Past Instructors
2010 instructors
John Bell, a native of Kilmarnock, lives in Glasgow where he
studied Arts and Theology. After spells of voluntary work in
London and Amsterdam, and engagements in student politics,
he was ordained by the Church of Scotland. He is a hymn writer,
author and occasional broadcaster on national radio and television,
but retains a primary passion for congregational song. He
and the work he shares with his colleagues has been honored by
the Royal School of Church Music, the Hymn Society in the U.S. & Canada, and the University of Glasgow, the first and second
of which bestowed on him the status of Fellowship, the third a
Doctorate.
Cathy C. Campbell, rector of St. Matthew’s Anglican
Church in the inner city of Winnipeg, is actively involved
in the challenges of living out the food and justice dimensions
of the Gospel. She is author of Stations of the Banquet: Faith
Foundations for Food Justice (2003) and Faith as if Food Matters
(2008). Prior to her ordination she taught at Cornell University
and the University of Toronto and held volunteer positions in a
variety of non-governmental organizations. She is delighted to
have finally returned to her roots on the prairies.
Martin Entz is a professor of “natural systems agriculture” in the
University of Manitoba’s faculty of agricultural and food sciences.
Martin has spent 20 years developing food production systems
based on nature’s own template. Projects include no-tillage (conservation)
farming, organic farming, integration of animals and
crops for small-holder production, and development of perennial
grains. Martin heads the Glenlea study – Canada’s oldest
organic cropping plots. Martin’s international work includes a “pesticides reduction” project in cooperation with universities in
Central America. Martin enjoys rural extension and interaction
with farmers. Martin and his family operate a small farm near
Libau, Manitoba.
Irma Fast Dueck was born and grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
She was a university chaplain and pastor before beginning her
teaching career at Canadian Mennonite Bible College (a predecessor
college of Canadian Mennonite University) in 1991. She
received her Doctorate of Theology from Victoria University at
the University of Toronto, a Masters of Divinity from the University
of Winnipeg and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of
Waterloo. Irma is frequently on the road, speaking and leading
workshops on a variety of themes and is currently completing a
book manuscript on Mennonite worship and ethics.
Marc Gopin is the James H. Laue Professor of Religion,
Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution, and the Director of the
Center on Religion, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution at
George Mason University’s Institute for Conflict Analysis and
Resolution. Gopin has trained thousands of people worldwide
in peacemaking strategies for complex conflicts in which
religion and culture play a role. Gopin conducts research on
values dilemmas as they apply to international problems of
globalization, clash of cultures, development, social justice
and conflict and he has engaged in back channel diplomacy
with religious, political and military figures on both sides of
conflicts.
See video by instructor.
Harry Huebner graduated from University of Manitoba with a
B.A. in Philosophy/Psychology and an M.A. in Philosophy. He
earned his Ph.D. in Theology at the University of St. Michael’s
College. Harry has been teaching at Canadian Mennonite University
and its predecessor colleges from 1971 - present. He
took one year off to do Ph.D. work in Toronto from 1974-5 and
served with Mennonite Central Committee in Jerusalem from
1981-3. Harry was also involved in the founding of Christian
Peacemaker Teams. In his spare time Harry enjoys traveling,
especially to the Middle East.
Kenton Lobe is a teacher/practitioner at heart with an interdisciplinary
Master’s degree in Natural Resource Management and
until recently balanced his teaching in International Development
Studies at Canadian Mennonite University with work at
the Canadian Foodgrains Bank in Winnipeg as Policy Advisor.
In particular his work focused on Canadian public policies
surrounding issues of agricultural trade, the human right
to food, and development assistance for small-scale farmers in
the global South. On the practical side, Kenton was one of the
driving forces behind the Manitoba Food Charter and a founding
member of Canadian Mennonite University’s community
garden. He has recently become a farmer within a community
shared agriculture operation.
Ovide Mercredi is the first Chancellor of the University
College of the North. He is a Cree, a lawyer, a negotiator, an
author, a lecturer in Native Studies, and an activist on behalf of
First Nations in Canada. He was a sessional adjunct professor
on Aboriginal peoples at the University of Sudbury, the University
of Lethbridge, and McMaster University. Mercredi held
the position of National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations
from 1991 to 1997. Among Chief Mercredi’s many honours and
awards are the Order of Manitoba, nomination for the Gandhi
Peace Prize, and honorary law degrees from Bishop’s University,
St. Mary’s University, and Lethbridge University.
See video by instructor.
Karen Ridd is a dynamic educator, facilitator and speaker with experience throughout North America and overseas, including El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Thailand and Cambodia. Karen is presently a sessional instructor in the Conflict Resolution Studies department of the University of Winnipeg, an associate of Training for Change in Philadelphia and as well as an associate trainer for Resolution Skills Centre. Karen holds a Bachelor of Arts (1984), a Master of Arts in Peace and Justice (2009), a Diploma in Mediation Skills, and has been working and studying in the field of conflict resolution since 1986. Karen began her affiliation with Mediation Services in 1995, when she became the Training Coordinator, responsible for carrying out and developing trainings, as well as overseeing the program as a whole. Karen presently lives in rural Manitoba, and is the delighted mother of Ben and Daniel. She has received numerous honours for her work, including the 1992 Government of Canada 125th Anniversary of Canadian Confederation Governor-General’s Award, the 1990 Canada YM/YWCA Peace Medal and the 1989 Manitoba International Human Rights Achievement Award. See video by instructor.
Howard Zehr joined the graduate Center for Justice and
Peacebuilding (CJP) at Eastern Mennonite University in 1996
as Professor of Restorative Justice and was the co-director there
from 2002 - 2007. Prior to this he served for 19 years as director
of the Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Office on Crime and
Justice.
Dr. Zehr’s book, Changing Lenses: A New Focus for Crime and
Justice, has been a foundational work in the growing “restorative
justice” movement. He lectures and consults internationally
on restorative justice and victim offender conferencing, which
he helped pioneer. He is author of 8 books in the field and has
received numerous international awards for his work. See video by instructor.
Ray VanderZaag was raised on a potato farm in south-central
Ontario. After graduating from Calvin College (B.Sc. – Biology)
and Michigan State University (M.Sc. – Crop and Soil Sciences),
he went to work in Haiti with the Christian Reformed World Relief
Committee. During the first five years in Haiti, he worked in
a rural community development program, supporting local staff
and community groups involved in agriculture, reforestation,
cooperative, literacy, water, and leadership activities. The next
three years he worked in Port-au-Prince giving overall leadership
to three CRWRC programs in Haiti.
Returning to Canada, he earned an M.A. in International
Affairs (Development Studies) and a Ph.D. (Geography) at Carleton
University. His dissertation involved 11 months of field
research on NGO/local community relations in rural Haiti. Ray
then worked for a year for the Canadian International Development
Agency as a project officer in the Southeast Asia Regional
Program before joining CMU’s faculty. Ray also teaches
one course per year in the IDS program at Menno Simons College,
Canadian Mennonite University’s campus at the University
of Winnipeg.
2009 Instructors
Babu Ayindo currently functions as an independent consultant in the design and facilitation of conflict resolution and peacebuilding initiatives, processes and interventions; as a researcher and trainer in arts, peace education and development communication; and as a program developer and evaluator with various organizations. He has extensive experience in applying “arts approaches” in peacebuilding in various parts of the world since the mid—1980s when he served as artistic director of Chelepe Arts (Nairobi, Kenya) and later as founding artistic director of Amani People’s Theater (Nairobi, Kenya). Babu Ayindo has taught at peacebuilding institutes around the world. His latest publication is “Arts Approaches to Peace: Playing Our Way to Transcendence” in Peacebuilding in Traumatized Societies (2008).
Dave Dyck has been working and studying in the field of conflict resolution for more than 15 years. Dave developed many of the training courses offered through Resolution Skills Centre’s Certificate Program. His current focus is on mediating workplace conflicts, personal coaching, and designing and leading training courses in the private, public, and community-based sectors. He holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in Conflict Resolution Studies and a Diploma in Mediation Skills.
Irma Fast Dueck (see 2010 Instructors)
Piet Meiring was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1941. He studied at the University of Pretoria, South Africa as well as at Free University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He was ordained to the ministry of the Dutch Reformed Church in 1968 and served in two congregations in Pretoria. His academic career includes the chair in Missiology and Church History, University of the North (Turfloop), a part-time lectureship at the University of South Africa, and, since 1988, the chair in Science of Religion and Science of Mission at the Theological Faculty, University of Pretoria. Professor Meiring was invited to join the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (1996-1998), where he was primarily involved in Reparation and Rehabilitation issues, as well as co-coordinating the TRC Faith Community Hearings.
Janet Schmidt has been working in the field of conflict resolution and mediation since 1986. She has a Masters of Education and a Diploma in Mediation Skills. She worked at Mediation Services in Winnipeg and gave leadership to the development of a 22-day Certificate Program. From 1996 to 1999 Janet developed a nine-month Peace Building and Conflict Transformation program in a pan-African Institution in Kitwe, Zambia. Upon her return from Africa, she co-founded Facilitated Solutions, where she is currently managing partner. Janet has taught courses in conflict resolution at the University of Manitoba, the University of Winnipeg, and Canadian Mennonite University. Janet has written numerous articles and is currently co-authoring a book outlining the distinctive approach that Facilitated Solutions undertakes in workplace mediation.
