PACS Biweekly Newsletter - Dec. 4, 2019

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

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Good luck on your exams! Wishing you and your family a happy holidays.

Featured at Grebel

Make a Difference Market

When: December 7, 10am - 4pm

Where: Conrad Grebel

Make-A-Difference Market is Christmas shopping fundraiser being hosted on December 7th 2019 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will consist of local and fair-trade vendors, a food and bake sale, a silent auction and live music performances.  The proceeds from this year’s Christmas Market will be donated to SheCycle, a student initiative whose goal is to improve women's health by developing menstrual, antimicrobial pads for women in developing countries. 

See the event page here.

Events

Public Talk: What is Anti-Semitism

When: December 4, 7:00pm

Where: Community Room, 50 Kent Ave Kitchener

What is the relationship between anti-Semitism and anti-Zisnism, and state policies of Israel and Palestinian solidarity? This talk will provide a history and discuss contemporary manifestations of anti-Semitism. Featuring Sydney Nestel of Indpendent Jewish Voices. Q&A to follow. 

Global Migration Film Festival Screening: This is Home

When: December 5, 7pm-9:30pm

Where: CIGI Auditorium (67 Erb St. W)

Screened as part of the Global Migration Film Festival, “This is Home” is an intimate portrait of four Syrian refugee families arriving in America and struggling to find their footing. Displaced from their homes and separated from loved ones, they are given eight months of assistance from the International Rescue Committee to become self-sufficient. As they learn to adapt to challenges, their strength and resilience are tested. It is a universal story, highlighted by humor and heartbreak, about what it’s like to start over, no matter the obstacles.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion focusing on the resettlement of refugee families in the KW region featuring representatives of Reception House, Waterloo Region’s resettlement agency.

See the event page here.

HeForShe Men's Circle (Hosted by the University Colleges)

When: December 10, 12-1pm

Where: St. Paul's University College, room 118

Through interactive exercises and discussions, the Men’s Circle will explore some of the ways in which men can become leaders in creating a safer campus for everyone. The content is geared toward unpacking harmful constructs of masculinity and increasing understanding of the impact of an individual’s behavior on themselves and others. This workshop will also explore the relations of power involved in sexual violence and sketch men’s roles in fostering gender equity on campus.

These workshops are free and open to all male identifying students with food and beverages provided!

Read more and register here.

Jobs and Opportunities

Call for Proposals: Canadian Roots Exchange - The Gathering

Canadian Roots Exchange’s Gatherings are facilitated by youth, for youth. Through our Gatherings, we build open spaces for sharing between Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth. We encourage engagement in dialogue on the significance of solidarity and reconciliation. We work to challenge negative stereotypes that divide our communities.Canadian Roots Exchange’s Gatherings are facilitated by youth, for youth. Through our Gatherings, we build open spaces for sharing between Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth. We encourage engagement in dialogue on the significance of solidarity and reconciliation. We work to challenge negative stereotypes that divide our communities.

Charity Nonkes, a PACS student, is planning on attending this conference, if others are interested in carpooling please click here to email her directly.

See the event page here.

Call for Proposals: Consortium of North American Peace Programs (CONAPP) 2020

Submission due: December 15, 2019 *EXTENDED until January 15, 2020

CONAPP date: June 2020

Gettysburg is famous for the United States’ Civil War. Instead of letting violence have the last word, we will gather at this site to discuss peace and justice, and dare to imagine radical alternatives!

The Consortium of North American Peace Programs (CONAPP) invites proposals for the first undergraduate student-centered, peace and justice conference at Gettysburg College (Pennsylvania, USA), June 8 – 11, 2020. Masters and doctoral students, professors, and community members may attend, learn and dialogue, but presenters will only be undergraduates from Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Click here to learn about the themes and proposal format

MCC Ottawa Office Student Seminar: Non-Violence for Social Change - Active Peace Building

When: February 20-22, 2020

Where: 1905-1130 Albert St., Ottawa, ON K1P6G4

Registration Deadline: January 18, 2020

Cost: $100 - Subsidies may be available through MCC provincial offices

MCC Ottawa Office Student Seminar, February 20-22, 2020** for Canadian university and college students.

  • Explore active citizenship and advocacy as a component of peacebuilding
  • learn about MCC and faith-based advocacy
  • learn about creating change even in divisive and difficult circumstances
  • hear from Parliamentarians and civil society advocates
  • dialogue with students from across Canada
  • enjoy Ottawa's famous Winterlude festival

** The seminar will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 20 and conclude on Saturday, February 22 at noon. 

Click here to see event page.

Map the System 2020

Registration Deadline: February 5, 2020

The Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement at Conrad Grebel University College is pleased to be facilitating UWaterloo’s participation in the global Map the System challenge. Organized by Oxford University’s Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Map the System is a systems thinking competition that challenges students to deepen their understanding of complex social and environmental problems

PACS 398 credit for MAP the System Projects

Click here to see event page.

Internship Opportunity: Just Peace Advocates

Just Peace Advocates is looking for interns who are passionate about social justice, human rights, and international law.

Just Peace Advocates is an independent Canadian human rights organization promoting just peace through the rule of law and respect for human rights in Canada and around the world for the Palestinian people and those that stand in solidarity for the human rights of the Palestinian people.

Multiple positions are available. These are unpaid internships. Click here to see Internship Opportunities.

Winter 2020 Courses

PSCI 498 Spring 2020: Israel - Palestine Study Tour


Trip Dates: August 14-28 
Costs: $5000-6000 CAD (based on group size)
Information session: PSCI Lounge Hagey 315, December 4 at 10am.


Are you interested to take a course that will give you an on-the-ground experience of complex histories, politics, people and place? 

Meet scholars, diplomats, journalists & social justice advocates, among others. Visit major cities and sites of political, historic and religious significance. Cost includes airfare, accomodations (double), guided tours, lecturers, entrance fees to archaeological, historic, religious sites and museums. 

To learn more about this course, head to the PSCI Lounge for hot chocolate and cookies at 10am.

Upcoming Courses in PACS Special Topics for Winter 2020

Courses in special topics provide a unique chance to explore in depth topics that are not part of the regular course calendar. These  courses are taught by a selection of distinguished experts who will integrate their personal experiences from the field into the classroom.

Click here to read more about the special topic courses being offered in Winter 2020.

RS 335: Violence of the Bible

Tuesday/Thursday 10:00-11:20am

Why have Christians done such horrible things? This course explores how the Bible has been used to justify (and oppose) violence throughout church history. We tackle topics such as Constantine and the PAX Romana, the crusades, slavery, the "conquest" of the Americas, the residential school system in Canada, gender violence, and the environmental crisis.

ACE-TESOL Post Grad Certificate Program

When: Winter 2020 Semester: Tuesday/Thursday Evenings and Saturday

Where: Renison University College

The ACE-TESOL certificate at Renison University College is your way to get TESL Canada certified and gain the basic tools, strategies, skills, and knowledge to be successful as an English language teacher.

Click here to read more about the ACE-TESOL certificate program

Notes and Additional Resources

Choosing a Career in International Development: A Practical Guide to Working in the Professions of International Development

Written for students and others who are considering career choices or change, and for professionals who teach or advise students, the book gives down to earth information and advice and is an intriguing look at the field from top to bottom. It addresses needs, issues, models, policies and practices, and speaks to cultures, sensitivities, host countries and institutions. It is about aspirations, purpose, respect and charitable behavior.

The book explores job search strategies and discusses what development personnel do in various positions and fields. It lists funding organizations and implementing agencies and discusses development management, approaches, useful skills, and opportunities

This book is available for loan at the Conrad Grebel Milton Good Library through the University of Waterloo or for purchase on amazon.com

Counselling Services

Counselling Services strives to help you lead a healthy and balanced life. They provide a secure, supportive, and inclusive environment for all students. Counselling Services provides individual appointments, seminars and workshops, peer support, and online help for those in need of support and guidance.

Click here to be directed to their home page.

Online Workshops and Seminars


Can't make it to the in-person sessions? Campus Wellness also offers online workshops and seminars! These include the coping skills seminars, relaxation exercises, stress management, and tips for sleeping well.

Click here to go to the Campus Wellness website.