Developing New Perspectives through PACS with Dustin Fulgur
For nearly a decade, Dustin Fulgur worked in security, as he considered a career in policing or the military. Now, as a third-year Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) student, he is reexamining the structures at play in society.
Out of high school, Dustin decided to pursue a career in law enforcement, enroling into a Police Foundations program. “Everyone around me was like, ‘Oh, you should become a cop. You’d be a great cop,’” he said. He attributes these suggestions to his background in Scouts Canada and various martial arts. Through his time in PACS at the University of Waterloo and Conrad Grebel University College, he has discovered new perspectives and ways to better understand his own feelings towards peace and conflict.
However, Dustin recalled that after just one semester, he left the police program feeling disillusioned. “I was listening to a lot of people’s voices instead of my own,” Dustin noted. Following his departure, he worked as a security guard and debated joining the military or returning to complete the police program. Eventually, he decided that he wanted to stand for justice.
Reflecting on his decision, Dustin spoke about how the challenges his friends faced in high school influenced him. “I think a lot of my drive for justice came from the community I had in high school. I had a kind of misfit crowd, a lot of the rainbow crew, LGBTQ+ type of thing.” Adding that “Instead of just being the hand that sends them away to a cell or brings more problems to people's lives, I want to be able to change those type of situations around.”
After entering the PACS program, Dustin was able to add depth to these feelings. His Specialization in Restorative Justice is an example of how this unfolded, beginning with PACS301: Special Topics in PACS – Prison and Police Abolition as Moral Imagination, taught by Dr. Johonna McCants-Turner. “It really opened my eyes on all the issues we have with law enforcement and just how things are... it feels like it’s never been questioned.” Dustin added. He spoke about other courses and professors that impacted his journey, emphasizing how each class always feels like a new way of thinking about the world. Among the influential courses he has taken were COMST103: Combatting Racisms, taught by Julian McCants-Turner and PACS325: Refugees and Forced Migration, taught by Dr. Eric Lepp.
As Dustin’s has progressed through the program, so too have his goals. Originally, he dreamed of working with the United Nations, hoping to make big changes and push for international cooperation. Since then, he has shifted his view. Now he sees the value in both overarching organizations, as well as local ones that can sometimes have the most impact. “I am absolutely fine with working with big or small organizations as long as I can help shape the world that we’re living in and just try and work at bettering us as a human race,” he explained.
“Whether it’s in your first classes or in your last classes, you’re going to learn something new and how to view the world in different ways.” Dustin expressed his feeling that each course pushes you forward and expands your horizons rather than boxing you in. Through his studies in PACS at Grebel, he has learned to see the world differently and better understand his own feelings towards peace and conflict.
As for prospective students, Dustin advised this, “Don’t just hone in. Make sure you can open your eyes to new perspectives and be able to see things differently. We have a tendency to use rose-tinted glasses every once in a while, but there are people struggling. People struggling across the world in different ways... PACS will help you open those eyes up.”
The PACS program is just as much about examining one’s own background and experiences as it is about understanding the world around you. Being able to see things in a new light and reconsidering preconceived notions is a key element of PACS. This is strengthened by a diverse student body, with unique backgrounds and experiences which enrich the community.
By: Jules Gravestock