Category: News Releases

Event focusing on end-of-life issues kicks off 2014-15 discussion series at CMU

Post author By CMU
Post date September 17, 2014

Physician and politician join philosophy lecturer on panel

WINNIPEG – End-of-life issues are the focus at Canadian Mennonite University’s (CMU) first Face2Face discussion of 2014-15.

Dr. Cornelius Woelk, the Medical Director of Palliative Care at Southern Health-Santé Sud, and the Honourable Steven Fletcher, Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament for Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia will join Justin Neufeld, Lecturer in Philosophy at CMU, at the discussion, titled, “A Time to Die: Cultural and Faith Perspectives in the Face of Death.”

The event happens Friday, September 26 at 7:00 PM in CMU’s Great Hall (500 Shaftesbury Blvd.). Admission is free, and everyone is welcome to attend. Face2Face is a series of conversations with CMU faculty, designed to engage the community on a wide variety of current events and issues at the intersection of faith and life.

Fletcher has initiated two private members’ bills in the House Commons to prod MPs into a national debate on the right to die. Woelk, Fletcher, and Neufeld will present a conversation exploring shifting cultural sentiments and the complexity of end-of-life issues, euthanasia, and physician-assisted suicide.

f2fbanner

Fletcher recently said that physician-assisted suicide will be a reality in Canada, the Winnipeg Free Press reported (link). He called it, “inevitable.”

“The momentum is unstoppable,” Fletcher said. “The only question is how long will it take?”

The discussion at CMU will ask: “In a world that increasingly offers up promises of personal autonomy and control, how do we face our mortality?”

Neufeld says asking that question is interesting because one does not arrive at the answer using a mathematical or scientific formula. Rather, it is a question that involves a discussion about meaning and purpose.

He hopes to get attendees thinking theologically about death.

“Any time you talk about the sanctity of life you are in theological territory, whether you want to be or not,” Neufeld says.

He adds that he is looking forward to the discussion because of the diverse background and experience each presenter brings.

“These topics are what the heart of democracy is about,” Neufeld says. “Democracy at its best should be the bringing together of these ideas to discern what the good life is.”

“A Time to Die: Cultural and Faith Perspectives in the Face of Death” is the first of four Face2Face events CMU will host during the 2014-15 school year. For details, please visit www.cmu.ca/face2face.

The discussion will be followed at 8:30 PM by a President’s Reception, during which attendees can connect with one another and chat with the presenters.

The evening marks the start of CMU’s Fall Festival, a high energy weekend that features opportunities to connect, learn, play, and celebrate with the CMU Community. For more information about the weekend, visit www.cmu.ca/fallfest.

About CMU
A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU’s Shaftesbury campus offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, and graduate degrees in Theology and Ministry. CMU has over 1,600 students, including those enrolled in degree programs at the Shaftesbury Campus and its Menno Simons College and programs.

For information about CMU, visit: www.cmu.ca.

For additional information, please contact:
Kevin Kilbrei, Director of Communications & Marketing
kkilbrei@cmu.ca; 204.487.3300 Ext. 621
Canadian Mennonite University
500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, MB R3P 2N2

Tags Cornelius Woelk, end-of-life, Face2Face, Justin Neufeld, Steven Fletcher

General News News Releases

New book explores the portrayal of clergy in literature and film

Post author By CMU
Post date September 8, 2014

Professor hopes book will reach a wide audience, serve the church

Winnipeg – How does the portrayal of clergy in secular culture affect the church? What are the cultural factors that might make the ministry a hard sell? And have literary and cinematic works been misrepresentative, misleading or even harmful?

These are some of the questions at the heart of The Collar: Reading Christian Ministry in Fiction, Television, and Film, a new book by Sue Sorensen, Associate Professor of English at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU).

The Collar combines thematic analysis and close readings to create what publisher Cascade Books describes as, “a wide-ranging study of the many ways—heroic or comic, shrewd or dastardly—Christian ministers have been represented in literature and film.”

Sorensen adds that The Collar is a good intersection of her interests in church, literature, and film.

“These are all things that profoundly affect me,” she says.

Concentrating on works from Canada, the United States and England, Sorensen explores a variety of novels, plays, TV, and movies—from The Scarlet Letter to Footloose—to make inquiries about “pastoral passion, frustration, and fallibility.”

Sorensen says that one of her personal incentives for working through the clerical references in literature and film is that many people she knows, including her husband, are members of the clergy.

She notes that ministers are often portrayed as conservative, out of touch and repressed—a description that does not fit the church leaders she knows.

When she began work on the book, Sorensen could think of many negative portrayals of Christian ministers in literature and film, and hoped she would find more positive portrayals in her research.

However, some of the books she found most heartening included portrayals of pastors who were failures, but good failures—characters who were deeply flawed human beings but trying their best to serve God and the church.

“I did not find heroic, positive role models, but I think I found something better,” Sorensen says.

While it may seem contradictory, Sorenson’s style in The Collar is both scholarly and accessible. She hopes the book reaches a wide audience, so that the average person in the pew can pick it up and read it.

Ultimately, Sorensen wants The Collar to be of service to the church. As she notes in the book, all Christians are ministers.

“Most of us do not think of ourselves in this manner from day to day, but unconsciously we must be studying pastoral actions and attitudes for models of what we should be doing or not be doing.”

An active member of First Lutheran Church in Winnipeg, Sorensen is the author of a novel, A Large Harmonium, and the editor of West of Eden: Essays on Canadian Prairie Literature. She has written about contemporary British literature, detective fiction, film, popular music, children’s writing, and is also a published poet.

The Collar is available in stores now. A Winnipeg book launch event is planned for Sunday, October 5 at 2:00 PM at McNally Robinson (1120 Grant Ave.).

Visit www.suesorensen.net.

For information about CMU, visit: www.cmu.ca.

Tags Book, Sue Sorensen, The Collar

General News News Releases

CMU Recognizes Distinguished Alumni with 2014 Blazer Awards

Post author By CMU
Post date September 3, 2014

Winnipeg – A woman who has spent more than 30 years working for justice in Israel-Palestine, the executive director of an organization that serves low-income people in need of support, a pastor-turned-TV producer who volunteers with people who have Alzheimer’s, and a Congolese immigrant who helps newcomers to Canada are the recipients of Canadian Mennonite University’s (CMU) 2014 Blazer Distinguished Alumni Awards.

CMU President Cheryl Pauls is pleased to present the awards to Kathy Bergen, John Neufeld, Lorlie Barkman, and Odette Mukole on Saturday, September 27 during the Opening Program ceremony at the university’s Fall Festival.

The Blazer Awards are presented annually to alumni from CMU and its predecessor colleges: Canadian Mennonite Bible College (CMBC) and Mennonite Brethren Bible College (MBBC)/Concord College. The awards celebrate alumni who, through their lives, embody CMU’s values and mission of service, leadership, and reconciliation in church and society.

“We are humbled and inspired by the honour and care all four of these alumni extend to people who are often marginalized,” Pauls says. “We give these awards to thank them for the example of their lives.”

Pauls will present the awards during CMU’s Opening Program at 7:00 PM on Saturday, September 27 in CMU’s Loewen Athletic Centre as part of CMU’s Fall Festival.

Earlier that day, the public is invited to meet and interact with Bergen, Neufeld, Barkman, and Mukole during an event at 4:00 PM in CMU’s Laudamus Auditorium. During this hour, the award recipients will reflect on their personal and professional journeys. There will be time for questions and interaction.

Information about the 2014 award recipients:

For the past 32 years, Kathy Bergen (CMBC ’72) has dedicated her life to working for justice in Israel-Palestine. Bergen lived in Jerusalem from the time of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 until after the Gulf War in 1991, working with MCC. Her career includes seven years as the program coordinator for the Friends International Center in Ramallah, a Quaker ministry in the West Bank, and 12 years as national coordinator of the Middle East Program of the Peacebuilding Unit for the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that works for peace and justice around the world.

A 1995 graduate of CMBC, John Neufeld earned a Master of Social Work at the University of Toronto and worked for 11 years in foster care. After completing a Master of Business Administration at Wilfrid Laurier, he took on his current role as executive director at House of Friendship, a Kitchener, ON-based organization whose mission is to serve low-income adults, youth, and children in need of support. “I think it’s critical to our common humanity that we all feel we belong, so I want to be engaged in work that makes people feel they belong,” he says.

Pastor and television producer are two titles on Lorlie Barkman’s resume. Barkman (MBBC ’90) spent 15 years with Family Life Network, a communications arm of the Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba, where he co-created a family TV series called “The Third Story” that aired across much of Canada. Before and after his time in TV, Barkman worked as a pastor. Now retired, Barkman enjoys volunteering in seniors homes, where he does a form of art therapy for people with Alzheimer’s by drawing pictures of memories that they share with him. “The Lord has kindly provided many mercies – guidance, forgiveness, encouragement, love,” Barkman says. “I’m very grateful to God.”

Concern for her family’s safety motivated Odette Mukole to move to Canada from the Congo with her three daughters in 2000. She graduated from CMU in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Social Science and currently works as a case coordinator at Family Dynamics, a not-for-profit, community-based agency in downtown Winnipeg that helps newcomers to Canada adjust to life in a new country. “I really like what I’m doing, helping people and making sure they get what they need,” she says. “And when I talk to clients, it’s from my own experience.”

About CMU A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, as well as two graduate degree programs. CMU has more than 1,700 students, including Menno Simons College and Outtatown students, and is a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). For information about CMU, visit: www.cmu.ca. Media contact: Kevin Kilbrei, CMU Communications & Marketing Director kkilbrei@cmu.ca; 204.487.3300 Ext. 621 Canadian Mennonite University 500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, MB R3P 2N2

Tags Alumni Awards, Blazer Awards, Distinguished Alumni, Fall Festival, John Neufeld, Kathy Bergen, Lorlie Barkman, Odette Mukole

General News News Releases

CMU Announces Its 2014 Leadership Scholarship Winners

Post author By CMU
Post date July 8, 2014

Four outstanding young women have been awarded CMU’s Leadership Scholarship: Kayla Drudge, a homeschool graduate from Winnipeg; Tegan Radcliffe, a Rivers Collegiate graduate from Cardale, MB; Laura Carr-Pries of Rockway Mennonite Collegiate in Waterloo, ON; and Jasmine Bhullar of Miles MacDonell Collegiate in Winnipeg.

leadershipscholarshipwinners — CMU’s 2014 Leadership Scholarship winners: (clockwise from top left) Kayla Drudge, Tegan Radcliffe, Jasmine Bhullar, and Laura Carr-Pries

The Leadership Scholarship, worth up to $14,000 distributed over four years, is offered to recent high school grads displaying significant leadership ability, academic excellence, personal character, vision and a commitment to service. Preference is often given to students demonstrating a broad range of skills and interests.

Students applying for CMU’s Leadership Scholarship are required to provide a resume of their leadership involvement in a variety of areas, along with two letters of recommendation and an essay reflecting on a leader who inspires them.

Chosen leaders included Shane Claiborne, Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, and every-day leaders from the winners’ personal lives.

All four of this year’s recipients demonstrated a strong grasp of the variable nature of leadership, and a commitment to leading in prominent or background capacities as needed with humility and grace. Some expressed a commitment to servant leadership within the church, and all share a love for sport, volunteering, and the arts.

Tags CMU Leadership Scholarship, scholarship

General News News Releases

CMU Congratulates Winners of 2014 High School Essay Contest

Post author By CMU
Post date May 14, 2014

CMU is pleased to announce that Marta Bunnett of Havelock, NB; Francesca Cammarata of St. Albert, AB; and Larissa Campbell of Winnipeg, MB, are the winners of the 2014 High School Essay Contest.

Students were asked to respond formally in a 950- to 1100-word essay to one of three questions:

What does it mean to “compare” literature? Can the study of comparative literature foster mutual understanding among readers and between communities?
How do visual media communicate and tell stories? Compare and contrast visual and written literacy.
“With great power comes great responsibility”—Voltaire. To what extent are wealthy, highly developed societies responsible for aiding “developing” countries? What are some pros and pitfalls of “aid” and “international development”?

Bunnett’s essay Responsibility for a More Equitable World placed first, earning her $500 in prize money. Second place at $300 went to Cammarata for her paper Care with Consideration, and Campbell took third prize at $200 for her work on The Responsibilities of Developed Countries to Less-Developed Countries.

2014's High School Essay Contest Winners (l-r) Marta Marta Bunnett, Francesca Cammarata, and Larissa Campbell — 2014’s High School Essay Contest Winners (l-r) Marta Marta Bunnett,
Francesca Cammarata, and Larissa Campbell

Bunnett, who will be attending CMU in the fall to study International Development, says her interest in the subject first took root at her family’s organic farm:

“My parents have had a big influence on my thought in this area; on the farm, they always prioritized growing good food and caring for the land equally. They model a very relational perspective, in terms of how we should interact with the land and others, rather than a utilitarian one.”

Bunnett says one reason she chose pros and cons of International Development for her topic was so she could use the project as a motivator to further research some of the issues in which she was already interested. She is excited to pursue International Development Studies formally at CMU this fall:

“I want to deepen my understanding of these things. Right now I have ideas, but they are not all necessarily grounded in much; I want to study and participate in discussions and really work through these issues with others on a deeper level.”

Cammarata, who will be graduating in June, said she was “thrilled” to place in the contest and aspires to pursue music studies for her post-secondary education. Campbell is a grade 11 student and will be completing her diploma at Miles Macdonell Collegiate in Winnipeg next June.

Tags CMU Essay Contest, Essay Contest

Events News Releases

Graduates challenged to imagine what the world could be

Post author By CMU
Post date April 29, 2014

Eighty degrees, two certificates awarded during university’s fourteenth annual Commencement Exercises

Winnipeg – Make the future a figment of your imagination. That was the message delivered to 80 graduates at Canadian Mennonite University’s graduation service this past weekend.

“Faith in God compels us to imagine what the kingdom of God in our wildest dreams could be,” Rev. Don Friesen said during his address at the event, held on Sunday afternoon, April 27, at Immanuel Pentecostal Church. “Imagination looks at the world as it is, and seeks to reshape that reality.”

Friesen, who was the lead pastor at Ottawa Mennonite Church for more than 30 years before retiring in 2012, encouraged graduates to envision human community as a place to find hope and healing – a place where fears and prejudices diminish.

“Imaginative visions will help us to become, as a hymn expresses it, a welcome ‘promise of the new humanity,” Friesen said.

It was an inspiring message delivered toward the end of a weekend filled with reflection, laughter, and tears as graduates and families enjoyed stories, songs, presentations, and meals along with CMU faculty, staff, and current students.

During his valedictory address, Scott Sawatzky (BA, Four-Year, English Major) said that studying literature at CMU had taught him the difference between “easy meaning and difficult, nuanced, complicated meaning.” Easy meaning is what children are so often given, he explained, while good literature, like life, rarely offers such clear direction.

“All of this is to say that, as we move from the academics and relationships that have marked our studies here at CMU, let us never forget to revisit and rethink what we’ve learned, to see old things with new eyes and new things with old eyes,” Sawatzky said. “Let us enact what we have learned here in a way that is never static but always grounded, never satisfied but always loving.”

Presiding over graduation ceremonies for her second time as President, Dr. Cheryl Pauls conferred 78 undergraduate degrees, two Master of Arts degrees, and two certificates in Biblical and Theological Studies – one at the undergraduate level, and the other at the graduate level.

President Cheryl Pauls with Scott Sawatzky (left) and Justin Rempel — President Cheryl Pauls with Scott Sawatzky (left)
and Justin Rempel

Pauls also awarded President’s Medals to Sawatzky the valedictorian as well as Justin Rempel (BA, Four-Year, English Major) in recognition of their qualities of scholarship, leadership, and service.

“This is a time of celebration,” Pauls said.

Reflecting on his time at CMU during a chapel presentation at the end of the school year, Blayne Stobbe (BA, Three-Year, English and History Majors) said he came to the university uncertain of what he was looking for.

“I am leaving CMU with the opposite,” said Stobbe, who plans to become a teacher. “I am leaving with answers to some of my questions, but with many more poignant and tough questions to work through and a drive to discover more answers. … I am leaving with a passion to learn that burns more brightly than when I began.”

During the same chapel, Danielle Bailey (BA, Four-Year, Biblical and Theological Studies and Social Science-Counselling Majors) shared how CMU’s community had changed her in profound ways.

CMU's Class of 2014 — CMU’s Class of 2014

“My professors, mentors, and peers kept encouraging me to think about pastoral ministry. I scoffed, but slowly this Anabaptist theology began seeping into my bones, and gradually I decided to listen to the voice of the Spirit, speaking through the people around me,” said Bailey, who was offered a part-time position as pastoral associate at Springstein Mennonite Church in Springstein, Man. after completing a practicum placement there as part of her degree.

“I have been openly welcomed and encouraged to use my leadership gifts.”

The Graduation Service was the last of a number of events that occurred during graduation weekend, including a gala dinner on Friday, April 25, CMU’s annual In Gratitude presentation and Spring Concert on Saturday, April 26, and the Baccalaureate Service the morning of April 27.

Tags Grad 2014, Graduation, Scott Sawatzky

Events News Releases

Students rise to the occasion for Verna Mae Janzen Music Competition

Post author By CMU
Post date March 27, 2014

‘It’s neat to see the hard work … pay off,’ says winner

WINNIPEG – Violin, piano, French horn, and vocal performances were all part of the final round of the ninth annual Verna Mae Janzen Music Competition at Canadian Mennonite University.

Held on Thursday, March 20 in the university’s Laudamus Auditorium, the competition featured eight performers who progressed from an initial field of 19 competitors.

The competition was exceptional and each of the eight finalists gave outstanding performances, said Janet Brenneman, Dean of the CMU School of Music.

“It was exciting for the audience to see the performers rise to the occasion and genuinely enjoy the experience,” Brenneman said.

“The competition is important because it gives the CMU community, as well as our wider public, an opportunity to see and hear the students perform on their solo instrument. We often present ensemble performances, but this showcases another important aspect of our program: the solo and collaborative performance.

Peter Janzen with finalists (l-r) Rachel Enns, Breanna Heinrichs, Anna Bigland-Pritchard, Rebecca Klassen-Wiebe, Deidra Borus, Ashley Fredette, Josiah Brubacher, and Sean Goerzen. — Peter Janzen with finalists (l-r) Rachel Enns, Breanna Heinrichs, Anna Bigland-Pritchard, Rebecca Klassen-Wiebe, Deidra Borus, Ashley Fredette, Josiah Brubacher,
and Sean Goerzen.

Deidra Borus, Rachel Enns, Ashley Fredette, Breanna Heinrichs, Josiah Brubacher, Sean Goerzen, Anna Bigland-Pritchard, and Rebecca Klassen-Wiebe were the eight students who competed on March 20.

Klassen-Wiebe, a fourth-year pianist, was awarded $700 and first place in the competition. Borus, a lyrical soprano who is studying music therapy, placed second and received $500

Heinrichs, a pianist studying music at CMU, and Bigland-Pritchard, a soprano in her fourth year of her Bachelor of Music in Music Ministry and Vocal Performance, tied for third place. They will share a $300 award.

Peter Janzen with winners (l-r) Breanna Heinrichs, Anna Bigland-Pritchard, Deidra Borus, and Rebecca Klassen-Wiebe.

Reflecting on her win, Klassen-Wiebe said that placing first was meaningful because it meant her performance connected with the judges and the audience, and evoked their emotions.

“I’m super excited that I won the money, but it’s more meaningful because it means I succeeded in my musical goal of touching people,” she said. “That’s better than any prize.”

Klassen-Wiebe added that competitions make her nervous, but she enjoyed the opportunity to perform music she had spent a lot of time practicing.

“It’s neat to see the hard work and emotions you’ve invested into your education and pieces pay off,” she said.

The competition is made possible by Peter Janzen of Deep River, Ontario, and named in memory of his wife, Verna Mae, who died of cancer in 1989 at age 53. Janzen attends the final round of competition each year, and speaks with competitors.

“It’s very personal,” said Klassen-Wiebe, who has competed for three years and spoken with Janzen each time. “I’ve gotten to know him a little bit better each year, and that’s a very cool part of this competition.”

Brenneman added that the event is a friendly competition among the students. They are genuinely excited for each other and always enjoy the performance.

“Many of them comment to me that they forget they are competing against each other – they simply enjoy being on the stage and putting together this great concert with their friends,” she said, adding that the audience is supportive, too.

“Sometimes at competitions, the only people present are a few immediate family members,” Brenneman said. “Here, the entire CMU community is interested in this event and the competitors themselves bring in friends and family from all over. It’s fascinating!”

____________________

For more photos documenting the 2014 Verna Mae Music Competition, please click here.

Tags Anna Bigland-Pritchard, Ashley Fredette, Breanna Heinrichs, Deidra Borus, Janet Brenneman, Josiah Brubacher, Rachel Enns, Rebecca Klassen-Wiebe, School of Music, Sean Goerzen, Verna Mae Janzen Competition

Events Lectures News Releases

Urban reserves subject of next Face2Face community discussion at CMU

Post author By CMU
Post date March 17, 2014

‘This is an opportunity to think about how we can go forward in a more respectful way,’ professor says

A First Nations leader who has promised to set up five urban reserves in Winnipeg within the next two years will speak at Canadian Mennonite University during a discussion about urban reserves.

Terry Nelson, Grand Chief of the Southern Chiefs’ Organization, is one of the panelists at Canadian Mennonite University’s next Face2Face discussion. Hosted by Dr. Jarem Sawatsky, Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at CMU, the event is titled, “On Being Good Neighbours: Urban Reserves in Winnipeg.”

The event happens Thursday, March 27 at 7:00 PM in CMU’s Great Hall (500 Shaftesbury Blvd.). Admission is free, and everyone is welcome to attend. Face2Face is a series of conversations with CMU faculty designed to engage the community on a wide variety of current events and issues at the intersection of faith and life.

Dr. Jarem Sawatsky, Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Transformation Studies at CMU

Sawatsky says he likes Nelson’s idea to develop urban reserves because he sees it as an opportunity for non-First Nations Canadians to be good neighbours to First Nations Canadians.

“This is an opportunity to think about how we can go forward in a more respectful way,” Sawatsky says. “So much of the land in and around Winnipeg has been promised as treaty land at some point. First Nations people have been waiting around a long time to get their land. For us to figure out how to extend friendship to the First Nations people who were here before us seems to be a good plan.”

Joining Sawatsky and Nelson on the panel are: Dennis Meeches, Chief of Long Plain First Nation; Deanna Zantingh, a student from CMU’s Graduate School of Theology with an interest in indigenous relations; Kenton Lobe, Instructor in International Development Studies at CMU; and Jeffrey Ansloos, a Canadian born Cree PhD student of Clinical Psychology at Fuller School of Psychology in Pasadena, CA.

Sawatsky hopes that the event will build confidence in the idea of creating urban reserves.

“I think some people have questions and concerns about an urban reserve in their backyard, and some of them have nobody to ask those questions—First Nations people are not people they have a relationship with, so they don’t know how to pursue those questions,” Sawatsky says. “We’re trying to build a space where people can pursue the questions they have.”

“On Being Good Neighbours: Urban Reserves in Winnipeg” is the last of six Face2Face events CMU will host during the 2013-14 school year. For details, please visit www.cmu.ca/face2face.

About CMU

A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU’s Shaftesbury campus offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, and graduate degrees in Theology and Ministry.

CMU has over 1,600 students, including those enrolled in degree programs at the Shaftesbury Campus and in its Menno Simons College and Outtatown programs.

For information about CMU, visit:
www.cmu.ca

Tags Dennis Meeches, Face2Face, Jarem Sawatsky, peacebuilding, reconciliation, Terry Nelson, urban reserves

General News News Releases

CSOP announces international mix of instructors for 2014

Post author By CMU
Post date February 19, 2014

Eight renowned peacekeeping instructors highlight peacebuilding program’s sixth year

Canadian School of Peacebuilding (CSOP), an annual summer peace and justice program of Canadian Mennonite University (CMU), hosts eight renowned instructors from around the world as faculty for its 2014 school. Each instructor will teach a 5-day intensive course related to peace, justice, and conflict resolution during one of CSOP’s two sessions.

“This is CSOP’s sixth year and the program’s growing reputation, both locally and globally, has helped us recruit spectacular instructors,” says CSOP Co-Director Valerie Smith. “Similarly, CSOP has attracts participants coming from a wide diversity of cultures, professions and faith backgrounds every year. The positive impact resulting from the learning, collaboration, and interaction of our instructors and students is remarkable and encouraging. All leave the program better equipped with peacebuilding skills that can be used in the workplace, at home or in their communities.”

“We’re always amazed by our students and how the experiences they bring shape the program. They arrive ready to engage with one another. It’s incredible to see the depth of their conversations by the end of a week together,” says CSOP Co-Director Jarem Sawatzky. “Combine these eager learners and contributors with the quality and diversity of the instructors and you have the foundation for life-changing growth and development. CSOP is plugged into an ever-growing network of peacebuilders and that’s exciting.”

CSOP’s first session runs from June 16-20 and features three courses: “Peace Skills Practice,” led by Natasha Mohammed; “Exploring Indigenous Justice and Healing,” by Rupert Ross”; and “Food, Farming and Faith: Living in God’s Creation,” by Norman Wirzba.

Courses in the second session, June 23-27, feature the following: “Restorative Justice with Youth and Schools,” led by Alana Abramson and John R. Weins; “Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience,” led by Elaine Zook Barge; “De-Colonial Theology: Thought and Practice,” by Terry LeBlanc; and “Arts Approaches to Community-Based Peacebuilding,” by Babu Ayindo.

About the Canadian School of Peacebuilding
CSOP aims to educate on peace and justice issues and encourage discussion in a collaborative environment. The goal is for participants to leave these sessions with a new understanding of emerging ideas in peace studies, encouraged to take these practices into their daily living. In addition to the CSOP summer program, courses are available year-round at Canadian Mennonite University’s Shaftesbury and Menno Simons College campuses.

Through its south Winnipeg Shaftesbury campus and its Menno Simons College campus at The University of Winnipeg, Canadian Mennonite University offers one of the most comprehensive undergraduate programs in peace and conflict studies in the world.

Canadian School of Peacebuilding Instructors, June 2014

Alana Abramson holds a Master’s degree in Criminology from Simon Fraser University and is completing her PhD on the topic of transformational learning and restorative justice. Alana has been an energetic practitioner and educator in the field of restorative justice since 1999. Alana has background with crisis intervention as well as extensive practical experience training to facilitate restorative approaches in prison, school, and community settings. She has been a sessional instructor with Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Douglas College and Simon Fraser University and has worked with various policing agencies to promote more restorative responses for community members including youth and people with disabilities

Babu Ayindo, back by popular demand, currently functions as an independent consultant in the design and facilitation of conflict resolution and peacebuilding initiatives, processes and interventions; as a researcher and trainer in arts, peace education and development communication; and as a program developer and evaluator with various organizations. He has extensive experience in applying “arts approaches” in peacebuilding in various parts of the world since the mid-1980s when he served as artistic director of Chelepe Arts (Nairobi, Kenya) and later as founding artistic director of Amani People’s Theater (Nairobi, Kenya). Babu has taught at peacebuilding institutes around the world. Babu is a Kenyan involved in the design, facilitation and evaluation of conflict transformation and peacebuilding processes for almost two decades in numerous parts of the world. He has also published several articles on arts, peace, and politics, including “Arts Approaches to Peace: Playing Our Way to Transcendence” published in Peacebuilding in Traumatized Societies.

Elaine Zook Barge is the Director of STAR: Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience, an integrated training program of the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding. During the 1980s and 1990s she worked in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala with Mennonite Central Committee. In her work with communities in conflict zones, Elaine experienced firsthand violence, conflict, poverty, and resilience. She facilitates STAR trainings at Eastern Mennonite University, throughout the US, and in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America. She holds an MA in conflict transformation from Eastern Mennonite University’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding and a Bachelor of Science in nutrition/community development from Eastern Mennonite University.

Terry LeBlanc is Mi’kmaq / Acadian, resides in Alberta, and is in his 41st year of marriage to Bev. He is the father of Jennifer, Jeanine, and Matt. He is the founding Chair and Director of the North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies (NAIITS). Terry also teaches at George Fox University and Evangelical Seminary, and Tyndale University College and Seminary. Author of various works, Terry has won several awards for his writing. In June 2010, for his part in the creation of NAIITS, Terry became the 28^th recipient of the Dr. E.H. Johnson Memorial Award for Innovation in Mission.

Natasha Mohammed has a background in International Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies. In addition to serving as a community counsellor, mediator, group facilitator and Victim Impact Worker, Natasha has taught conflict resolution skills and theory in government, community and university contexts for the past 18 years. She has also worked with participatory processes to create various learning programs, including diversity and youth violence prevention-based curricula.

Natasha has a special interest in conflict and culture. She is a founding member of Winnipeg Mosaic, a collective of local peacemakers who foster understanding of the role of religion and culture in life and conflict. Through her work in the federal Multiculturalism Program she is able to support the voices of both mainstream and marginalized communities in ways that ultimately facilitate their development and inclusion into Canadian society. For Natasha relationship is the key to peace in the world, your community, your family and yourself.

Rupert Ross, as Assistant Crown Attorney for the District of Kenora for more than 20 years, was responsible for criminal prosecutions on over 20 remote Ojibway and Cree First Nations. Between 1992 and 1995, he was seconded to the federal Aboriginal Justice Directorate where he travelled across Canada examining Aboriginal approaches to justice with special emphasis on healing programs for victims, offenders, families, and communities.He wrote two national best-selling books about his journey which radically reshaped the field of restorative justice: Dancing with a Ghost and Return to the Teachings: Exploring Aboriginal Justice. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Rupert worked as a fishing guide in northwestern Ontario, an assistant film editor in Ottawa, a road manager for a Toronto rock band, a bartender in Spain, and a ski instructor in Minaki, Ontario.

John R. Wiens recently retired as Dean of Education at the University of Manitoba. He has strong links to the education community not only in Manitoba, but across Canada. He has worked as a teacher, counsellor, work education coordinator, principal, school superintendent and university lecturer. John is an active educational leader and has served as president of the Manitoba Teacher’s Society, the Canadian Education Association, the Manitoba Research Council, and the Manitoba Educators for Social Responsibility. He also spent a number of years as the chair of the Universities’ Grants Commission and as the director of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation, the Board of Teacher Education and Certification, and the Manitoba Association of School Superintendents. A few of John’s awards and achievements include: the John M. Brown Award for contributions to teacher education (1998), an honourary doctorate from Brandon University (2000), life memberships in the Manitoba Teachers’ Society, the Manitoba Association of School Superintendents, and the Canadian Education Association (2002), and the Manitoba Association of School Trustees President’s Council Award (2007). He was also awarded the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Commemorative Medal (2002) for service in education.

Norman Wirzba is Professor of Theology and Ecology at Duke Divinity School and Research Professor in Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment. His academic training is in philosophy and theology combined with his background in farming in southern Alberta has led him to research in agrarian studies and ecology. He teaches and writes at the intersection of these disciplines, and has published numerous books including The Paradise of God: Renewing Religion in an Ecological Age, Living the Sabbath, Food and Faith: A Theology of Eating, and Making Peace with the Land.

Tags Canadian School of Peacebuilding, CSOP

Events Lectures News Releases

Economic crisis, debt and trust key issues for discussion at next Face2Face event

Post author By CMU
Post date February 19, 2014

Global economic crises throughout the world over the past few years, what they mean for society and what the future holds are some of the topics that Jeff Huebner will explore at Canadian Mennonite University’s next Face2Face event.

Jeff Huebner, Associate Professor of International Business

Huebner, Associate Professor of International Business at CMU, will lead a discussion titled, “The European Debt Crisis and Other Wonders Hiding in the Global Economy,” on Thursday, February 27 at 7:00 PM in CMU’s Great Hall (500 Shaftesbury Blvd.). Admission is free, and everyone is welcome to attend. Face2Face is a series of conversations with CMU faculty designed to engage the community on a wide variety of current events and issues at the intersection of faith and life.

The discussion will explore everything from the financial crisis in the United States to the Eurozone debt crisis. Discussion panelists will include two participants from a course Huebner is currently teaching, “Business in the European Union”: Norm Klippenstein, a value investor from Niverville, Man. who is taking the course for personal interest; and Wil Bohlender, an international student from Germany who will speak about the Eurozone crisis from a citizen’s perspective.

In addition to rising debt rates in Canada and what that means for society, Huebner says that one of the aspects he is interested in exploring is the issue of trust, which is a core facet of Christian faith and of Mennonite communities.

“A lot of our financial system is based on trust – not only for citizens who are investing privately, but for countries like those in the European Union who are working together to use the Euro,” he says. “When something like the Eurozone debt crisis happens, trust can be shaken to the core and the question is: What happens if that trust is going to evaporate?”

Huebner, who is leading CMU Redekop School of Business students on a two-week study tour focusing on business and politics in Europe this coming April, is looking forward to the event.

“This is going to be an interesting panel discussion,” he says. “I’m excited to hear what people have to say.”

“The European Debt Crisis and Other Wonders Hiding in the Global Economy” is the fifth of six Face2Face events CMU will host during the 2013-14 school year. For the complete Face2Face schedule, please visit www.cmu.ca/face2face.

Tags Face2Face, Jeff Huebner, Redekop School of Business, RSB