Studies At CMU Enabled Graduate to Travel

“I feel like I can make a difference in the world,” says Joel Marion

Joel Marion

By Aaron Epp

Most students wait until they’ve finished school to go traveling. But Joel Marion acquired passport stamps from both Ireland and the Congo as a student at Menno Simons College (MSC), CMU’s campus at the University of Winnipeg.

The 27-year-old Winnipegger graduated from MSC in June with a degree in Conflict Resolution Studies, as well as an Honours degree in Political Studies from the University of Winnipeg.

Of his school-related trips, the visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo is the one that sticks out most in his memory.

“I think what interested me about the situation in the Congo was mostly the complexity of it,” he says of his visit to that country as part of a group serving as election observers during the Congo’s first-ever democratic elections in 2006.

That trip, sponsored by CMU’s Institute for Community Peacebuilding, also gave him a chance to witness first-hand a situation he had been studying for three years.

“It’s not just a matter of economics, or of race, or any one thing,” he says. “You can’t say, ‘This is the cause, here’s the effect, now let’s find the solution.’ That complexity intrigued me.”

Marion’s knowledge of the situation allowed him to brief the group on the Congo’s constitution and electoral laws; his knowledge of French also allowed him to act as the group’s translator.

John Derksen, Assistant Professor of Conflict Resolution Studies at MSC, also went on that trip to the Congo. He says that Marion brought a sense of adventure to the group, and, because he reads widely, a wide worldview.

“As his strong interest is in peace-building and human rights, he did the most thorough research on how fair the preparation for the election was, as well as how fair the election itself was,” Derksen says. “He has a strong attention to detail, and a strong attention to thoroughness. Also, he’s cool, calm and collected—not very easily rattled.”

After the election, Marion stayed in the country to talk to people and gauge their reactions. He says the trip “affirmed my idea that democracy is not an over-night kind of thing.”

“Any amount of time spent in another country opens your eyes to different things,” he adds. “Basic everyday life looks different, feels different, tastes different—there’s always this uncertainty factor wherever you go. It kind of breaks you, but I think that’s a good thing. Everyone should do it—we’re too acculturated here.”

Marion says that studying at MSC taught him “to be more open-minded and interact with people more,” adding that he found the learning process was not passive, where students listen to the professors lecture, but a process where interaction is encouraged.

As for the future, he’s confident that his studies have given him “a good foundation to move around to different kinds of positions, and be flexible.” His time in the Congo also taught him to appreciate the things he has, and the value of hard work.

“I feel like I can make a difference in the world, and that if I try really hard, I’m capable of doing it,” he says. “But, just wanting it isn’t enough—you have to want to put effort into it. You don’t always get what you want, but if you keep trying and keep pushing, eventually more opportunities will present themselves.”

Posted July 24, 2008

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