We have monitored the weather forecast for today in regions where the majority of participants are travelling within, and it appears it will have minimal adverse weather impact until Saturday evening.
For this reason, we have decided to proceed with the MCC Peace Conference.
MCC staff is ready to welcome you, and together, we will experience how you and MCC are changing lives and communities through peacebuilding.
Speaking Truth....Building Peace
Bethany Community Church, 1388 Third Street Louth, St. Catharines, Ontario
The MCC Peace Conference is your chance to see, hear and experience first-hand how you and MCC are changing lives and communities through peacebuilding.
This event will inspire and inform through general sessions, workshops and conversations with messengers of peace.
So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
Romans 14:19
Highlights
Guest Speakers
Clarence Cachagee, the founder of Crow Shield Lodge will share what it means to be an ally to Indigenous people. With a primary focus on working with the spirit within, Clarence is a helper, visionary and author who is known for investing his whole self into his community. Clarence originates from Chapleau Cree First Nation and calls Cambridge his home.
Andrew Geddert, MCC Ukraine’s Trauma Support and Resourcing Specialist, will discuss how MCC’s partners and staff are responding to the massive crisis unfolding in Ukraine. Stories will be shared about what it is like for partners to care for participants' physical and psycho-social-spiritual needs while many partner staff and volunteers are affected by ongoing shelling and danger. Partners from Ukraine will join via video and share the challenges and the hope they are experiencing. Expect to hear how you can respond in a way that contributes to meeting the needs of people in Ukraine and the possibility of peace.
Experience!
Experience the Indigenous history we’ve never been taught through the Blanket Exercise on Friday evening. The Blanket Exercise weaves storytelling and land-based learning to build understanding about our shared history as Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada by walking through pre-contact, treaty-making, colonization and resistance. Everyone is actively involved as they step onto blankets that represent the land and into the role of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. Sharing circles following the exercise promote action and advocacy.
Engaging Activities
- View The Landed Buggy, an artistic land acknowledgement that reflects a web of connections.
- Visit the Niska Artisans booth and purchase Indigenous creations made using traditional techniques and quality materials.
- Sample and purchase delicious, gourmet soup from The Raw Carrot Soup Enterprise, which creates meaningful employment for talented individuals with disabilities.
- View Sitting with the Truth, a journey of pain, resilience and apology where you will hear stories from survivors and staff of Mennonite-run residential schools.
- Visit program displays, speak to MCC Ontario staff and partners and learn more.
Workshops
Workshops are presented twice, except where indicated.
Morning
Living below the line: Co-created and presented by individuals living in poverty, Living Below the Line is a stereotype-busting dramatic presentation celebrating resilience and hope. The play gives a voice to people like Lovas, who are brave enough to turn their story into a script. "We didn’t choose this, no one chooses to have a disability, no one chooses to live in poverty, and we are doing everything we can to get out of that situation," explained Lovas. In collaboration with Guelph-based Watercourse Theatre and artistic director Catherine Frid, 14 people living in poverty offer perspectives on topics like mental health, disabilities and homelessness. This workshop is 90 minutes long and will take place over two workshop slots.
Quilts for Survivors: Come and hear the story of MCC partner, Quilts for Survivors, an Indigenous-led non-profit founded in Timmins in 2021 to provide quilts to Survivors of Residential Schools as a symbol of support, respect, and love. Through a nation-wide collective effort of volunteers, over 2000 quilts have been created and delivered to Survivors in a little over one year! Founder Vanessa Genier (Missianbie First Nation) will be with us in person to share her amazing story that pieces together pain, resurgence, ingenuity and hope.
Responding to the psycho-social-spiritual needs in Ukraine: Andrew Geddert, MCC Ukraine Trauma Support and Resourcing Specialist, will share how Ukrainians are preserving their humanity, supporting people impacted by trauma and loss and finding new ways to live out a peace witness during the current cruel and dehumanizing situation.
Building Peace in Nepal: Hear from MCC Nepal country reps, Kaitlyn and Luke Jantzi via Zoom, share how MCC is working with partners in providing food security, education and mental health support and breaking down barriers and forming peaceful communities in Nepal.
Just Ask!: MCC Ontario is governed by a Board of Directors made up of representatives across the Anabaptist denomination. This workshop will be held as an open forum to respond to topics and questions that are raised by you, a valued member of our constituency. Come curious as you meet this year’s directors, ask your questions and gain understanding. Presented once.
Faithfully Managing Finances at MCC Ontario: Revenue, expenses, good stewardship, effective use of scarce resources. This is all key to high-impact MCC programs. Join members of the Financial Services team and learn how it happens! Presented once.
Afternoon
What does it mean to be an ally to Indigenous people?: Keynote speaker Clarence Cachagee and MCC’s Scott Morton Ninomiya will dive deeper into what it means to be an ally to Indigenous people and truly honour culture, authentic collaboration and address discrimination.
Shipping in today's world: Join the Material Resources team in discussing shipping internationally with today's realities. Come and learn how ocean shipping had worked pre-pandemic, how it is currently working and what the future of shipping might be. We will give an update on MCC’s current shipping plan, the needs of our international partners and will discuss the changes that have taken place as Ontario has transitioned to MCC’s Canadian Central Warehouse.
MCC and Climate Change: MCC’s partners in Canada and around the world say changing weather affects almost every aspect of their lives and that climate change has a disproportionate impact on those who are most vulnerable and least able to cope. Learn how MCC is helping to address climate change and how you can encourage our government to ensure fair and equitable support for climate adaptation and mitigation programs.
Living below the line: Co-created and presented by individuals living in poverty, Living Below the Line is a stereotype-busting dramatic presentation celebrating resilience and hope. The play gives a voice to people like Lovas, who are brave enough to turn their story into a script. "We didn’t choose this, no one chooses to have a disability, no one chooses to live in poverty, and we are doing everything we can to get out of that situation," explained Lovas. In collaboration with Guelph-based Watercourse Theatre and artistic director Catherine Frid, 14 people living in poverty offer perspectives on topics like mental health, disabilities and homelessness. This workshop is 90 minutes long and will take place over two workshop slots.
Practicing Peace in your Faith Community: Learn about three peacebuilding curriculums in this interactive workshop. Peace Practices, Fear Not and Embracing Beloved Community are all available for free download from MCC and will help your church or faith community practice peace as a part of our daily lives and as an expression of our faith.
Responding to the truth of migration and resettlement: Join MCC Ontario’s migration and resettlement team and learn about the journey of displacement and how it impacts refugees and members of the Low German-speaking community.
The State of Exception in El Salvador: Sara Wyngaarden, from MCC Guatemala-El Salvador, will join via Zoom and share how the legacies of violence, trauma and exclusion continue to shape family, community, social and political life in El Salvador and how MCC partner, ANADES (Asociación Nuevo Amanecer de El Salvador), is working to address these legacies.
Junior Peacebuilders Program
Create! Play! Learn!
Bring the kids along (ages 4-10) to become Junior Peacebuilders and learn about MCC and peacebuilding in Ontario and around the world. Spaces are limited and pre-registration is required.
The cost is $20 per child and includes lunch and snacks.
Schedule
- 7:00 PM Blanket Exercise
Sat, Nov 19
- 9:00 AM Welcome and kickoff
- 9:30 AM Main Session: What does it mean to be an ally
- 10:30 AM Workshop 1
- 11:20 AM Workshop 2
- 12:00 PM Lunch, displays and other engagement activities
- 1:30 PM Workshop 3
- 2:20 PM Workshop 4
- 3:15 PM Main Session: Responding to the conflict in Ukraine
- 4:00 PM Closing
Cost
- Registration fee: $25 per person
- Registration fee and bus transportation: $45 (bus departs from MCC, 50 Kent Ave, Kitchener at 7:15 AM and will return at approximately 5:30 PM.
- Student registration fee: $10
- Junior Peacebuilders: $20
There is no charge to attend the Blanket Exercise on Friday evening, but space is limited and registration is required.
Lodging
We are not formally securing lodging for attendees. We recommend investigating the hotels listed at heartofniagara.ca. These are all close to the conference site and at a range of price levels.