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Waterloo, Ontario - In the culmination of more than a decade of dreaming and a year of intense work, Conrad Grebel University College at the University of Waterloo announces the launch of a new Master of Peace and Conflict Studies (MPACS) program. Combining rigorous interdisciplinary scholarship with concrete application, MPACS is a vibrant academic program that will empower students with the knowledge, research, and practical skills needed to contribute to nonviolent peacebuilding efforts. MPACS places a unique focus on the pivotal role that individuals within civil society play as catalysts for peace. The MPACS program will be a course-based, professional graduate program open to both full-time and part-time students beginning in the fall of 2012.

While the field of peace and conflict studies has been steadily growing over the last decade, the number of graduate programs available in Canada has not kept pace. The MPACS program will become one of only a handful of peace and conflict studies graduate programs in Canada. The program will be especially unique among graduate programs in this field for its specific emphasis on empowering civil society in fostering positive change. 

Lowell Ewert, Director of the Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) program at Conrad Grebel observes that,

civil society is key to peacebuilding because it brings out the best in humanity by inspiring citizens to take responsibility for their communities and develop creative solutions to local issues. Imagine how impoverished our communities would be if there were no effective civil society organizations. By mobilizing our community to get involved in organizations that promote the arts, sports, health, education, religion or social justice our communities are enriched and made more compassionate.

Based at Conrad Grebel, MPACS will draw on the unique resources that the Peace and Conflict Studies department – the oldest such department in Canada – and the University of Waterloo have to offer. Program reviewers George Lopez (Hesburgh Chair in Peace Studies at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame), and Vern Neufeld Redekop, (Associate Professor of Conflict Studies at St. Paul University) called the program

a well-conceived venture which is highly reflective of both Conrad Grebel’s mission as a Mennonite educational institution and the aspirations of the University of Waterloo to offer strong, competitive and professional graduate programs.

Susan Schultz Huxman noted:

Peace studies are in our DNA. The undergraduate program in PACS has been wildly successful by many measures. College stakeholders recognized this 15 years ago when they first began developing the idea for graduate education at Grebel.

Applications for the MPACS program are currently being accepted by the Graduate Studies Office at the University of Waterloo. Equipped with interdisciplinary knowledge and practical skills of peace building, MPACS graduates will be ready for careers in public, private, or non-profit sectors, working as agents of peaceful change at community, institutional, and systematic levels. Prospective students interested in stepping into careers as practitioners are especially encouraged to apply.

For more information, visit the MPACS website.

Mennonite Savings and Credit Union (MSCU) and Conrad Grebel University College (CGUC) are pleased to announce the creation of the Mennonite Savings and Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement at Conrad Grebel. MSCU’s one million dollar commitment will empower Conrad Grebel to create an accelerator centre committed to collaborative peace innovation with lasting impact.  

We’re thrilled to make such a transformational commitment to peace building in our world. We believe the MSCU Centre for Peace Advancement will be an innovative expression of our core values and are gratified that we’re able to share our resources to enhance the Mennonite tradition of building peace-filled communities,

stated Brent Zorgdrager, chief executive officer of MSCU.    

Together, MSCU and CGUC envision an MSCU peace centre that is a hub of entrepreneurial and interdisciplinary collaboration, fostering new ways to advance peace in a conflict-filled world. In addition to teaching and research facilities, the centre will provide shared seminar and project space for students and faculty, as well as space for community service organizations, pastors, and other peace builders. 

Conrad Grebel is uniquely positioned to accelerate peace research and action. The college houses Canada’s oldest Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) program which interacts with theology, music, and other academic programs of the College to foster a fertile ground for growing ideas that reach beyond the campus. Grebel has a rich legacy of peace teaching and research, including the genesis of Project Ploughshares, Canada’s premiere ecumenical peace research and advocacy organization. Adding the Centre will now increase the current building plans to four floors, with construction slated to start in March 2012.

This is a new day at Grebel,

stated Susan Schultz Huxman, Grebel’s new president.

A day marked by a great partnership with MSCU to advance peace education and action here at home and around the world. Grebel and the University of Waterloo understand how interdisciplinary education and innovation work hand in hand. We’re excited to enhance our peace education work through this creative initiative!

MSCU and Conrad Grebel share a rich history and complementary values.  Both organizations were profoundly shaped by the vision of J. Winfield Fretz, Conrad Grebel’s first president. They have worked in partnership over the past years, and from these shared roots, they look forward to preparing the next generation of community leaders, peace researchers, and social innovators. 

For decades, Lorraine Roth has been a wonderful resource for Mennonite and Amish families researching their history and genealogy. This Tavistock resident will be honoured at a fundraising dinner on Thursday, October 13 for her life-long contribution at the Tavistock Mennonite Church at 5:30pm.

From the moment she arrived in Waterloo, appropriately on Canada Day, Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman, the new president of Conrad Grebel University College, has been meeting as many key Grebel stakeholders and community leaders in southern Ontario as she can. These one-on-one visits have revealed how Grebel has touched lives with defining moments for alumni, purpose-driven careers for staff and faculty, and hope for future generations for donors.

Huxman stated:

Is food a human right? Is the famine in east Africa just a symptom of something bigger? Does buying locally actually promote peace? How does a discussion on food relate to the International Day of Peace?

Inspiration from a visiting art exhibit called “Just Food” and concern regarding the ongoing crisis in east Africa has spurred an event that will tackle these tough questions on issues of food and peace. 

A mum wrote after the first day of Peace Camp on August 8:

Our son is still raving about his first day at Peace Camp. He told me all about how to do mediation on the way home!

J. had just practiced some peer mediation skills with Dr. Fae Samuels, a retired educator who specialized in bringing peer mediation into the schools in Toronto throughout her career as a principal.

Peace Camp, for a group of 18 youth aged 11-14 (Grade 6-8) is a new initiative at Conrad Grebel University College to get kids to think about peace and social justice issues, but with fun and games and lots of guest speakers. On Tuesday, they watched a drama put on by the University of Waterloo’s Sustainability Project group about choices and food issues. They also heard about Zambia from Daryl Good who recently returned from a Mennonite Central Committee volunteer experience in that country. On Wednesday, Herb Goldstein from Toronto told about his experiences in high school during the holocaust. In response one camper said,

It’s different hearing someone’s story out loud than reading about it in a book.

The “jam-packed and interesting program” was developed by Devon Spier, a fourth-year Peace and Conflict Studies and Religious Studies student at the University of Waterloo. Her staff team is very diverse. She says:

It’s an amazing experience to be a student from a Jewish background and be able to coordinate a Peace Camp with a wonderful team of two Muslims and a Catholic, hosted by a Mennonite institution.

The rest of the week will involve hearing about refugee issues, playing “Peace Camp Jeopardy,” and playing a Risk Game on nuclear Weapons and disarmament, brought by Scientists for Peace.

Lowell Ewert, the Director of Peace and Conflict Studies (the program that sponsored the Peace Camp at the college) says:

In light of recent events in England where concerns about youth are being expressed, it is even more important that we make and take opportunities to inspire our young people with the idea that they can make positive changes in their world.

On Friday, August 12 at 11:00am in the Great Hall at Conrad Grebel University College, there will be an Art Show where parents and the community are invited to see and hear from the youth about their experiences. All are welcome.

Peace Camp was co-sponsored by Mennonite Savings and Credit Union, House of Friendship, Interfaith Grand River, and was assisted with a grant from Service Canada.

In a fitting close to his presidential term, Henry Paetkau announced that Conrad Grebel University College’s new Community Education Room will be funded by a $500,000 gift from RBJ Schlegel Holdings Inc..

Is food ever just food? Food is not only something to be routinely prepared and consumed, it is also essential for human life. Food is an important aspect of celebrating as families and communities and has also been declared a human right. However, the reality is that food is not always justly accessible.

Waterloo, Ontario – Conrad Grebel University College invites junior youth to have fun and make a difference at this summer’s first-ever Peace Camp. With fun in the sun and a social justice twist, Peace Camp promises a five-day action-packed program that combines the excitement of summer camp with critical approaches to conflict.

The new camp pairs campers aged 11-14 with youth and adults across Ontario who promote peacemaking in their communities. Each day, Peace Camp will be joined by scientists, artists, musicians and more who will share practical strategies they are using to change the world.

Campers will engage in fun-filled games, sports, and arts & crafts that will help them understand particular conflicts and will develop action plans to better their homes, schools and communities. Participants will also have a chance to share arts, crafts, drama, foods and games from their families, cultures, religions and countries.

The Peace Camp staff team will serve as guides on campers’ journeys to peace, by helping to create a nurturing environment that puts youth first. Dante Labriola, one of four Peace Camp staff members, writes:

Because of my experiences, as a student and as a teacher, I believe that peace and justice education is fundamental to the success of life-long learning. We are able to tackle difficult issues, consider complicated questions, and the challenge of being human.

At Peace Camp, it clearly pays to play. By prizing childlike qualities and encouraging youth to problem-solve, young people can be part of a safe space where they can be themselves, overcome obstacles they face, and work toward a better world.  

The summer session of Peace Camp extends from Monday, August 8 to Friday, August 12, 2011. Full-day (9:00am-4:00pm) and half-day (9:00am-12:00pm) options are available with the inclusion of lunch for the full-day option. Peace Camp is committed to providing a low-cost program to make sure all interested youth can participate. This is made possible through a charitable grant from the Mennonite Savings and Credit Union. The cost for the full-day option is $150.00 and the cost for the half-day option is $65.00.

Register at Peace Camp website.
Follow us on Twitter at: UoWPeaceCamp

Peace Camp at Waterloo.
Inspiring Lives. Strengthening Ties. Making Peace Happen in Waterloo Region.

Inquiries can be direct to:
Devon Spier
Peace Camp Coordinator
peacecamp@uwaterloo.ca
519-885-0220 ex. 24291
grebel.uwaterloo.ca/peacecamp

The seminar room in the new academic building at Conrad Grebel University College will be named in honour of Grebel’s 6th President, Henry Paetkau. The Henry Paetkau Seminar Room, offering a wonderful view of the front of the campus and Westmount Road, will be on the main level of the $6.3 million addition and will be used for graduate studies.