University of Waterloo Affirms the Urgency for Social Justice
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.
Conrad Grebel University College’s PACS booth was buzzing with questions from interested students. “We want to raise awareness of the PACS Department undergraduate and graduate program, and the different ways students can be involved with the Department,” said Ndagire Brendah, PACS Undergraduate Academic and Administrative Officer. “There are many available scholarship opportunities that the PACS/MPACS program offers to help all students pursue peace education. The same goes for our internship and travel courses, which are so important for experiential learning and transformative peacebuilding."
Grebel faculty and mediators from Community Justice Initiatives (CJI) supported the event as designated dialoguers, a team dressed in bright green who sought to bring in care, listening, mediation, and a relational approach to the intersections of difference at the event. “We’re here today to be the voice and ears for those who need it,” said Chris Cowie, one of the designated dialoguers, and Executive Director with Community Justice Initiatives.
After engaging speeches on Indigenous initiatives, Islamophobia, Femmephobia, and 2SLGBTQIA+ advocacy, the event ended with a performance by a members of the University of Waterloo Chamber Choir and University Choir. “The first person to come to mind was Ysaye Barnwell,” said Professor and Chair of Music, Mark Vuorinen, on the choir’s choice of her song, “We Are.” “Her music is rooted in Black culture and this song specifically talks about the importance of every child, who grows up to contribute to making the world a better place and I thought it was perfect for sharing at this event.” The choir was interactive with their performance, inviting the crowd to sing along and embrace the solidarity of the lyrics, wrapping up the Urgency for Social Justice event in a way that had attendees leaving the event energized, educated and most importantly, empowered.
“We felt energized and empowered by all our collaborative local partners,” said Ndagire. “In PACS, we believe that people’s creativity, critical thinking, and empathy will enable us to contribute to finding new and innovative solutions to the complex social justice, equity, and conflict challenges of our time.”
By Farhan Saeed