September 20, 2005 Source: University of Calgary:
http://www.ucalgary.ca/news/sept05/peace-consortium.html Faculties create peace studies consortium Academics from the faculties of Communication and Culture, Education, EVDS, Fine Arts, Humanities, Medicine, Nursing, Social Sciences, and Social Work, along with members of the community, have established the Consortium for Peace Studies at the University of Calgary. The consortium is administered by the Faculty of Communication and Culture and housed in the Faculty of Social Work. The Consortium for Peace Studies is dedicated to reducing the human and environmental cost of violence through outstanding scholarship, applied research and education in peace studies by establishing partnerships for a secure, healthy and creative global environment. The vision is simple: The Consortium for Peace Studies will make innovative contributions to peace studies locally and globally. Maureen Wilson, associate dean in the Faculty of Social Work and consortium co-chair considers the establishment of the Consortium for Peace Studies on campus to be a very exciting development. “It aligns well with our institutional goals of furthering interdisciplinary collaboration in research and teaching, and of reaching out to our local, national and international communities.” The consortium is truly an interdisciplinary achievement. Dr. Kathleen Scherf, dean of the Faculty of Communication and Culture is delighted to have her faculty participate because, “our mission statement obliges us to build bridges to the community and to engage our expertise with those who are also interested in a strong civil society.” Building bridges with the Calgary peace community is an important objective in the Consortium for Peace Studies inaugural event, a celebration of the International Day of Peace on September 21. The day will begin with a Peace Expo, where peace workers and community groups will display peace initiatives happening in the city throughout the main foyer of the Social Sciences building. At 7 p.m., Project Ploughshares will host a celebration of Mayor Dave Bronconier’s decision to join the international group Mayors for Peace, committing Calgary as a nuclear-free zone. The event is in the Blue Room residence dining room. Other planned activities for the consortium’s 2005-2006 year include a speakers series of visiting peace studies scholars (first speaker is Ian Harris, Sept. 22, noon to 1 p.m. SS 315 speaking on “Peace Studies in an Age of Terrorism”) , a student essay competition on a topic of peace studies, the publication of a major research work on peace studies, the creation of a public database of peace resources available in Calgary, and engaging in a series of community events in partnership with Calgary’s peace community. The consortium is co-sponsoring the International Peace Research Association bi-annual conference in July 2006 at U of C. For more information on The Consortium for Peace Studies, Mayors for Peace or the celebration of International Peace Day on Campus, please contact program manager Michelle McCann at 220-2136, or visit www.ucalgary.ca/~peaceuc.
| 