Peace and Conflict Studies - Grebel & UWaterloo

Peace and Conflict Studies - Grebel & UWaterloo Come explore the Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) Program at Conrad Grebel University College, affiliated with the University of Waterloo.

Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) is an interdisciplinary undergraduate program that allows you to explore conflict and injustice, and discover ways to promote peace that fit your interests and goals. In Canada's longest-standing Peace and Conflict Studies program, you will engage with unconventional, nonviolent ways to transform conflict, pursue restorative justice and sustainable social change. Find out how peace is built in complicated situations around the world and locally by connecting theory and practice. Learn from leading faculty and practitioners. Combine peace scholarship and skills development with co-op placements or internships. Stay connected to PACS and find out more here: https://uwaterloo.ca/peace-conflict-studies/about-peace-and-conflict-studies

The course selection period ends today. For the winter term, we are offering some exciting and interesting courses that ...
10/05/2026

The course selection period ends today. For the winter term, we are offering some exciting and interesting courses that we will not be offering again any time soon. Please make sure you take these courses in the winter term of 2027. We typically rotate courses every two years.

These include PACS 321/GSJ 331
PACS 312/COMMST 302, PACS 318/PSCI 352 and PACS 327.

If you need a course override, we will take care of this during the add period later in November. Reach out to the PACS academic advisor for support.





We are excited to announce that our next PACS in Conversation - Join the Dialogue drop-in event is back like it never ac...
09/25/2026

We are excited to announce that our next PACS in Conversation - Join the Dialogue drop-in event is back like it never actually left this fall term. PACS and MPACS students, join us Tuesday, September 29, 2026, in the Community Education Room. There is pizza and a few snacks to celebrate new students as well as our returning students. Whether you are taking a PACS course this term or a full on PACS undergraduate or graduate student, come join us!

Ready to unpack the world’s headlines, talk about big ideas, and connect with people who care about peace and justice as much as you do?

You’re invited to drop in for our monthly PACS in Conversation series, a relaxed, come‑as‑you‑are space where we chat about current events in Canada and across the globe. No prep, no pressure, just good conversation and curious minds, and meaningful engagement with PACS students, faculty, and staff, once a month, from 12 pm to 1:30 pm.

What to expect:
- Thought‑provoking discussions and meaningful dialogue
- Friendly faces from across the PACS community
- Space to explore what’s happening in the world and why it matters
- Connecting with PACS Faculty, Staff, and fellow students
- Checking in with your PACS professor/academic advisor about anything

Whether you’re passionate about global or internal affairs or just want to hear what others are thinking, your voice is welcome.

We are inviting you to an upcoming screening of a CBC documentary featuring My Brother, Soleiman. One of the panel speak...
09/17/2026

We are inviting you to an upcoming screening of a CBC documentary featuring My Brother, Soleiman.

One of the panel speakers, Chris Cowie, is a professor in the Faculty of Arts, who teaches PACS 329/LS 344: Restorative Justice. Students enrolled in this course are encouraged to participate in the discussion.

The screening will include a panel discussion following the documentary where we welcome students, faculty, and staff who may be interested in attending.

Here is the event information (attached above):

When: Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Time: 5:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M.

Where: East Campus 5, Room 1111





This course is for students who are looking for outside-the-box courses in the fall term.PACS 302/THPERF 490 Relational ...
09/04/2026

This course is for students who are looking for outside-the-box courses in the fall term.

PACS 302/THPERF 490 Relational Aesthetics Towards Dialogue:
Do you enjoy humour and creativity? Do you wonder how to build respect, relationships and perspective-taking when dealing with contentious or difficult issues on campus?

If yes, join us in PACS 302/THPERF 490 where we explore an approach to performance called “relational aesthetics” and pair it with critical dialogue skills.

Over the term, students will create multi-media, participatory events that explore collaborative, generous forms of illumination and response.
__________________________
If you have any questions about the course, please email the PACS Academic Advisor or the THPERF academic advisor.




08/26/2026

Curious about the foundational courses in Peace and Conflict Studies, enroll in PACS 201: Roots of Conflict, Violence and Peace, one of the four foundational courses [including PACS 101, PACS 202, and PACS 203). In this video, a PACS Minor student, Beth, is sharing about their experience in PACS 201.

PACS 201 introduces students from a variety of backgrounds to the study of conflict, violence and peace. It is the first of three preliminary core courses in the Peace and Conflict Studies Program at the University of Waterloo. Like peace and conflict studies, this course draws on works that synthesize insights from various academic fields in the humanities and social sciences, as well as those produced outside of the university. As such, it engages with works that offer not only different ways of understanding and dealing with conflict and violence but also differing methodologies and styles.

Among the questions we will explore in this course are:
1. What do we mean when we speak of “conflict,” and “violence” and “peace”? Are there different kinds of violence? Is peace simply an absence of conflict or violence, or is it something more than that? What is the relationship between peace and justice?

2. How is warmaking perpetuated? What are the ways in which individuals and groups have responded to warmaking?

3. What role does power play in conflict, violence and peace?

It is a course add period, and we are pleased to let you know that there are some new, exciting PACS courses you may fin...
08/11/2026

It is a course add period, and we are pleased to let you know that there are some new, exciting PACS courses you may find really interesting beyond the regular courses. These include:

PACS 490: Communication and Social Justice (this one you get to take it with Communication Studies students, which gives you a whole new experience) - it is cross-listed with COMMST 430.

PACS 302: Relational Aesthetics Towards Dialogue (this one you will take it with theatre performance students, and you get to learn how to act; it is really cool and fun) - it is cross-listed with THPERF 490.

PACS 313: Community Conflict Resolution (this one is with communications studies students as well) - it is cross-listed with COMMST 302.

We will not be offering these courses in the winter term of 2026.

Please reach out if you have any questions to the PACS Academic Advisor.



Please note that PACS 331: Trauma Healing and Social Transformation will not be offered in the winter term of 2027. Goin...
07/30/2026

Please note that PACS 331: Trauma Healing and Social Transformation will not be offered in the winter term of 2027. Going forward, we will be offering the course once a year. This means students who are working towards completion of the Restorative Justice Specialization or Diploma need to plan to take the course whenever it is offered.

If you are planning to graduate in June 2027 with the RJ Specialization or Diploma, you must enroll in PACS 331 in the fall term of 2026 if you have not taken the course. There is no way around graduating with the Specialization or Diploma without that course. It is one of the core courses for that academic plan.

If you have any questions, connect with the PACS Undergraduate Academic Advisor.





Join us this Fall term in PACS 302/THPERF 490 class on Relational Aesthetics towards Dialogue. This course invites stude...
07/17/2026

Join us this Fall term in PACS 302/THPERF 490 class on Relational Aesthetics towards Dialogue.

This course invites students into a collaborative and curiosity-driven exploration that fosters meaningful conversation and connection amongst University of Waterloo students.

Through the creation of multi-media presentations and/or performances, students will develop practical skills in active listening, perspective-taking, and dialogue, with attention to experiences of marginalization and its impact on belonging.

The course add period begins next week from July 23 to July 28, 2026. If you are looking for an interesting and engaging course for an elective as a second, third or fourth year student, this might be a great course for you!





Congratulations to all the PACS graduates who participated in today’s convocation ceremony at the University of Waterloo...
06/18/2026

Congratulations to all the PACS graduates who participated in today’s convocation ceremony at the University of Waterloo!!

We are all very proud of your achievements and dedication towards building a more equitable, just, and peaceful world!



🎓📚✏️

At each spring Convocation, the University of Waterloo honours the top graduating scholar with the highest cumulative av...
06/17/2026

At each spring Convocation, the University of Waterloo honours the top graduating scholar with the highest cumulative average in each honours program of study. Chiara McLean has combined strong scholarship and dedication to Peace and Conflict Studies throughout her degree and is the winner of the PACS Departmental Award for Distinguished Academic Achievement.

“I was drawn to Peace and Conflict Studies as I was always interested in what drives conflict and division in our world and wanted to learn more about the opportunities and work that can bring forth peace,” Chiara recalled. In her first year of university, she enroled in Peace is Everybody’s Business, quickly followed by Roots of Conflict, Violence, and Peace. Her interest was piqued, and she went on to earn a joint BA in Political Science and PACS with a minor in Communications Studies. …

Congratulations to you, Chiara, and to all PACS students who are graduating this spring. This is a significant achievement and is well-deserved.

Read the full article using the link in our Instagram bio.




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140 Westmount Road N
Waterloo, ON
N2L3G6

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