Peace Program

Our Vision Statement

MCC Alberta’s peace program works towards partnering with communities both locally and internationally to raise awareness around our global need for peace. Our hope is to build up people with a consciousness for peace in a world so often divided so that we can talk with each other about how to live out peace in all aspects of our lives. It is as underlying goal to recruit and train peace promoters throughout Alberta that will engage with us, and motivate and encourage us all to take our place as the peacemakers that God has called us to be.

Peace Program Initiatives

Planting Peace

A program piloted in 2010 will be happening again in spring of 2013. A series of workshops brought together young people from Alberta and young people from various countries with conflict (Palestine, Israel, Columbia, Nigeria) to talk about peacemaking. Visit our Planting Peace page to learn more or read about Planting Peace 2010.

Acts of Peace Blog

What started as a challenge to youth to do 3 acts of peace each day for a year, has become a peace blog for people of all ages around the world! A place to stop and talk with others about peace making. “Say your peace” and learn more.

Peace Curriculum

MCC Alberta has created a Peace Curriculum that provides resources to educators for integrating peace lessons into their subject lessons. This curriculum is recommended for use in both secular and religiously affiliated schools and church Sunday School programs. There are both Christian and non-religious versions available.

Cycle4Life

Cycle For Life: Build Peace, stop AIDS

This MCC Alberta fundraising and Awareness building initiative was started in June of 2010 to support MCC’s work with HIV/AIDS. Three cycling trips, two at home in Alberta and one crossing the ocean to Kenya, have taken place to promote peace and raise both awareness and money for MCCs HIV/Aids work. Conversations have begun around Cycle for Life 2013. Read about these cycling adventures.

Public Engagement Events

Our peace team hosts speakers and public events often at our constituent churches and other venues. These events and speakers explore global issues from a local perspective and the work of MCC and it’s partners in these various realities.

Peaceful Action in Conflict (PAC) Workshops

Our staff facilitates a series of workshops exploring how we can live peacefully in a world so often divided. These workshops are designed on a case-by-case basis. If you are interested in setting one up for a group (school group, youth group, Bible study, church community,… any group!), please feel free to contact us.

How you can get involved:

Call us to talk about facilitating PAC workshops in your community.
Ask for our peace curriculum and use it in your church or school.
Nominate a Young Adult from your community to be a participant in Planting Peace 2013.
Support our Peace Program financially. Please contact us to donate so that we can make Planting Peace 2013 a reality!
Participate in our blog and “share your peace” actsofpeace.mcc.org.

MCC Alberta Staff Contacts

Kim Thiessen
kimthiessen@mccab.org

Megan Enns
meganenns@mccab.org

MCC Alberta Office
403-275-6935
Toll Free 1-888-622-6337

2012 Highlights so far:

October 12-16, 2012: Speaking Tour with Ricardo Esquivia: Ricardo is an MCC Partner in Colombia who is a leader in grassroots community peace-building. Read more

February 2012 - Youth Retreat at Camp Valaqua: In February 2012, Our peace team spent the weekend at Camp Valaqua with Senior High Youth Groups from Mennonite Churches across Alberta. Together we explored issues of peace and technology and the power we all have to use this technology to help and to hurt. We can use technology to learn more about others or to perpetuate stereotypes. We were all encouraged to expand the single stories we have of other people and other cultures, and embrace diversity.

May-June 2012 - Updated Peace Curriculum: MCC Alberta hired a summer intern to work on updating our Peace Curriculum, written in 2005, and making it relevant in our present context. Please contact us if you are interested in using it in your school, church, home or community!

June 2012 - MCC Middle East Reps: We were priviledged to welcome Darryl and Cindy Byler for 4 days of speaking engagements with churches across Alberta. It was a privilege to learn from them about the complexities of peacemaking in the Middle East, learn about their partners and programs and witness their passion and dedication to their work. Follow Darryl and Cindy’s Blog.

Fifth CD by Kim Thiessen and Darryl Neustaedter Barg: We are currently in the planning stages for a fifth CD in support of MCC’s Generations program (HIV and AIDs work). This CD will be partially recorded in Guatemala, with MCC partners and local music groups.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission Preparation: MCC Alberta is partnering with Mennonite Church Alberta and individuals from other Alberta Mennonite groups to prepare for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), coming to Alberta in 2014. Together we will be creating helpful resources for our church congregations to learn about this powerful process and encouraging people of all ages to get involved. Learn more about the TRC process in Canada.

Connections with Menno Simons Christian School: An ongoing highlight for our peace team is our connections with schools such as MSCS. We have had the privilege over the past school year to speak with them at their chapels and peace festival about MCC work and how they can get involved. The energy of the kids and youth there is inspiring. We are always looking for more schools to connect with!