws under the First Nations Fiscal Management Act, is a Partner for Maurice Law in Winnipeg, and is the first Indigenous lawyer to hold office as President of the Canadian Bar Association. Brad is also the Chair of the Indigenous Advisory Group for United College at the University of Waterloo and was recently appointed King’s Counsel by the Province of Manitoba.

Hundreds of UWaterloo staff, faculty and students gathered in the Arts Quad this past Wednesday to advocate and raise awareness for “The Urgency of Social Justice.” Initiated by the Arts Faculty and co-hosted by the Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) department and the Gender and Social Justice (GSJ) program, booths from various departments were setup with educational materials on gender, equality, equity, and social justice.  Dr. Laura Mae Lindo, former NDP Member of Provincial Parliament for Kitchener Centre, activist and UWaterloo Philosophy Professor, opened up the event with vitalizing words on racial equality.  

Grebel's 60 Stories Project | Ron Tiessen has lived for 44 years on Pelee island where he has farmed and led a variety of community initiatives, like the Heritage Centre. He and his wife Kathryn, also a retired teacher and native of Pelee Island, raised 3 boys there.  

The first week of September brought an atmosphere of excitement to Conrad Grebel University College as a new batch of Grebelites arrived at the residence, joined by their parents and greeted by enthusiastic upper-year students. A spirit of new possibilities could be felt in the air—a spirit that has been gracing Grebel’s doorstep for the last 60 years. 

Grebel's 60 Stories Project | Paul Born is the co-founder of the Tamarack Institute and for 20 years was the CEO/Co-CEO. An author of five books, he is also the co- founder of Vibrant Communities Canada. Paul is semi-retired and continues as a coach and trainer providing practical support to communities and organizations interested in achieving large-scale change. Paul is married to Marlene Epp and they have two sons, Lucas and Michael, and Daughter in laws, Betty and Laura. In his leisure time, Paul loves to volunteer in his community, cook Paella for large groups, visit with friends and go for long walks. He wishes he was a better golfer and plans to join the pickle ball craze. He is a member at Rockway Mennonite Church.

Grebel's 60 Stories Project | Hannah Redekop lived at Grebel from 2007-2010 and graduated from the Global Studies and Spanish Language and Literature programs at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2011. In 2013, she started full-time accompaniment and human rights documentation work with Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT) in Colombia. Hannah celebrated her 10th anniversary with CPT in 2023, working as a Communications Associate. She lives in Amman, Jordan with her partner Alaeddin Rahmeh. Together they founded Underground Amman, an arts and culture initiative that seeks to support and develop the hip hop and street art cultures in Amman through community-building events, activities, and jams, as well as a street art and graffiti walking tour. 

Grebel's 60 Stories Project | Mark Bender graduated from the Master of Mathematics program at the University of Waterloo in 1965 and completed further studies at Uppsala University. He now lives with his wife, Elsa, in Norrköping, Sweden. Mark retired from a long and fulfilling teaching career in Math and Physics in 2008. During his days as a retiree, Mark enjoys spending time with Elsa and his grandchildren, singing in Norrköping’s Chamber Choir, and exploring Sweden’s great outdoors.