International

When Devon Spier, a Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) Alumni, was asked to summarize their experience with the program, and to talk about what take-away they carried forward with them, they talked about the need to exist in difficult spaces and celebrate differences. Experiences from studying PACS to where they are now are all linked by the importance of finding strength through your differences.  

 

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

PACS Co-op Profile: Afiyah Basil

As a co-op student, a Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) student, and someone involved in leadership roles at Waterloo, Afiyah has been able to make the most out of her degree. Afiyah is a double major student of PACS and Psychology, and as she completes her 4A term, she can reflect on the classroom and co-op experiences that have helped her grow. 

This interactive exhibition features photos of street art pieces from a range of conflict-affected societies and an opportunity to leave your own ‘mark’. Street art makes an important contribution to understanding local conflict dynamics and visions of peace. Street art tells narratives about everyday concerns and opinions, where multiple and often contradicting narratives by different artists and communities can be publicly viewed. This holds value in situations of conflict and censorship, as art can talk about issues that have no space in the mainstream political discourse.

Street art can have a range of different functions – some are displayed in this collection. These functions can both contribute to peace and social change, but also to foster or underline conflict and division. Functions that can be seen in this exhibit include resistance, political communication, identity expression, memorialisation of events or people, and inspiration.

This exhibition has been curated by the International Consortium for Conflict Graffiti (ICCG) with Peace and Conflict Studies students, Zoe Beilby and Christine Faber.

This past term, several students had the opportunity to go to New York for a Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) United Nations (UN) Office Seminar. It was a chance to connect with other students, hear guest speakers from all over the world, and tour the UN headquarters. One of the students who went was Joshua Cheon, a second year PACS (Peace and Conflict Studies) major, who came out of the trip reflecting on what he had learned and experienced. 


Abi presenting
The 2022 winner, Abi, presented her speech to the audience.

The annual C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest, established in 1974 by the directors of the C. Henry Smith Trust, offers PACS students an opportunity to discuss peacebuilding and social justice issues on campus. The intercollegiate competition is administered by the Peace and Justice Ministries of the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). Undergraduate students from every Mennonite and Brethren in Christ college in North America, including Canada, are eligible to participate. 

Henry Smith was an American Mennonite historian and professor at Mennonite colleges and the University of Chicago. Overall, he taught history for nearly 50 years at the collegiate level. He is well-known for his numerous books on Mennonite history and his particular attention to the peace commitments of the Mennonite tradition.  

On March 8, 2023, at 7 PM in the Grebel Gallery in the Kindred Center for Peace for Advancement (CPA), PACS is organizing a speech performance and is inviting you to participate. The contest winners will be rewarded with cash prizes of $400 for first place, $300 for second place, and $200 for third place.For more information, reach out to the PACS Academic Advisor.

To learn more about the contest and meet previous PACS or Grebel resident participants, visit this link here.

Application deadline - February 28, 2023 

Welcome to the final newsletter of 2022! I know this is the highlight of the week for a lot of you, but don't worry, the newsletters will be back in 2023 :)

I hope you are all doing well and taking care of yourself this exam season. There are a lot of important dates and deadlines coming up so take a moment and enjoy this beautifully crafted newsletter.

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Bi-Weekly Newsletter - November 16, 2022

Highlights:

  • Read about Nancy's work with peace and community building in her communities and how studying PACS has impacted her!
  • Read about MPACS student Sidra Khan and her involvement in the community at Waterloo!
  • Check out what PACS courses offered winter 2023 here and see the course posters below.
  • PACS Society is hosting an event with the Center for Conscious Awareness on Connections through storytelling on November 20. Olivia Miller, a 4th year PACS student is one of the speakers! Info and registration for the event is below.

Important Dates:

  • Make sure to stay up to date with UWaterloo's calendar

  • You can view next term's schedule on November 17.
  • Add and Drop appointments begin November 21 for winter 2023 term
  • Classes end December 6 (so soon!)
  • Winter 2023 Fees due December 15.Upcoming Events

Highlights:

  • Check out Ryan Bromley's article about his work learning how to bring PACS ideas to STEM students!
  • PACS Society is hosting a movie night Friday, November 4th. Check out the details below!
  • Check out what PACS courses are being offered Winter 2023 here!
  • Check out upcoming events and seminars below! They are all free and relevant to PACS education.
Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Student Profile: Ryan Bromley

Ryan Bromley is a 3A Arts and Business student with a Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) major. Ryan was a fall 2021 Enterprise Co-op pitch winner. Enterprise Co-op (E Co-op) is a co-op pathway that allows students to pursue an entrepreneurial co-op option in which students start their businesses while earning a co-op credit. Ryan’s original pitch was to create a “Peace to co-op” business that would teach university students critical personal and professional skills related to PACS. Throughout the work term, Ryan displayed incredible flexibility, drive, and vision in his journey through the term as he worked towards a dream that extends beyond the four months of the co-op.