WATERLOO, ON --President Susan Schultz Huxman at Conrad Grebel
After more than a decade of being located at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in uptown Waterloo, Ontario, Project Ploughshares will be returning to the place of its birth. Ploughshares’ office was located at Grebel from its founding in 1976 until 2002.
This move became possible because of the generosity of the Mennonite Savings and Credit Union (MSCU) $1 million gift to Grebel to establish the MSCU Centre for Peace Advancement (CPA) on the fourth floor of Grebel’s current building project.
Project Ploughshares will become an anchor partner in the MSCU CPA, which will also provide a new home for Grebel graduate students, peace organization start-ups, artists, musicians, and visiting scholars. Participants in the MSCU Centre for Peace Advancement will be part of a collaborative network of individuals and organizations that provide mentoring and initiate ideas to foster creative peacemaking.
In welcoming Ploughshares’ return, Schultz Huxman said she looked forward to deepening the collaboration that already exists with the Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) program and other Grebel programs. PACS professor Nathan Funk, who sits on the Ploughshares Governing Committee, noted the ongoing contribution of Ploughshares staff to Grebel courses as guest lecturers.
Former President Frank Epp encouraged Ploughshares’ co-founder Ernie Regehr in 1976 to establish this ecumenical peace advocacy and disarmament NGO at Grebel. Epp also suggested the name, which is taken from Isaiah 2:4 – “they will beat their swords into ploughshares.”
The Governing Committee of Project Ploughshares also has committed to contributing $35,000 to the Next Chapter fundraising campaign. “This gift to Grebel is a symbol of our partnership and will be recognized by naming the meeting room in the MSCU Centre for Peace Advancement for Ernie and Nancy Regehr, who played such a key role in the establishment and growth of Project Ploughshares,” said Siebert.
As an operating agency of the 25 member Canadian Council of Churches, Project Ploughshares has established a world-wide reputation for providing evidenced-based research and practical policy recommendations to advance peace and disarmament.
Founded in 1963 by Ontario Mennonites, Conrad Grebel University College is a Christian liberal arts college affiliated with the University of Waterloo. The College’s mission is “to seek wisdom, nurture faith and pursue justice and peace in service to church and society.” Conrad Grebel’s core values include inspired teaching, scholarly excellence, compassionate service, community building, active peacemaking and global engagement. These are expressed through the academic and student life programs.
For further information contact:
President Susan Schultz Huxman
Conrad Grebel University College
Tel: 519 885-0220 x24237
John Siebert
Executive Director Project Ploughshares
Tel: 519 888-6541 x7702
Cell: 519 591-3227
Fred W. Martin
MSCU CPA Start-up Manager
Conrad Grebel University College
Tel: 519 885-0220 x24381
Conrad Grebel University College
140 Westmount Road North
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G6
519-885-0220 | grebel@uwaterloo.ca | grebel.ca