Hello PACS Students,
I hope that everyone is doing well this week as your semester is coming to a close. Below, I have attached events, job opportunities, and resources you might use.
Highlights:
- Read about Abbey Tiernan's experience as a PACS co-op Student here.
- Saifullah Muhammad, MPACS Student, has co-founded the Rohingya Centre of Canada here in Kitchener. Read about it in the KW Record Article, or hear more about it in The Morning Edition – K – W with Craig Norris.
- Check out the PACS Learn Hub! The PACS learn hub is an online space for all PACS Majors and Minors. There, you will find many PACS related online announcements, and a quick access to resources via the contents tab that will be useful to you as a PACS Student. If you do not yet have access to the Learn hub, please reach out to pacsasst@uwaterloo so that we can add you!
- View PACS spring 2022 course offerings!
- Capacity Canada's Apprenticeship Program applications are due April 1st, 2022.
- View our Internship and Job Opportunities section to learn more about PACS fully funded Internship opportunities.
Important dates:
- The Drop/Add Period where all undergraduate students have equal access to make changes to their term schedule begins March 30, 2022
- Classes end April 5, 2022
- April 6-7: Pre-examination study days
- April 8-26: Final examinations period (no exams held April 15-16)
- April 8-9: In-person examination days for online courses
Visit the UWaterloo Important Dates Calendar for more information
PACS S22 Courses
PACS 301 Special Topics in PACS: Settler Colonial Violence
2:30–3:50 PM | TUES, THURS Remote and Synchronous 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 twentieth century 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.
UWaterloo Course Electives
Check out these interesting course electives you can take to meet your overall PACS degree requirements. For more information, reach out to the GSJ Academic Advisors: kfulfer@uwaterloo.ca or, heather.eustace@uwaterloo.ca.
Upcoming Events
PACS SOCIETY IS HOSTING AN ONLINE MOVIE NIGHT
Thursday March 31, 7-9 PM
The link to join will be posted and sent to your UWaterloo inbox shortly.
Join the 2022/2023 PACS Undergrad Student Society
The PACS Undergrad Student Society is looking to appoint its executive council for the 2022/2023 academic year.Operating under Waterloo’s Arts Student Union, the PACS Society is run by five executive members to represent all organize educational and social events for PACS students while contributing to a vibrant PACS community.
See a full description of available positions.
Applications for the following positions will be accepted:
- President
- Vice President, Communications
- Vice President, Events
- Vice President, Finance
- Vice President, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
How does the application process work?
- Applications are now open and can be accessed using the link.
- Self-nominations and peer nominations are both accepted. To nominate someone else, click here.
- The application portal will close on April 3rd at 11:59 PM
- The voting poll will be open in the following days, allowing fellow PACS students to elect their upcoming executive council!
Indigenous Speakers Series presents Lenore Keeshig, March 31
Lenore Keeshig, a citizen of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation, is a traditional storyteller, poet and author, living at Neyaashiinigmiing on the Saugeen (Bruce) Peninsula. She works as a naturalist, providing education programs about the natural and cultural history of the Saugeen/Bruce Peninsula and the Great Lakes.
You can also join the event via the livestream link.
Wicked Problems: The Ethics of Action for Peace, Rights, and Justice Book Talk at Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resoltion
While a generation of changemakers and peacebuilders have set out to “Be the Change!” a thousand cautionary tales from the frontlines of social, economic, climate, and racial justice work suggest that deep ethical dilemmas don’t always have easily actionable answers. Join us for the book launch of Wicked Problems: The Ethics of Action for Peace, Rights, and Justice (Oxford University Press, 2022), where a panel of the books’ contributors discuss the trade-offs, dilemmas, and compromises they encounter in their daily work as conflict resolution practitioners, peacebuilders, advocates, organizers, and activists.
This event is happening on April 5, 2022 from 6:30-8:30 PM. Visit the Carter School Spring 2022 Peace Week website to learn more.
Can USAID make localization work this time? (Webinar)
April 7, 2022, 10:00 AM
USAID Administrator Samantha Power has laid out ambitious targets for shifting U.S. foreign aid to local organizations and for involving communities in setting development priorities.
But this isn't the first time the U.S. Agency for International Development has undertaken a localization agenda, and past efforts have faced strong headwinds.
So what's different about the agency's approach this time — and what would a meaningful embrace of locally led development entail at the world's largest bilateral aid donor?
Join Devex for an in-depth discussion with industry leaders to answer these and other essential questions on USAID’s latest localization efforts.
Conrad Grebel Convocation Celebration
Conrad Grebel University College is hosting a Convocation Celebration Sunday, April 10, 2022 at 2:00 PM. Learn more about this event at the Conrad Grebel University College webpage Convocation 2022.
INDIGENOUS-MENNONITE ENCOUNTERS IN TIME AND PLACE
A GATHERING OF BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT, MAY 12-15, 2022
This academic conference and community education event will offer stories and analyses of encounters and relationships between Indigenous peoples and Mennonite settlers from point of contact to the present.
Pre-register and learn more on the Indigenous Mennonite Encounters Webpage.
Class of 2020 and 2021 Convocation Celebration
Although you have already officially graduated and received your diploma, this is your moment to return to campus, participate in a traditional ceremony, and celebrate with your classmates and supporters. The University of Waterloo recognizes that celebrating these monumental moments in-person were paused for you, and we are excited to welcome you back to campus now that it is safe to do so. This will take place from Jun 11- 12, 2022.
Register and learn more here.
Internships, Job and Education Opportunities
Capacity Canada's Apprenticeship Program: Resilient and Diverse Communities by Design
Capacity Canada invites young change makers from communities across Canada to apply for their nine-month paid apprenticeship program. This program is intended for individuals who want to learn the foundational elements of human centered design in order to bring this professional skill back to their communities.
Apprentices will be paid $3,750 paid over nine months (15 hours/month). We only have space for 3 or 4 apprentices. Applications will be accepted until April 1, 2022.
Visit the Capacity Canada's Apprenticeship Program webpsite for more information.
Mennonite Central Committee: Climate Solutions Coordinator - Cambodia
The Climate Solutions Coordinator will facilitate capacity building and field research related to MCC Cambodia and local partner climate change programming. The service worker will work out of the MCC field office in rural Prey Veng province where they will have direct access to project sites and will travel semi-frequently to project sites in remote Kratie province and elsewhere in Cambodia. The service worker will also coordinate with institutions of higher education interested in conducting research on projects, participate in networking related to climate change, and support the advocacy and external grants teams on climate change related initiatives. The deadline to apply is April 15, 2022, and the start date is October, 2022. This is a three year commitment.
To learn more, visit the application website.
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 course 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.
MA program at Laurier in Religion, Culture and Global Justice
Newly re-structured starting this September, come and be part of this innovative program and be first to study with new opportunities – such as including an internship as part of your MRP or thesis!
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. You can access the following resources.
- Virtual Appointments
- Online Learning Resources
- PJ-Friendly Writing Groups for Undergrads
- Email Tutoring for Undergrads
- First-Year Undergrads: Learn to Write Like an Academic
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.
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.