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.

To mark the International Day of Peace on September 21, 2023, Cesar Jaramillo, Executive Director at Project Ploughshares, will give a talk entitled From the Cuban Missile Crisis to Today: Nuclear Weapons 60 Years On. Hosted as part of the MPACS Thursday Talk: Research Series and in celebration of Grebel's 60^th Anniversary, this talk will engage important questions related to nuclear weapons and non-proliferation.

 The event is at the Balsillie School of International Affairs called Skanikòn:ra: Indigenous Governance and the Future of Leadership. This event is free to attend and will be a full day of learning and connection for both Indigenous and settler attendees. It will be bringing together Indigenous leaders, scholars, and knowledge keepers to present on topics related to Indigenous governance.

In celebration of the International Day of Peace (September 21), Conrad Grebel University College is pleased to be organizing Peace Week - a week of events to acknowledge and raise awareness for peace related issues.

Jamie Swift, co-author of Warrior Nation: Rebranding Canada in an Age of Anxiety.

Canada's Vimy Ridge war memorial features the statue "Breaking of the Sword." Has this peace message been eclipsed by a glorious, birth-of-a-nation war story? How can we commemorate the tragedy of World War I by emphasizing peace?  

Dr. Yasmin Saikia is the Hardt-Nickachos Chair in Peace Studies and Professor of History at the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict at Arizona State University. Her recent book Women, War and the Making of Bangladesh: Remembering 1971 (2011) has won numerous awards and been the subject of an international speaking tour.

John Paul Lederach, widely known for his work on conflict transformation, will speak on his latest work, which reflects on compassion. He will explore the question: how do you accompany, alleviate suffering and create space for the creative emergence of the person again after tremendous loss?