Zoe Masseo: On Embracing Discomfort and Creating Meaningful Change
Masters of Peace and Conflict Studies (MPACS) student Zoe Masseo is a soon-to-be graduate of the program with interests in mediation and alternative dispute resolution. After earning her bachelor’s degree in social justice and peace studies, she was searching for her next opportunity and came across the MPACS program at Conrad Grebel University College. The program aligned strongly with her interests, and she felt that Grebel would provide a supportive environment for her growth and development.
Through her time in the program, she has learned that not everything is black and white and that there are many ways to approach peace and conflict. “Human brains like to categorize things as right and wrong, so it’s important to be able to see that there are so many ways of doing something”, she expressed. By learning more about conflict resolution and conflict transformation, she gained a deeper understanding and directly experienced that there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
During her studies, Zoe attended an event held by the Canadian Women’s Foundation and participated in panel discussions where she met sex workers advocating for change. Seeing the connections between the event and what she was learning in class, Zoe knew she wanted to learn more. At this conference she met Elene Lam, Executive Director of Butterfly, an Asian and Migrant Sex Worker Support Network. Elene shared some of her personal experiences in this field of work and how Zoe could potentially get involved. She left feeling extremely inspired and wondering how she could advocate for Asian and migrant sex workers. Since then, she has focused her research on Canada’s anti-trafficking policy, aiming to bring migrant sex workers into conversations from which they have traditionally been excluded.
As part of the MPACS community, Zoe has made lifelong friendships and met people from different regions of the world. “it’s just been an amazing experience to work with people from all different walks of life, I have learned so much”, she explained. Studying what she loves with an exceptional group of people made her experience in the program unforgettable. She has met many people who hold different views than her, which can be challenging, but she learned that “not everyone will agree but you can still work towards understanding peace and conflict together”. Despite differences, Zoe has constructively engaged her peers on a wide variety of topics, and she believes that being part of these conversations has helped her grow in ways she never expected.
As Zoe approaches graduation, she reflects on her experience in the MPACS program and how she is extremely grateful to have been an MPACS student at Grebel. Through the program she has been able to engage authentically with those around her and learn what it takes to create meaningful change. “I hope that I’m able to take all of the things I’ve learned and use them to create a positive impact in people’s lives,” she reflected. While the future is open, you can expect her to continue driving change at the university and beyond.
By Brooke Driscoll