Staff

Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) alumni Sage Streight looks back on her time as a PACS student fondly, and the program’s teachings continue to inform her work today. After graduating from the University of Waterloo in 2019, with a major in PACS and a minor in Legal Studies, Sage pursued a law career. She graduated from the University of Ottawa’s law school in 2023 and by 2024, she was a fully licensed lawyer. She now works as a criminal prosecutor and assistant crown attorney in Kingston, Ontario.

Since she began her studies in the Master of Peace and Conflict Studies (MPACS) program in September, Theresa Strutt has been reflecting critically on the way that peace processes can both combat and reinforce existing structural inequalities in our society.

In the grand scheme of our complex world, it is challenging to decide where you, as an individual, can make the greatest impact. For Peace and Conflict Studies alumni Michelle Jackett, making a difference meant finding her niche, building her expertise, and going all-in. 

Saturday, November 30, 2024 10:00 am - 4:30 pm EST (GMT -05:00)

Make a Difference (MAD) - Holiday Market

Make a Difference (MAD) Holiday Market: Shop, Support, and Give Back!

Join us on November 30th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Conrad Grebel University College for our "Holiday Make a Difference" event! This festive gathering brings together local vendors and artisans for a day of community, shopping, and giving back. Discover unique gifts and support small businesses while helping us make a positive impact this holiday season.

In addition to our vendor market, we’ll have a silent auction and a door prize you can enter by making a monetary donation or contributing an item from the oneROOF Youth Services KW wishlist at the entrance. Your contributions will go toward supporting oneROOF Youth Services and helping KW Youth in need this winter.

Find information about what oneROOF Youth Services needs most here: Donate Items — oneROOF Youth Services

Event Details:

  • Date: November 30, 2024
  • Time: 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  • Location: Conrad Grebel University College
  • Highlights: Vendor booths, silent auction, door prize entry with donation, holiday treats, and more!

Bring your holiday spirit and a desire to make a difference in the lives of youths at oneRoof. We look forward to seeing you there!

Thursday, November 14, 2024 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm EST (GMT -05:00)

Paint as Protest | Eby Lecture

Reading socio-political experiences through graffiti and street art in conflict-affected societies.

Street art and graffiti can provide socio-political commentary and rich insight into societies, cultures, social issues, trends, political discourse, and spatial and territorial identities and claims. Through his field research in Cyprus, Northern Ireland, and Canada, Dr. Eric Lepp will engage with graffiti as a spatial and temporal resource in societies undergoing social and political transformation.

Saturday, September 21, 2024 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm EDT (GMT -04:00)

10th Anniversary Celebration

The Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement will celebrate it's 10 year anniversary on International Day of Peace, September 21st. This also marks the kick off for Peace Week 2024.

Come reconnect with friends and colleagues from your time at the CPA and learn about current projects and future directions. The event will be interactive and family friendly, more details to come closer to the date.

If you know you can make it, please RSVP here. See you there!

Robby Szolgyemy is finishing his 4A term as a Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) and Anthropology student, but when he began studying at the University of Waterloo, PACS was not on his radar at all. It was not until he was searching for electives to fill his first-year schedule that the program caught his eye. He was drawn to the seemingly straightforward program name that described exactly what they would be studying: peace, and conflict. Robby enrolled in PACS, hoping that, if anything, he might be able to glean some wisdom from deconstructing past conflicts in his life. However, as he started taking courses like PACS 323: Negotiation Theories and Strategies, he was surprised to find just how useful these skills and concepts could be.

Robby quickly picked up Peace and Conflict Studies as his second major and began taking more PACS courses. He was impressed by the applicability of PACS courses to his professional life, especially as a co-op student. Robby has worked in several professional environments where concepts like negotiation and conflict resolution have proven useful.

“Holding space to have difficult conversations can be incredibly difficult,” said Samantha Coelho, an Advocacy and Networking Specialist at Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Canada. “But I think having these conversations can lead to more intimate and fulfilling relationships, allow us to build empathy, and remind us to have humility about the positions we hold.”  

Supporting marginalized communities, working for justice, and exploring creative approaches to addressing world issues have become a regular part of Samantha’s life, but her introduction to advocacy, justice, and peacebuilding began a decade ago during her undergraduate degree at the University of Waterloo and Conrad Grebel University College where she studied Arts and Business with a major in Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS).

Navigating a gunpoint situation in Kenya. Camping near the flaming Darvazaa gas crater in Turkmenistan. Manually flagging down a train in Sicily. Co-creating a Great Lakes funding program with Ontario Indigenous groups. Relaxing in hot springs in Iceland. Developing a climate peace and security policy for the Canadian government. Grebel alumnus Patrick Quealey (BES 2002) enjoys regaling friends with stories of his adventures – anecdotes collected during his extensive personal travels and experiences from his career with Canada’s government. Patrick shines while trying new things, exploring unknown territory (both physically and in policy), and creating connections.