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Child labour has been a significant issue in developing countries as there are too many socio-economic problems that children get neglected as a vulnerable group. As a metropolitan city in Iran, Shiraz is more prone to child labour; therefore, there must be systems and facilities to protect these children. There are a few charity organizations in Iran that focus on child labour. For example, Imam Ali Popular Students Relief Society (IAPSRS) is a private charity organization run by volunteer students following UNICEF's guidelines to provide education, psychological and social help, combat malnutrition, and rehabilitate working children through arts and sports (Imam Ali’s Popular Students Relief Society n.d.). One Thousand Peaches focuses on building a center for IAPSRS to provide a safe place for children in the labour force. The proposed location for this project is district eight in downtown Shiraz. The center comprises a mix of classrooms, workshops, a gallery, play areas, offices, a medical exam room, and an emergency shelter to respond to children's physiological, psychological, and fulfillment needs through a trauma-informed design. In addition, the project offers adaptive reuse of interiors in some of the beautiful historic buildings in the Bala-Kaft neighbourhood of Shiraz to revitalize the community.

In this study, I examine the plurilingual identity constructions and expressions of generation 1.5 Iranian-Canadian minors living in Canada, focusing on their perceptions across diverse sociocultural and educational spaces. Using a qualitative multiple-case study approach and drawing on positioning theory, I investigate the impact of social position on language learning and the dynamic interplay among heritage language maintenance, access to resources, and cultural capital. I employ a multi-method qualitative approach, including interviews with parents and children, children’s visual representations, and value-laden artifacts, to explore three main ideas: parents’ access to resources and capital, the role of heritage language and identity, and the role of children’s families and communities in supporting them in their language development. Findings reveal a close link between access to resources and plurilingual education, the existence of mono-lingual mindsets in some Canadian schools, and discriminatory practices that hinder children’s plurilingual identity construction. Children demonstrate resilience in the face of adversity, drawing upon their cultural capital and adapting to diverse social situations. Family language practices and emotional connections to relatives and the country of origin play crucial roles in supporting the development and maintenance of children’s heritage language and identity. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex processes involved in constructing and expressing plurilingual identities while highlighting the need for a better understanding of social contexts and the implementation of appropriate language and socialization strategies to address the challenges.

For eight years, I was associated with a disability inclusion initiative called the Network of Organizations Working with People with Disabilities, Pakistan (NOWPDP). It specializes in skills training of persons with disabilities and making workplaces disability confident. The purpose of this autoethnography is to explore my journey in developing and utilizing effective approaches at NOWPDP to persuade Pakistani employers to hire persons with disabilities. In its programmatic activities, NOWPDP embraced the social model of disability, defined by Michael Oliver, viewing disability as a social construct. The concept of intersectionality has been applied to understand how different social locations play a major role in experiencing privilege and discrimination. In our journey to provide job placement opportunities to people with disabilities, we faced barriers like inaccessible public infrastructure, preconceived negative notions about people with disabilities, overprotection from family members, and a feeling of hopelessness from the system experienced by individuals in the disability community. Despite challenges in job placements, we applied various innovative strategies, employing a carrot-and-stick approach, to persuade employers to hire individuals with disabilities. Social cognitive theory has also been applied to understand how employers adopt the practice of hiring people with disabilities by observing other employers and assessing the consequences of their actions. Some of these strategies included creating success stories and case studies. We did this by specifically targeting industry leaders, which had a trickle-down effect in persuading other industry players. While studying the successful strategies, I have also analyzed the structure of NOWPDP, which had a board with influential leaders but did not have the representation of persons with disabilities. This brings us to the notion of inclusive governance which goes beyond the concept of inclusion and aim

This research uses critical qualitative methods to discuss the untold stories of LGBTQIA+ Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) after the Bosnian war in 1995. The qualitative research aims to examine the impacts of the violent conflict on queer individuals, as well as explore their experiences of peace activism and coping with homophobia in a country where queer communities face a heightened risk of homophobia. The data were analyzed using a set of procedures including description, coding, and interpretation of transcripts and field notes. Direct and indirect violence, along with discriminatory policies and practices, have led to a resurgence of conflict and violence against queer people in BiH. This study investigated queer people’s perceptions and experiences of peacebuilding in BiH and the political queer presence there after the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA). It also explored the activism strategies of queer Bosniaks/Serbs/Croats residing in BiH, which they employ as part of a collective movement to improve the conditions of community members’ conditions to help them cope with violence directed at queer people. The research findings showed that there are interrelated everyday violent acts that disrupt queer people’s way of living. The current structural issues that impact them range from the constitution, Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA), and Two Schools Under One Roof policy to intergenerational trauma that prevent people from reconciling and coexisting in an already dysfunctional system that was created by the DPA in post-accord BiH. The research findings also suggest that the political institutions supported by the international community have institutionalized ethnosectarian politics and divisions in BiH, which puts everyone, specifically queer people, in danger of everyday homophobia violence.

Winnipeg is a city regarded in Canada as the city in the middle. It is, in fact, geographically at the heart of the North American Continent. It is also situated currently as a city of prevalent racism and injustice. It is also a city where there is consistent and prevalent peace work as well. It would seem Winnipeg is a city divided. Winnipeg served for thousands of years as a place for Indigenous Nations to gather, trade, and share culture. The decades and centuries that followed first contact replaced these systems with infrastructures and cultures of oppression and violence, exacting painful tolls on Indigenous Peoples and people of colour more generally. Over the last century, however, there have been social, economic, and political shifts in the city toward accepting and embracing the cultural differences it once demonized, effectively beginning the process of erecting shared cultures of peace. The purpose of the exploratory research in this study is to gauge the relative levels of positive peace or social justice in Winnipeg. To accomplish this, I drew four salient quantitative indicators from the proventive critical positive peace assessment known as the peace poles, to test their viability. To serve as a counterweight and balance to test of the measure’s saliency, representatives from four Winnipeg social organizations were undertaken to explore their ideas about positive peace in Winnipeg as the city in the middle. These four organizational representatives come from a few of the most systemically engaged organizations in the city. In this research I explored the ways in which these persons and organizations engaged in the city regarding peace, while afterward running the numbers derived from the peace poles assessment published in the Palgrave Handbook of Positive Peace in 2022. These positive peace metrics—connectivity, political voice, the gini index, and sense of belonging—only further grounded and supported the themes discovered in the interviews.

For eight years, I was associated with a disability inclusion initiative called the Network of Organizations Working with People with Disabilities, Pakistan (NOWPDP). It specializes in skills training of persons with disabilities and making workplaces disability confident. The purpose of this autoethnography is to explore my journey in developing and utilizing effective approaches at NOWPDP to persuade Pakistani employers to hire persons with disabilities. In its programmatic activities, NOWPDP embraced the social model of disability, defined by Michael Oliver, viewing disability as a social construct. The concept of intersectionality has been applied to understand how different social locations play a major role in experiencing privilege and discrimination. In our journey to provide job placement opportunities to people with disabilities, we faced barriers like inaccessible public infrastructure, preconceived negative notions about people with disabilities, overprotection from family members, and a feeling of hopelessness from the system experienced by individuals in the disability community. Despite challenges in job placements, we applied various innovative strategies, employing a carrot-and-stick approach, to persuade employers to hire individuals with disabilities. Social cognitive theory has also been applied to understand how employers adopt the practice of hiring people with disabilities by observing other employers and assessing the consequences of their actions. Some of these strategies included creating success stories and case studies. We did this by specifically targeting industry leaders, which had a trickle-down effect in persuading other industry players. While studying the successful strategies, I have also analyzed the structure of NOWPDP, which had a board with influential leaders but did not have the representation of persons with disabilities. This brings us to the notion of inclusive governance which goes beyond the concept of inclusion and aim

Child labour has been a significant issue in developing countries as there are too many socio-economic problems that children get neglected as a vulnerable group. As a metropolitan city in Iran, Shiraz is more prone to child labour; therefore, there must be systems and facilities to protect these children. There are a few charity organizations in Iran that focus on child labour. For example, Imam Ali Popular Students Relief Society (IAPSRS) is a private charity organization run by volunteer students following UNICEF's guidelines to provide education, psychological and social help, combat malnutrition, and rehabilitate working children through arts and sports (Imam Ali’s Popular Students Relief Society n.d.). One Thousand Peaches focuses on building a center for IAPSRS to provide a safe place for children in the labour force. The proposed location for this project is district eight in downtown Shiraz. The center comprises a mix of classrooms, workshops, a gallery, play areas, offices, a medical exam room, and an emergency shelter to respond to children's physiological, psychological, and fulfillment needs through a trauma-informed design. In addition, the project offers adaptive reuse of interiors in some of the beautiful historic buildings in the Bala-Kaft neighbourhood of Shiraz to revitalize the community.

Winnipeg is a city regarded in Canada as the city in the middle. It is, in fact, geographically at the heart of the North American Continent. It is also situated currently as a city of prevalent racism and injustice. It is also a city where there is consistent and prevalent peace work as well. It would seem Winnipeg is a city divided. Winnipeg served for thousands of years as a place for Indigenous Nations to gather, trade, and share culture. The decades and centuries that followed first contact replaced these systems with infrastructures and cultures of oppression and violence, exacting painful tolls on Indigenous Peoples and people of colour more generally. Over the last century, however, there have been social, economic, and political shifts in the city toward accepting and embracing the cultural differences it once demonized, effectively beginning the process of erecting shared cultures of peace. The purpose of the exploratory research in this study is to gauge the relative levels of positive peace or social justice in Winnipeg. To accomplish this, I drew four salient quantitative indicators from the proventive critical positive peace assessment known as the peace poles, to test their viability. To serve as a counterweight and balance to test of the measure’s saliency, representatives from four Winnipeg social organizations were undertaken to explore their ideas about positive peace in Winnipeg as the city in the middle. These four organizational representatives come from a few of the most systemically engaged organizations in the city. In this research I explored the ways in which these persons and organizations engaged in the city regarding peace, while afterward running the numbers derived from the peace poles assessment published in the Palgrave Handbook of Positive Peace in 2022. These positive peace metrics—connectivity, political voice, the gini index, and sense of belonging—only further grounded and supported the themes discovered in the interviews.

Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth (MACY) is an independent and non-partisan office with a governing legislation under The Advocate for Children and Youth Act (ACYA). Composed of two offices that work together to advocate for youth at various levels, MACY has an exceptional organizational model that includes a top-down and bottom-up approach with both offices in constant communication. The Advocacy Team is composed of frontline workers that advocate on behalf of all children, youth, and young adults by addressing issues related to a public service system, specific service provider, or area of the province. The second office is comprised of the Quality Assurance and Research team. The Research team conducts high-quality research studies to inform policy decisions makers. Informed of the issues identified by advocacy officers and the Manitoba Advocate, the Quality Assurance and Research team work to provide solutions through recommendations made through published reports. Recently, MACY published a compliance report to measure the response of recommendations made to various departments of the provincial government. The successful compliance to recommendations is integral to obtaining a positive peace. It is within the work competed by MACY that we see the amalgamation of peacebuilding and conflict resolution methods, as a means to bring about positive peace and ensure that the rights of children and youth within Manitoba are being upheld.

Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth (MACY) is an independent and non-partisan office with a governing legislation under The Advocate for Children and Youth Act (ACYA). Composed of two offices that work together to advocate for youth at various levels, MACY has an exceptional organizational model that includes a top-down and bottom-up approach with both offices in constant communication. The Advocacy Team is composed of frontline workers that advocate on behalf of all children, youth, and young adults by addressing issues related to a public service system, specific service provider, or area of the province. The second office is comprised of the Quality Assurance and Research team. The Research team conducts high-quality research studies to inform policy decisions makers. Informed of the issues identified by advocacy officers and the Manitoba Advocate, the Quality Assurance and Research team work to provide solutions through recommendations made through published reports. Recently, MACY published a compliance report to measure the response of recommendations made to various departments of the provincial government. The successful compliance to recommendations is integral to obtaining a positive peace. It is within the work competed by MACY that we see the amalgamation of peacebuilding and conflict resolution methods, as a means to bring about positive peace and ensure that the rights of children and youth within Manitoba are being upheld.

Truth must come before reconciliation. A right to truth has been proposed but has not yet been recognized as binding international law. This paper explores the theoretical unpinning of a right to truth for victims of human rights abuses and how the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation preserves the truth in the history and legacy of residential schools in Canada. This paper also considers how denialism, hate, and misinformation challenge the preservation of truth.

Truth must come before reconciliation. A right to truth has been proposed but has not yet been recognized as binding international law. This paper explores the theoretical unpinning of a right to truth for victims of human rights abuses and how the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation preserves the truth in the history and legacy of residential schools in Canada. This paper also considers how denialism, hate, and misinformation challenge the preservation of truth.

This study is focused on reorienting conventional educational approaches in higher education, particularly in higher business education, that tend to link unsustainable inner values with economic and analytical skills. Higher education has a vital role in the development of individuals’ capabilities and potential for achieving their personal and social goals that are incidental to the development of societies and nations. However, the market-oriented values promoted in higher business education can be considered a primary factor in unsustainability. The purpose of this study is to develop a framework for self-identity-development-based sustainability education, the SID-based Framework, that is grounded in the concept of an intersubjective ecological self. The SID-based Framework is designed to achieve mutual enhancement of students’ ecological identity and sustainability actions. This study also applies the SID-based Framework to assist science and peace education with the promotion of sustainability. This research contributes to the theoretical foundation of higher business education for sustainability that assists university students in developing a sustainability orientation and demonstrates the wider applicability of this educational framework in higher education.

The large number of refugees received in Canada every year and the government’s claims to be supportive to “cultural diversity” do not necessarily mean that Black refugee students feel welcome in their schools. Despite the pervasiveness of racism registered in the literature, the paucity of research focused on the intersectional identity of this particular group of students raises several concerns, especially in light of the white savior myth that is embedded in a white society like Canada. Thus, the main question this research sought to answer was: How do Black refugee students conceptualize hospitality in education? Based on the philosophical construct of the ethic of hospitality (Derrida, 2000a, 2000b; Ruitenberg, 2016), the psychological theory of self-determination (Deci & Ryan, 1985), and the tenets of critical race theory (Bell, 1979/1995; Crenshaw, 1989; Crenshaw et al., 1995; Delgado & Stefancic, 2017; Harris, 1995; Lawrence, 1987/1995), this case study of Manitoba education was designed having individual interviews with Black refugee students, a critical analysis of selected provincial curriculum documents, and a research journal kept throughout the study as its main data sources. Findings reveal how students’ need of autonomy, relatedness, and competency were often threatened by racist (in)actions of teachers and classmates, thus impinging on their experiences of hospitality. The lack of clear and critical conceptualizations about terms such as “welcome” and the deafening silence on matters about race/racism across provincial documents indicate both gaps and obstacles to an education that is genuinely welcoming. Furthermore, especially through the research journal, this study revealed the multifaceted ethical complexities experienced by a white researcher seeking to conduct anti-oppressive research in a foreign land—it revealed the aporia of hospitality. Recommendations for teachers, educational leaders, and researchers are discussed, with the continuous

Though higher education should be accessible to all on the basis of merit, as per international human rights law, neoliberal policies enacted by provincial governments increasingly worsen financial access to post-secondary education (PSE) in Canada. The ongoing defunding of institutions and student aid are in direct conflict with this right, and represent a significant social justice concern. The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), the largest centralized student advocacy body in Canada, fights against neoliberal policies that produce and reinforce marginalization of low-income students through a collective social movement in favor of universal PSE. Their lobbying and advocacy are informed by discourses performed on their website and by their members; this study investigates how these discourse frame and inform the CFS’s movement towards equitable realization of the right to equitable PSE. Social semiotics (Hodge & Kress, 1988) and discourse analysis (Jørgensen & Phillips, 2002) are used as methodological frameworks to unpack how the discourse performed by the CFS in their electronic publications and by their members further their collective advocacy. Discussion of how these discourses could be used to improve PSE accessibility and inclusivity in Canada, along with suggested areas of future research, conclude this study.

Though higher education should be accessible to all on the basis of merit, as per international human rights law, neoliberal policies enacted by provincial governments increasingly worsen financial access to post-secondary education (PSE) in Canada. The ongoing defunding of institutions and student aid are in direct conflict with this right, and represent a significant social justice concern. The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), the largest centralized student advocacy body in Canada, fights against neoliberal policies that produce and reinforce marginalization of low-income students through a collective social movement in favor of universal PSE. Their lobbying and advocacy are informed by discourses performed on their website and by their members; this study investigates how these discourse frame and inform the CFS’s movement towards equitable realization of the right to equitable PSE. Social semiotics (Hodge & Kress, 1988) and discourse analysis (Jørgensen & Phillips, 2002) are used as methodological frameworks to unpack how the discourse performed by the CFS in their electronic publications and by their members further their collective advocacy. Discussion of how these discourses could be used to improve PSE accessibility and inclusivity in Canada, along with suggested areas of future research, conclude this study.

This qualitative study explores the experiences, understandings, and perspectives of Cyprus grassroots Non-Governmental Organizations' (NGOs) peacebuilding practitioners about the impact of their diverse peacebuilding strategies on local emancipation and empowerment, and to what extent these local practices make ordinary citizens self-aware of their role to break the ethnic divide and transform conflict. It is based on the data collected from semi-structured interviews with 10 peacebuilders working with Cypriot grassroots NGOs and explores how they make sense of their everyday lives within a divided Cyprus, examining their experiences and perceptions of strategies that affect a varied target audience comprised of members of vulnerable, minority, and marginalized groups of North and South Cyprus societies. Informed by the emancipatory peace, the local turn, local ownership, and conflict transformation theories, the findings point out the relevance of bicommunal peacebuilding practices to progressively change intergroup attitudes and people’s mindsets, facilitating new relationships that can transform the Cyprus conflict. Those activities are carried out by grassroots peacebuilding organizations, which play a critical role in empowering people and creating channels to give a voice to Cypriot people, especially the unheard, invisible, and marginalized, and raising awareness about their rights. In addition, the study indicates that empathy, intelligible communication, and conveying of information make these organizations more approachable and attractive to local citizens. They maximize their influence on people paving the way for reconciliation between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and their common wish for a united Cyprus.

This paper explores the role of storytelling to increase young people’s participation in policymaking. The relevance of Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child is discussed followed by the history of young people’s active participation in human rights movements. The theoretical frameworks around political participation and the power of storytelling are reviewed. Six case studies are presented, including two from Canada, one from Indonesia, and three from the United States. Finally, findings suggest that storytelling has the potential to bring young people’s voices to the forefront of the human rights issues impacting their lives and to empower them to recognize their individual and collective agency.

Conflict has long been part of human history and violent conflict, as in war, it is not sterile in that the only people involved are armed, professional militaries, and combatants. Violence is perpetuated among and between people, but so is peace as well. Traditionally, peacebuilding practices engendered a top-down effect of dictating what and how it is to be done to establish peace. This habit has resulted in the Global West overriding local wishes and realities. In response to criticism, emancipatory peacebuilding has arisen to address these shortcomings by including bottom-up efforts and placing a lens on the local. More work needs to be done especially in focusing on locally defined peace and what the local society requires to support their needs and rights. To achieve this the colonialist mindset must be set aside and different philosophies explored. For example, Indigenous teachings tells us that everyone and everything is connected. With this perspective, peacebuilding must be relational and inclusive at all levels of society and with all actors engaged in the peace operation. An actor engaging in the peacebuilding process must ensure they coordinate with other actors throughout. The actions of one affect’s another and vice versa. Working together toward a commonly defined peace goal allows their efforts to fix on a human rights lens. Where peace is among the people, their needs and rights deserve consideration and to be a central focus in the peacebuilding process. Transcending the colonialist ego and embracing complex relations throughout the peacebuilding process will go a long way in emancipating human rights and peace goals.

The Sudanese civil war, which lasted from 1983 to 2005, displaced millions of Sudanese worldwide. Most of those who were displaced were from what is now known as South Sudan. In 1995, massive resettlement programs began, bringing some South Sudanese to North America. As a result, a growing diaspora community emerged which actively contributes to and participates in the affairs of their home country. The study sought opinions from South Sudanese who were displaced during the 1983-2005 civil war. The study examines the role played by South Sudanese diaspora in Canada and the United States in the development efforts of South Sudan. It also analyses how this assistance affects peacebuilding and development in the country. More specifically, the study argues that South Sudanese in the diaspora contribute towards peace and the country’s development efforts through resource remittances. In this research, the primary question is: How do the South Sudanese diaspora resource remittances affect peacebuilding and development? To answer the research question, look into the role of the South Sudanese diaspora in contributing to the country's socioeconomic development. The purpose of the research is to identify and document how resource remittances can enable the process of peacebuilding and development in a country that has experienced decades of protracted conflict. The study aims to establish the significance of resource remittances in fostering peacebuilding programs and development on an individual, communal, and national level. Documenting the role of South Sudanese diaspora resource remittances demonstrates the importance, mainly how resources are collected, channeled, and directed toward identified peacebuilding and development priorities. Undertaking research is an essential step in determining the contribution of remitted funds to relatives and friends. The study discovered that the diaspora contributes towards the country's development by remitting resources. Local peac

The implementation of a national guaranteed annual income plan has been a controversial topic for decades. Much of the research and certainly most of the debate, revolves around the concern of decreased work incentives causing labour shortages and economic decline. This paper strives to argue that a guaranteed annual income plan would in fact improve the economy over time, by investing in citizens’ dignity and personal growth. Evidence is offered with examples and research from past income pilot projects and experiments, personal narratives, as well as reviews of current and past social systems and literature examining the social determinants of health. I conclude that providing people with financial support through difficult periods or during times of personal transition, leads to decreases in poverty and crime, increases in high school graduations (and potential for people of all ages to pursue new career aspirations and/or educational goals), simplification or elimination of current ineffectual and often stigmatized social systems, better childcare, and overall improved mental health. With income support and its systemic change, we can achieve improved wellness for every Canadian.

Background: Existing literature on motherhood and disabilities shows that mothers with mobility impairments are discriminated against based on their disabilities and motherhood status. This has resulted in several untold barriers encountered by this population. Purpose: This thesis attempts to give insight into the real-life experiences of mothers with mobility impairments in Nigeria and demonstrate how culture, level of education, and religion influence how motherhood and disabilities are perceived, and how this leads to the barriers encountered by mothers with mobility impairments. Method: This study utilizes a qualitative descriptive approach and a semi-structured interview method to obtain adequate data on the reality of being a mother with mobility impairments in Ibadan Nigeria. The participants comprised of seven mothers with mobility impairments aged 18-45, single or married mothers, who live in Ibadan Nigeria. Findings: The findings of this study show that deep-rooted cultural beliefs, level of education, and religion influence the misconceptions and negative attitudes encountered by mothers with mobility impairments in Nigeria. This has resulted in their discrimination and marginalization. Family support was found to be the best way mothers cope. Conclusions: Motherhood and disability would be so much easier if people were more aware and more educated about the presence of motherhood and disabilities, as well as related discrimination, negative attitudes, cultural and religious influence.

This study is focused on reorienting conventional educational approaches in higher education, particularly in higher business education, that tend to link unsustainable inner values with economic and analytical skills. Higher education has a vital role in the development of individuals’ capabilities and potential for achieving their personal and social goals that are incidental to the development of societies and nations. However, the market-oriented values promoted in higher business education can be considered a primary factor in unsustainability. The purpose of this study is to develop a framework for self-identity-development-based sustainability education, the SID-based Framework, that is grounded in the concept of an intersubjective ecological self. The SID-based Framework is designed to achieve mutual enhancement of students’ ecological identity and sustainability actions. This study also applies the SID-based Framework to assist science and peace education with the promotion of sustainability. This research contributes to the theoretical foundation of higher business education for sustainability that assists university students in developing a sustainability orientation and demonstrates the wider applicability of this educational framework in higher education.

Though higher education should be accessible to all on the basis of merit, as per international human rights law, neoliberal policies enacted by provincial governments increasingly worsen financial access to post-secondary education (PSE) in Canada. The ongoing defunding of institutions and student aid are in direct conflict with this right, and represent a significant social justice concern. The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), the largest centralized student advocacy body in Canada, fights against neoliberal policies that produce and reinforce marginalization of low-income students through a collective social movement in favor of universal PSE. Their lobbying and advocacy are informed by discourses performed on their website and by their members; this study investigates how these discourse frame and inform the CFS’s movement towards equitable realization of the right to equitable PSE. Social semiotics (Hodge & Kress, 1988) and discourse analysis (Jørgensen & Phillips, 2002) are used as methodological frameworks to unpack how the discourse performed by the CFS in their electronic publications and by their members further their collective advocacy. Discussion of how these discourses could be used to improve PSE accessibility and inclusivity in Canada, along with suggested areas of future research, conclude this study.

Conflict has long been part of human history and violent conflict, as in war, it is not sterile in that the only people involved are armed, professional militaries, and combatants. Violence is perpetuated among and between people, but so is peace as well. Traditionally, peacebuilding practices engendered a top-down effect of dictating what and how it is to be done to establish peace. This habit has resulted in the Global West overriding local wishes and realities. In response to criticism, emancipatory peacebuilding has arisen to address these shortcomings by including bottom-up efforts and placing a lens on the local. More work needs to be done especially in focusing on locally defined peace and what the local society requires to support their needs and rights. To achieve this the colonialist mindset must be set aside and different philosophies explored. For example, Indigenous teachings tells us that everyone and everything is connected. With this perspective, peacebuilding must be relational and inclusive at all levels of society and with all actors engaged in the peace operation. An actor engaging in the peacebuilding process must ensure they coordinate with other actors throughout. The actions of one affect’s another and vice versa. Working together toward a commonly defined peace goal allows their efforts to fix on a human rights lens. Where peace is among the people, their needs and rights deserve consideration and to be a central focus in the peacebuilding process. Transcending the colonialist ego and embracing complex relations throughout the peacebuilding process will go a long way in emancipating human rights and peace goals.

This qualitative study explores the experiences, understandings, and perspectives of Cyprus grassroots Non-Governmental Organizations' (NGOs) peacebuilding practitioners about the impact of their diverse peacebuilding strategies on local emancipation and empowerment, and to what extent these local practices make ordinary citizens self-aware of their role to break the ethnic divide and transform conflict. It is based on the data collected from semi-structured interviews with 10 peacebuilders working with Cypriot grassroots NGOs and explores how they make sense of their everyday lives within a divided Cyprus, examining their experiences and perceptions of strategies that affect a varied target audience comprised of members of vulnerable, minority, and marginalized groups of North and South Cyprus societies. Informed by the emancipatory peace, the local turn, local ownership, and conflict transformation theories, the findings point out the relevance of bicommunal peacebuilding practices to progressively change intergroup attitudes and people’s mindsets, facilitating new relationships that can transform the Cyprus conflict. Those activities are carried out by grassroots peacebuilding organizations, which play a critical role in empowering people and creating channels to give a voice to Cypriot people, especially the unheard, invisible, and marginalized, and raising awareness about their rights. In addition, the study indicates that empathy, intelligible communication, and conveying of information make these organizations more approachable and attractive to local citizens. They maximize their influence on people paving the way for reconciliation between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and their common wish for a united Cyprus.

Background: Existing literature on motherhood and disabilities shows that mothers with mobility impairments are discriminated against based on their disabilities and motherhood status. This has resulted in several untold barriers encountered by this population. Purpose: This thesis attempts to give insight into the real-life experiences of mothers with mobility impairments in Nigeria and demonstrate how culture, level of education, and religion influence how motherhood and disabilities are perceived, and how this leads to the barriers encountered by mothers with mobility impairments. Method: This study utilizes a qualitative descriptive approach and a semi-structured interview method to obtain adequate data on the reality of being a mother with mobility impairments in Ibadan Nigeria. The participants comprised of seven mothers with mobility impairments aged 18-45, single or married mothers, who live in Ibadan Nigeria. Findings: The findings of this study show that deep-rooted cultural beliefs, level of education, and religion influence the misconceptions and negative attitudes encountered by mothers with mobility impairments in Nigeria. This has resulted in their discrimination and marginalization. Family support was found to be the best way mothers cope. Conclusions: Motherhood and disability would be so much easier if people were more aware and more educated about the presence of motherhood and disabilities, as well as related discrimination, negative attitudes, cultural and religious influence.

This paper explores the role of storytelling to increase young people’s participation in policymaking. The relevance of Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child is discussed followed by the history of young people’s active participation in human rights movements. The theoretical frameworks around political participation and the power of storytelling are reviewed. Six case studies are presented, including two from Canada, one from Indonesia, and three from the United States. Finally, findings suggest that storytelling has the potential to bring young people’s voices to the forefront of the human rights issues impacting their lives and to empower them to recognize their individual and collective agency.

The Sudanese civil war, which lasted from 1983 to 2005, displaced millions of Sudanese worldwide. Most of those who were displaced were from what is now known as South Sudan. In 1995, massive resettlement programs began, bringing some South Sudanese to North America. As a result, a growing diaspora community emerged which actively contributes to and participates in the affairs of their home country. The study sought opinions from South Sudanese who were displaced during the 1983-2005 civil war. The study examines the role played by South Sudanese diaspora in Canada and the United States in the development efforts of South Sudan. It also analyses how this assistance affects peacebuilding and development in the country. More specifically, the study argues that South Sudanese in the diaspora contribute towards peace and the country’s development efforts through resource remittances. In this research, the primary question is: How do the South Sudanese diaspora resource remittances affect peacebuilding and development? To answer the research question, look into the role of the South Sudanese diaspora in contributing to the country's socioeconomic development. The purpose of the research is to identify and document how resource remittances can enable the process of peacebuilding and development in a country that has experienced decades of protracted conflict. The study aims to establish the significance of resource remittances in fostering peacebuilding programs and development on an individual, communal, and national level. Documenting the role of South Sudanese diaspora resource remittances demonstrates the importance, mainly how resources are collected, channeled, and directed toward identified peacebuilding and development priorities. Undertaking research is an essential step in determining the contribution of remitted funds to relatives and friends. The study discovered that the diaspora contributes towards the country's development by remitting resources. Local peac

Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth (MACY) is an independent and non-partisan office with a governing legislation under The Advocate for Children and Youth Act (ACYA). Composed of two offices that work together to advocate for youth at various levels, MACY has an exceptional organizational model that includes a top-down and bottom-up approach with both offices in constant communication. The Advocacy Team is composed of frontline workers that advocate on behalf of all children, youth, and young adults by addressing issues related to a public service system, specific service provider, or area of the province. The second office is comprised of the Quality Assurance and Research team. The Research team conducts high-quality research studies to inform policy decisions makers. Informed of the issues identified by advocacy officers and the Manitoba Advocate, the Quality Assurance and Research team work to provide solutions through recommendations made through published reports. Recently, MACY published a compliance report to measure the response of recommendations made to various departments of the provincial government. The successful compliance to recommendations is integral to obtaining a positive peace. It is within the work competed by MACY that we see the amalgamation of peacebuilding and conflict resolution methods, as a means to bring about positive peace and ensure that the rights of children and youth within Manitoba are being upheld.

The large number of refugees received in Canada every year and the government’s claims to be supportive to “cultural diversity” do not necessarily mean that Black refugee students feel welcome in their schools. Despite the pervasiveness of racism registered in the literature, the paucity of research focused on the intersectional identity of this particular group of students raises several concerns, especially in light of the white savior myth that is embedded in a white society like Canada. Thus, the main question this research sought to answer was: How do Black refugee students conceptualize hospitality in education? Based on the philosophical construct of the ethic of hospitality (Derrida, 2000a, 2000b; Ruitenberg, 2016), the psychological theory of self-determination (Deci & Ryan, 1985), and the tenets of critical race theory (Bell, 1979/1995; Crenshaw, 1989; Crenshaw et al., 1995; Delgado & Stefancic, 2017; Harris, 1995; Lawrence, 1987/1995), this case study of Manitoba education was designed having individual interviews with Black refugee students, a critical analysis of selected provincial curriculum documents, and a research journal kept throughout the study as its main data sources. Findings reveal how students’ need of autonomy, relatedness, and competency were often threatened by racist (in)actions of teachers and classmates, thus impinging on their experiences of hospitality. The lack of clear and critical conceptualizations about terms such as “welcome” and the deafening silence on matters about race/racism across provincial documents indicate both gaps and obstacles to an education that is genuinely welcoming. Furthermore, especially through the research journal, this study revealed the multifaceted ethical complexities experienced by a white researcher seeking to conduct anti-oppressive research in a foreign land—it revealed the aporia of hospitality. Recommendations for teachers, educational leaders, and researchers are discussed, with the continuous

Truth must come before reconciliation. A right to truth has been proposed but has not yet been recognized as binding international law. This paper explores the theoretical unpinning of a right to truth for victims of human rights abuses and how the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation preserves the truth in the history and legacy of residential schools in Canada. This paper also considers how denialism, hate, and misinformation challenge the preservation of truth.

The implementation of a national guaranteed annual income plan has been a controversial topic for decades. Much of the research and certainly most of the debate, revolves around the concern of decreased work incentives causing labour shortages and economic decline. This paper strives to argue that a guaranteed annual income plan would in fact improve the economy over time, by investing in citizens’ dignity and personal growth. Evidence is offered with examples and research from past income pilot projects and experiments, personal narratives, as well as reviews of current and past social systems and literature examining the social determinants of health. I conclude that providing people with financial support through difficult periods or during times of personal transition, leads to decreases in poverty and crime, increases in high school graduations (and potential for people of all ages to pursue new career aspirations and/or educational goals), simplification or elimination of current ineffectual and often stigmatized social systems, better childcare, and overall improved mental health. With income support and its systemic change, we can achieve improved wellness for every Canadian.

Though higher education should be accessible to all on the basis of merit, as per international human rights law, neoliberal policies enacted by provincial governments increasingly worsen financial access to post-secondary education (PSE) in Canada. The ongoing defunding of institutions and student aid are in direct conflict with this right, and represent a significant social justice concern. The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), the largest centralized student advocacy body in Canada, fights against neoliberal policies that produce and reinforce marginalization of low-income students through a collective social movement in favor of universal PSE. Their lobbying and advocacy are informed by discourses performed on their website and by their members; this study investigates how these discourse frame and inform the CFS’s movement towards equitable realization of the right to equitable PSE. Social semiotics (Hodge & Kress, 1988) and discourse analysis (Jørgensen & Phillips, 2002) are used as methodological frameworks to unpack how the discourse performed by the CFS in their electronic publications and by their members further their collective advocacy. Discussion of how these discourses could be used to improve PSE accessibility and inclusivity in Canada, along with suggested areas of future research, conclude this study.

Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth (MACY) is an independent and non-partisan office with a governing legislation under The Advocate for Children and Youth Act (ACYA). Composed of two offices that work together to advocate for youth at various levels, MACY has an exceptional organizational model that includes a top-down and bottom-up approach with both offices in constant communication. The Advocacy Team is composed of frontline workers that advocate on behalf of all children, youth, and young adults by addressing issues related to a public service system, specific service provider, or area of the province. The second office is comprised of the Quality Assurance and Research team. The Research team conducts high-quality research studies to inform policy decisions makers. Informed of the issues identified by advocacy officers and the Manitoba Advocate, the Quality Assurance and Research team work to provide solutions through recommendations made through published reports. Recently, MACY published a compliance report to measure the response of recommendations made to various departments of the provincial government. The successful compliance to recommendations is integral to obtaining a positive peace. It is within the work competed by MACY that we see the amalgamation of peacebuilding and conflict resolution methods, as a means to bring about positive peace and ensure that the rights of children and youth within Manitoba are being upheld.

The large number of refugees received in Canada every year and the government’s claims to be supportive to “cultural diversity” do not necessarily mean that Black refugee students feel welcome in their schools. Despite the pervasiveness of racism registered in the literature, the paucity of research focused on the intersectional identity of this particular group of students raises several concerns, especially in light of the white savior myth that is embedded in a white society like Canada. Thus, the main question this research sought to answer was: How do Black refugee students conceptualize hospitality in education? Based on the philosophical construct of the ethic of hospitality (Derrida, 2000a, 2000b; Ruitenberg, 2016), the psychological theory of self-determination (Deci & Ryan, 1985), and the tenets of critical race theory (Bell, 1979/1995; Crenshaw, 1989; Crenshaw et al., 1995; Delgado & Stefancic, 2017; Harris, 1995; Lawrence, 1987/1995), this case study of Manitoba education was designed having individual interviews with Black refugee students, a critical analysis of selected provincial curriculum documents, and a research journal kept throughout the study as its main data sources. Findings reveal how students’ need of autonomy, relatedness, and competency were often threatened by racist (in)actions of teachers and classmates, thus impinging on their experiences of hospitality. The lack of clear and critical conceptualizations about terms such as “welcome” and the deafening silence on matters about race/racism across provincial documents indicate both gaps and obstacles to an education that is genuinely welcoming. Furthermore, especially through the research journal, this study revealed the multifaceted ethical complexities experienced by a white researcher seeking to conduct anti-oppressive research in a foreign land—it revealed the aporia of hospitality. Recommendations for teachers, educational leaders, and researchers are discussed, with the continuous

Truth must come before reconciliation. A right to truth has been proposed but has not yet been recognized as binding international law. This paper explores the theoretical unpinning of a right to truth for victims of human rights abuses and how the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation preserves the truth in the history and legacy of residential schools in Canada. This paper also considers how denialism, hate, and misinformation challenge the preservation of truth.

This research explores the stories that young adults who are part of the Indigenous community in Winnipeg’s inner city tell about their lives during the years they were in school. Much has been written about the alarming and long-standing discrepancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous graduation rates. Likewise, the negative effect of living with poverty on educational success is clear. This research speaks to the existing data by presenting detailed stories of what it means to be an inner-city Indigenous student. The question that guided this research was: What do the stories told by Indigenous inner-city youth about school reveal about their experience there? In pursuing this question special attention was paid to the potential differences between how participants saw themselves in comparison to how they felt their schools saw them. This research was guided by a storytelling methodology which was derived from scholarship in Peace and Conflict Studies, Indigenous Studies, Educational Sociology, and Critical Pedagogy. Data was gathered through a series of in-depth group storytelling circles and individual interviews with each of the eight participants in the research. Findings reveal that while in school, participants navigated three terrains of experience. One was with the system of state institutions that dominate life in the inner city, creating a sense of surveillance and threat. Another terrain was life at home, with families and friends, and in neighbourhood organizations troubled by endemic material and psychological challenges but also characterized by culture, connection, and pride of place. In between these terrains, participants experienced school as a space in between — connected by policy and practice to the system and by vital but rare caring individuals and cultural practices to their family, cultural, and neighbourhood life.

I have been working as a professional support for people labelled with intellectual disabilities for many years. While there has been research done about support work from multiple perspectives, it is my impression that the lived experience of being a support worker for adults labelled with an intellectual disability is largely missing from the literature. Utilizing an autoethnographic methodology, I provide the perspective of a direct support professional through a disability studies lens. In this writing, I will contextualize the role of the support worker within contemporary society. This includes historical framing, policy and theory influencing the field, as well as the dilemmas inherent in supporting a marginalized population. Through engaging in a reflexive examination of my professional experience, I will provide a picture for the reader of the complexities involved in trying to enact meaningful supports for people labelled with intellectual disabilities. I identify the priorities support workers should focus on to generate best practices and examine the aspects of the work that are under their direct control. All this is done in the hope that we can create a more inclusive society for all people.

Using the 2016 Canadian census data, which is for the first time linked with administrative data on tax and immigration, this study examines the labour market outcomes of two groups of resettled refugees, Government-Assisted Refugees (GARs) and Privately Sponsored Refugees (PSRs), within a social justice framework. While previous research has focused on employment status and earnings, this study included occupational status as well to broadly assess the economic integration of refugees resettled in Canada. This study focused on four factors, gender, admission category, location of study, and age of arrival in Canada, which have received limited attention in previous refugee research. While existing research demonstrates the poorer economic outcomes of refugees compared to economic immigrants, the findings of subcategories of resettled refugees are descriptive, dated, and scant. My dissertation research reveals that nearly half of resettled refugees completed a postsecondary certificate, diploma, or degree, and over 65 percent of postsecondary graduates received their highest education in Canada. Yet, one third of resettled refugees were inactive in the labour market. While refugees are not admitted to Canada based on their financial or human capital, a considerable number of resettled refugees tended to seek self-employment instead of paid work. Refugee women were more disadvantaged in the Canadian labour market than refugee men. While PSRs fared better in finding a job and earned more than GARs, the picture is reverse regarding occupational status. A significant number of resettled refugees with foreign postsecondary credentials were working in low paying jobs, and the return on foreign university degrees was significantly lower than that on Canadian degrees. Age of arrival in Canada has an unanticipated association with employment status and employment income. My dissertation research offers new insights about the challenges and barriers that refugees face to acce

The emergence of Boko Haram has generated profound attention since 2009 when the group launched a military campaign to fight for Islamic rule in Nigeria causing millions of deaths and suffering as a result of its activities. Many local and foreign terrorism and insurgency scholars have drawn attention to Boko Haram’s ethnoreligious contest for political power as a major source of violent insecurity in the region. These commentators link the Boko Haram insurgency to the Maitatsine upheaval of the 1980s, yet the violent ideologies of this group have taken a transnational dimension making it one of the deadliest terrorist groups in the world. This study challenges the Nigerian federal government and ECOWAS’s heavy-handed and militarised responses towards the Boko Haram insurgency in northern Nigeria. Using a qualitative grounded theory methodology, the study explores the perceptions and experiences of a broad range of participants from the grassroots as well as workers from Civil Society Organisations through face-to-face one-on-one semi-structured interviews across four states in northern Nigeria. The analysis of the participants' narratives and stories validates a major gap in the government’s counterterrorism strategy. Drawing on the everyday experiences of the people from communities within northern Nigeria, the study finds inherent local capacity for community-led demilitarised peacebuilding programs and development with a focus on youth engagement, women empowerment, and interfaith dialogue. Hence, the prevention of violent extremism in West Africa’s Sahel region requires a rethink, redesign, and creative implementation of conflict prevention practice, in which local ownership is omnipresent. To this end, a context-level approach to northern Nigeria’s insurgency crisis must include peace solutions that are embedded within critical and emancipatory peacebuilding practices.

This research explores the stories that young adults who are part of the Indigenous community in Winnipeg’s inner city tell about their lives during the years they were in school. Much has been written about the alarming and long-standing discrepancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous graduation rates. Likewise, the negative effect of living with poverty on educational success is clear. This research speaks to the existing data by presenting detailed stories of what it means to be an inner-city Indigenous student. The question that guided this research was: What do the stories told by Indigenous inner-city youth about school reveal about their experience there? In pursuing this question special attention was paid to the potential differences between how participants saw themselves in comparison to how they felt their schools saw them. This research was guided by a storytelling methodology which was derived from scholarship in Peace and Conflict Studies, Indigenous Studies, Educational Sociology, and Critical Pedagogy. Data was gathered through a series of in-depth group storytelling circles and individual interviews with each of the eight participants in the research. Findings reveal that while in school, participants navigated three terrains of experience. One was with the system of state institutions that dominate life in the inner city, creating a sense of surveillance and threat. Another terrain was life at home, with families and friends, and in neighbourhood organizations troubled by endemic material and psychological challenges but also characterized by culture, connection, and pride of place. In between these terrains, participants experienced school as a space in between — connected by policy and practice to the system and by vital but rare caring individuals and cultural practices to their family, cultural, and neighbourhood life.

This multi-method qualitative study explores the educational and community experiences of middle years students attending one public school located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The purpose of this work was to engage in a contrapuntal re-reading of the hegemonic map—as conceptualized in existing scholarship and policy—used to explain differentiated educational attainment rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations in Canada. This map has provided the foundation for policy and practice meant to close statistical gaps in attainment—efforts which have largely failed to address the relative disparity between populations. This study presents an outline of this map and then reinscribes excluded perspectives to highlight aspects of the educational landscape which are commonly ignored or misconstrued. While methodologically committed to the non-prescriptive approaches common to grounded theory and narrative research, this study was influenced by the author’s own disciplinary background in Peace and Conflict Studies. It sought to press against the critical periphery of this field by engaging with the notion of “everyday peace” as well as postcolonial studies, educational studies, and childhood studies. It was designed as a methodological bricolage and draws together multiple research methods, including mind mapping; focus groups; semi-structured interviews; participant observation; and document analysis. These engagements offered insight into differently-situated vantage points from which the educational landscape is viewed. During these exchanges, participants told both stories about (definitional stories) and stories of (open, nuanced stories of lived experience). Examination of the former allowed for the identification of the sensemaking frames employed by participants while considering the latter provided counter-stories that challenge dominant understandings. Analysis of this data suggests that the existing map of the educational landscape tends to homogenize diver

Designing and implementing effective, durable peace agreements within conflict zones is a challenging task for peacemakers and peacebuilders. Particularly when working in the context of intractable conflicts and divided societies, transitioning from conflict to positive peace, without becoming stuck in a state of liminal peace, is complicated. Thus, critically assessing the successes and failures of one of the most durable peace agreements in the last half-century, Northern Ireland’s Good Friday Agreement, provides opportunities to discover key lessons in pursuit of deeper understanding of the complexities of peace and conflict. This research project employs a qualitative, grounded theory structure which explores the successes and failures of the Good Friday Agreement from the perspective of the civil society leaders tasked with delivering everyday peace at the grassroots level. Data was collected in Northern Ireland in 2018. In-depth interviews were conducted in Derry/Londonderry and Belfast with 29 civil society leaders working in the peacebuilding field. Data evaluation revealed five key themes which represented concerns and lessons learned for civil society leaders, while reflecting on their time working in the shadow of the Good Friday Agreement. First, study collaborators highlight the strained, one-way relationship between civil society and the political apparatus in Northern Ireland. Second, they noted troubling trends with youth disillusionment and disengagement with the peace process, and the dangers that reality creates for the future of the region. Third, the complex and challenging nature of peace funding in Northern Ireland is discussed as a strain on the ability to embrace organic, locally owned peacebuilding. Fourth, civil society leaders discuss the atmosphere of negative peace that dominates Northern Ireland, which fuels their frustration with a peace process that lags behind expectations. Finally, participants provide critiques on the design of th

I have been working as a professional support for people labelled with intellectual disabilities for many years. While there has been research done about support work from multiple perspectives, it is my impression that the lived experience of being a support worker for adults labelled with an intellectual disability is largely missing from the literature. Utilizing an autoethnographic methodology, I provide the perspective of a direct support professional through a disability studies lens. In this writing, I will contextualize the role of the support worker within contemporary society. This includes historical framing, policy and theory influencing the field, as well as the dilemmas inherent in supporting a marginalized population. Through engaging in a reflexive examination of my professional experience, I will provide a picture for the reader of the complexities involved in trying to enact meaningful supports for people labelled with intellectual disabilities. I identify the priorities support workers should focus on to generate best practices and examine the aspects of the work that are under their direct control. All this is done in the hope that we can create a more inclusive society for all people.

I have been working as a professional support for people labelled with intellectual disabilities for many years. While there has been research done about support work from multiple perspectives, it is my impression that the lived experience of being a support worker for adults labelled with an intellectual disability is largely missing from the literature. Utilizing an autoethnographic methodology, I provide the perspective of a direct support professional through a disability studies lens. In this writing, I will contextualize the role of the support worker within contemporary society. This includes historical framing, policy and theory influencing the field, as well as the dilemmas inherent in supporting a marginalized population. Through engaging in a reflexive examination of my professional experience, I will provide a picture for the reader of the complexities involved in trying to enact meaningful supports for people labelled with intellectual disabilities. I identify the priorities support workers should focus on to generate best practices and examine the aspects of the work that are under their direct control. All this is done in the hope that we can create a more inclusive society for all people.

Designing and implementing effective, durable peace agreements within conflict zones is a challenging task for peacemakers and peacebuilders. Particularly when working in the context of intractable conflicts and divided societies, transitioning from conflict to positive peace, without becoming stuck in a state of liminal peace, is complicated. Thus, critically assessing the successes and failures of one of the most durable peace agreements in the last half-century, Northern Ireland’s Good Friday Agreement, provides opportunities to discover key lessons in pursuit of deeper understanding of the complexities of peace and conflict. This research project employs a qualitative, grounded theory structure which explores the successes and failures of the Good Friday Agreement from the perspective of the civil society leaders tasked with delivering everyday peace at the grassroots level. Data was collected in Northern Ireland in 2018. In-depth interviews were conducted in Derry/Londonderry and Belfast with 29 civil society leaders working in the peacebuilding field. Data evaluation revealed five key themes which represented concerns and lessons learned for civil society leaders, while reflecting on their time working in the shadow of the Good Friday Agreement. First, study collaborators highlight the strained, one-way relationship between civil society and the political apparatus in Northern Ireland. Second, they noted troubling trends with youth disillusionment and disengagement with the peace process, and the dangers that reality creates for the future of the region. Third, the complex and challenging nature of peace funding in Northern Ireland is discussed as a strain on the ability to embrace organic, locally owned peacebuilding. Fourth, civil society leaders discuss the atmosphere of negative peace that dominates Northern Ireland, which fuels their frustration with a peace process that lags behind expectations. Finally, participants provide critiques on the design of th

This research explores the stories that young adults who are part of the Indigenous community in Winnipeg’s inner city tell about their lives during the years they were in school. Much has been written about the alarming and long-standing discrepancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous graduation rates. Likewise, the negative effect of living with poverty on educational success is clear. This research speaks to the existing data by presenting detailed stories of what it means to be an inner-city Indigenous student. The question that guided this research was: What do the stories told by Indigenous inner-city youth about school reveal about their experience there? In pursuing this question special attention was paid to the potential differences between how participants saw themselves in comparison to how they felt their schools saw them. This research was guided by a storytelling methodology which was derived from scholarship in Peace and Conflict Studies, Indigenous Studies, Educational Sociology, and Critical Pedagogy. Data was gathered through a series of in-depth group storytelling circles and individual interviews with each of the eight participants in the research. Findings reveal that while in school, participants navigated three terrains of experience. One was with the system of state institutions that dominate life in the inner city, creating a sense of surveillance and threat. Another terrain was life at home, with families and friends, and in neighbourhood organizations troubled by endemic material and psychological challenges but also characterized by culture, connection, and pride of place. In between these terrains, participants experienced school as a space in between — connected by policy and practice to the system and by vital but rare caring individuals and cultural practices to their family, cultural, and neighbourhood life.

This multi-method qualitative study explores the educational and community experiences of middle years students attending one public school located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The purpose of this work was to engage in a contrapuntal re-reading of the hegemonic map—as conceptualized in existing scholarship and policy—used to explain differentiated educational attainment rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations in Canada. This map has provided the foundation for policy and practice meant to close statistical gaps in attainment—efforts which have largely failed to address the relative disparity between populations. This study presents an outline of this map and then reinscribes excluded perspectives to highlight aspects of the educational landscape which are commonly ignored or misconstrued. While methodologically committed to the non-prescriptive approaches common to grounded theory and narrative research, this study was influenced by the author’s own disciplinary background in Peace and Conflict Studies. It sought to press against the critical periphery of this field by engaging with the notion of “everyday peace” as well as postcolonial studies, educational studies, and childhood studies. It was designed as a methodological bricolage and draws together multiple research methods, including mind mapping; focus groups; semi-structured interviews; participant observation; and document analysis. These engagements offered insight into differently-situated vantage points from which the educational landscape is viewed. During these exchanges, participants told both stories about (definitional stories) and stories of (open, nuanced stories of lived experience). Examination of the former allowed for the identification of the sensemaking frames employed by participants while considering the latter provided counter-stories that challenge dominant understandings. Analysis of this data suggests that the existing map of the educational landscape tends to homogenize diver

The emergence of Boko Haram has generated profound attention since 2009 when the group launched a military campaign to fight for Islamic rule in Nigeria causing millions of deaths and suffering as a result of its activities. Many local and foreign terrorism and insurgency scholars have drawn attention to Boko Haram’s ethnoreligious contest for political power as a major source of violent insecurity in the region. These commentators link the Boko Haram insurgency to the Maitatsine upheaval of the 1980s, yet the violent ideologies of this group have taken a transnational dimension making it one of the deadliest terrorist groups in the world. This study challenges the Nigerian federal government and ECOWAS’s heavy-handed and militarised responses towards the Boko Haram insurgency in northern Nigeria. Using a qualitative grounded theory methodology, the study explores the perceptions and experiences of a broad range of participants from the grassroots as well as workers from Civil Society Organisations through face-to-face one-on-one semi-structured interviews across four states in northern Nigeria. The analysis of the participants' narratives and stories validates a major gap in the government’s counterterrorism strategy. Drawing on the everyday experiences of the people from communities within northern Nigeria, the study finds inherent local capacity for community-led demilitarised peacebuilding programs and development with a focus on youth engagement, women empowerment, and interfaith dialogue. Hence, the prevention of violent extremism in West Africa’s Sahel region requires a rethink, redesign, and creative implementation of conflict prevention practice, in which local ownership is omnipresent. To this end, a context-level approach to northern Nigeria’s insurgency crisis must include peace solutions that are embedded within critical and emancipatory peacebuilding practices.