Hello PACS Students,
I hope that everyone is enjoying their last week of classes before reading week! Below, I have attached events, job opportunities, and resources you might use.
Highlights:
- PACS Society's Virtual Games night is this Tonight, February 17th at 6:00 PM
- Grebel convocation forms are due no later than Tuesday, March 1. For more information about Grebel's Convocation, view our events section.
- The PACS Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest is being held on March 2nd, 2022 at 7:00 PM in the Grebel Gallery.
- View our Internship and Job Opportunities section to learn more about PACS fully funded Internship opportunities.
Important dates:
- The last day to drop a class with a grade of Withdrawn, no credit given is February 28th.
- Reading week is from February 19th - 27th.
- The Grebel Library Hours have been updated:
February 7-18: Monday-Thursday 8:30am-7pm. Friday 8:30am-6pm
February 19-22: CLOSED
February 23-25: 8:30am-4:30pm
February 26: 1pm-5pm
February 28 on - : Monday-Thursday 8:30am-10pm, Friday 8:30am-6pm, Saturday 1pm-5pm
PACS S22 Courses
PACS 301 Special Topics in PACS: Settler Colonial Violence
2:30–3:50 PM | TUES, CGR room 1302 REMOTE | THURS with Prof. Rowland Robinson: This course explores the ways in which settler-colonial violence is written on the lands, bodies, and affects of Indigenous peoples, as well as how racialized and gendered forms of violence are produced by and are productive of the settlerIndigenous relation. Focusing on the experiences of Indigenous peoples in Canada and the United States, this course invites students to explore how current national narratives and mythologies, public debates and political discourse, law and policy, common sense ideas, and hegemonic ideologies are entangled with, cover over, or help facilitate both historical and ongoing settler-colonial violence.
HIST 232 / PACS 203 A History of Peace Movements
ONLINE with Prof. TBD: A survey of individuals and groups that have created popular movements for peace globally and locally throughout history. The scope will be international, with a particular focus on the nineteenth– and twentiethcentury movements. The choice of peace movements will allow for a contrast in comparison of ideology, strategy and impact.
PACS 201 Roots of Conflict, Violence, and Peace
ONLINE with Instr. Adam Malloy: An examination of influential theories about the sources and nature of conflict, violence, and peace. Contributions from the social sciences as well as the humanities will be explored, with attention to connections between interpersonal, intergroup, and international levels of analysis.
PACS 202 / LS 271 Conflict Resolution
ONLINE Instr. Kelly Brown: An examination of the resolution of conflicts, ranging from interpersonal to broader social and international conflicts. Students are introduced to negotiation, mediation, and nonviolent resistance, and are encouraged to develop their own theoretical understandings that aid in addressing conflict.
Visit the Peace and Conflict Studies Course Offerings webpage to learn more about PACS courses offered Spring 2022!
Upcoming Events
Register Now for the PACS C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest!
On March 2nd, 2022, at 7 PM in the Grebel Gallery, PACS is organizing a speech performance and is inviting you to participate. The contest winners will be rewarded cash prizes of $500 in first place, $350 in second place, $200 in third place. For more information, please reach out to the PACS Academic Advisor.
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.
Click here to learn more about the contest and see past winner's speeches.
Convocating this year?
If you are graduating in fall 2021, winter 2022, spring 2022, or fall 2022, please fill in the Grebel convocation form. This does not replace your UWaterloo convocation form – you’ll need to fill that one in as well. Due March 1, 2022. Grebel convocation is held Sunday, April 10, 2022 at 2:00 PM.
PACS Society Virtual Games Night
The PACS Society Virtual Games night is this Thursday, February 17 at 6:00 PM! Click here to join the teams meeting!
Ujima: Black History Month events at Uwaterloo
The office of Equity and Diversity is planning virtual events and other initiatives with UWaterloo folks and guests speaking to a collective culture and identity, highlighting our shared responsibility for institutional and wider systemic change.
They're updating their website as more events are confirmed. To register or join events, follow each event's link.
- Black History is World History: From Movement to Global Movement | February 17, 2022 - 3:00 PM EST
- Anansi and Di Snowstorm: Caribbean storytelling and performance | February 26, 2022 - 10:00 AM EST
Konversations: Black Arts in this Time, Place and Moment
February 18, 6:00 PM
This Konversation will bring together diverse arts communities within the Black Diaspora to discuss our past, present and constantly evolving creative future.
Black Arts is truly dynamic in its existence, creativity, outreach and connectivity.
Visit the eventbrite website to register and learn more.
Decolonizing Restorative Justice: Repairing the First and Second Harms
Tuesday, February 22, 7:00pm-8:30pm (EST)
Featuring Edward Valandra, Erica Littlewolf, Johonna McCants-Turner, and Anita Wadhwa (editor and authors of “Colorizing Restorative Justice”) who will discuss decolonizing schools and Restorative Justice by acknowledging the harms of slavery and genocide. Copies of the book will be raffled.
Register at: tinyurl.com/firstandsecondharm
How Global Development Organizations can Effectively Engage Leading Tech Companies Webinar
February 23, 11:00 AM
Join us on Feb. 23 for a special Devex Pro event, where we will bring together experts from both the tech industry and global development space to discuss successful models of partnership, and how these two worlds can work together more effectively to maximize impact.
A Conversation with Pádraig Ó Tuama and Clarence Cachagee on Reconciliation and Peace Making
On Friday, February 25 from 7:30 - 9:00 pm, join the IRL Festival for a virtual evening with thought leaders on reconciliation, peace, hope and what lessons from our pasts can teach us about how to go forward together. A portion of the proceeds goes to support Crow Shield Lodge.
For more information about the event, visit the event website.
Poetry Reading with Katerina Canyon
February 27, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
A special Black History Month Zoom poetry reading with award-winning poet, bestselling author, civil rights activist, and essayist Katerina Canyon.
Bechtel Lectures in Anabaptist-Mennonite Studies: Fantasy Author Dr. Sofia Samatar
March 10, 2022, 7:00 PM EST
In the last two years, instructions to "shelter in place" became familiar around the globe as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This lecture considers what it means to shelter in place, not just in terms of emergency management, but as a deliberate practice with ethical and ecological effects. What do poets, walkers, and weather observers teach us about the value of dwelling in place? What does shelter look like for those who are forced to leave their homes? And when prevented from staying in place, how can a person dwell? Is it possible to shelter in time?
Visit the Conrad Grebel University College 2022 Bechtel Lecturer: Dr. Sofia Samatar webpage for more information and to register.
Internships and Job Opportunities
PACS Students looking for spring/summer co-op placements, consider the following fully funded NGO Placements:
- Drayton Entertainment
- The Food Bank of Waterloo Region
- Junior Diabetes Research Foundation
- House of Friendship
- Kids Help Phone
- Carizon Family and Community Services
Visit the organizational websites above to learn more about these NGOs, and contact Ndagire Brendah for more information about the positions and how to apply. Visit the PACS Internships website for more information about the program.
PACS 390: Internship Course
The PACS internship allows you to engage in experiential learning with an organization that works on peace and conflict issues, in either a Canadian or international context. The course integrates theory and practice while facilitating the development of attitudes, strategies, skills, and knowledge that support work in a Peace and Conflict Studies related setting. If you are thinking about taking PACS 390 in the spring term, please reach out to the PACS Undergraduate Academic Advisor for more information.
Romero House Internships
The Romero House Worker Program has two options - 4 month (summer), and full year (Sept 2022 - August 2023). Romero House is a community which has four transitional houses for refugee families. Workers act as live-in house coordinators as well as settlement workers, assisting refugee families and welcoming them to Canada! For more information, people can check out the Romero House website which describes the responsibilities of a Worker.
Student Support Resources
Counselling Services
University of Waterloo Counselling
Campus Wellness Counselling Services
This service can be reached at 519-888-4567, ext. 32655. Offers same-day appointments for emergencies and can be found in Needles Hall North on the second floor.
Campus Wellness Health Services
This service can be reached at 519-888-4096. Offers walk-in appointments for urgent concerns and can be found in Health Services building.
The Writing and Communication Centre
The Writing and Communication Centre is an academic support unit that supports students, staff, and faculty as they build communication excellence at the University of Waterloo.
Virtual Appointments:
Feeling stuck? We can help with brainstorming, planning, writing, and revision. Our instructors are experts in communicating in all disciplines, including digital, technical, and scientific writing and communication.
Asynchronous Workshops
The Writing and Communication Centre offers workshops on a variety of communication-related topics throughout the term. Developed and presented by our writing and communication advisors, they are designed to help students engage with a particular topic through participation and practice. Like all of our services, workshops are free for University of Waterloo students and postdocs.
Online Learning Resources:
The Writing and Communication Centre is focused on providing students with useful feedback and strategies for their research and writing projects; we are also focused on all aspects of the communication process, including professional communication documents like emails and memos, as well as documents designed for the web, such as ePortfolios and blogs. Feel free to view and print the resources we currently have available.
PJ-Friendly Writing Groups for Undergrads:
Meet with us on Microsoft Teams for our weekly writing sessions. Then check in with us on Teams throughout the week for motivation, resources, and solidarity as we navigate our assignment loads. For every 6 sessions you attend this term, you earn a #WaterlooWrites mug!
Email Tutoring for Undergrads:
Hey undergrads! Are you stuck on a draft and need some feedback? Working to a deadline but can’t book an appointment at the WCC? Want support but not up for talking to someone? We’re here for you with our email tutoring service. Get feedback over email on your papers, reports, resumes and cover letters, presentation slides, or any other writing or communication assignments!
First-Year Undergrads: Learn to Write Like an Academic:
Are you working on writing assignments and presentations? Are you wondering about your professors' expectations and how you can best meet them? Check out Waterloo Ready to Write, designed for first-year undergraduates like you!
We’ve got workshops, learning resources, and individualized support to help you tackle papers, reports, presentations, and other assignments.
The Centre for Career Action
The Centre for Career Action (CCA) is offering services in 2022. The Tatham Centre is open with front-desk support, limited in-person appointments, and co-op consults. Services are also available virtually. Book an appointment online or Live Chat with our Client Support Team. The CCA is here to help.
If you feel overwhelmed or anxious and need to talk to somebody, please contact the University’s Campus Wellness services, either Health Services or Counselling Services. You can also contact the University's Centre for Mental Health Research and Treatment. Good2Talk is a post-secondary student helpline available to all students.
Disclaimer: Events and opportunities above are not all endorsed by the PACS department; this newsletter includes opportunities that we think PACS students may be interested in, but are not sponsored by PACS. Please use your own discretion to determine if an opportunity is right for you.