Menno Simons College Blog

Press release: Refugees and freedom of movement – international conference

Posted by MSC Staff | Monday, April 25, 2016 @ 7:21 AM

WINNIPEG – The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 13) states that everyone has the right to freedom of movement within and across borders. Today, unprecedented numbers of people are being denied this fundamental freedom. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that war, conflict, and persecution have displaced some 60 million people worldwide, the highest number on record.

Tyler Loewen in the demonstration garden he organized. (Photo courtesy Tyler Loewen)

From the field: practicum reflections from Cambodia

Posted by MSC Staff | Thursday, April 21, 2016 @ 2:25 PM

By Tyler Loewen

Sue s'dye (hello in Khmer), my name is Tyler Loewen; I am a fourth-year International Development Studies student currently completing my practicum. The organization where I am interning is called Organization to Develop Our Villages (ODOV) based in rural Pray Veng Province, Cambodia. It exists to address issues of food insecurity, inadequate livelihoods, unsustainable farming practices, and financial exclusion. The population in the region is made up almost exclusively of rice farmers; however, a significant percentage of the population has migrated to Phnom Penh, Thailand, or Malaysia in search of better economic opportunities.

Contemplation room

Posted by MSC Staff | Friday, April 1, 2016 @ 1:00 PM

Beginning Tuesday, April 5, the Contemplation Room (Room 232 in the MSC faculty offices hallway) will be open Monday–Friday 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM.

In the spirit of Menno Simons College as an Invitational Community, this space is offered as a non-denominational, interfaith venue for quiet personal contemplation, prayer, or meditation. This is intended to be a peaceful, welcoming space for all traditions and practices, founded on mutual respect. All welcome and encouraged to use the space.

The value of relationships

Posted by MSC Staff | Tuesday, March 22, 2016 @ 12:00 AM

By Barbara Bucheli

How does one summarize an experience that tested one’s limitations, expanded and stretched one’s understanding of the world and of one’s self, has heightened one’s passions, and that has grounded theories that required practical knowledge? A practicum experience is not an easy event to describe accurately in a few sentences but may be better described by the actions and continued relationships that follow after one has completed the practicum. For example, a practicum lead my parents approximately 25 years ago to leave their home in Switzerland and immigrate to Canada, a country they both fell in love with during their farming practica here in Manitoba. My life was greatly shaped by the practicum experiences of my parents and the friendships they made through that time, some of whom are still core people in my family’s life to this day.

©Ellen Paulley. Brigitte Sabourin. Menno Simons College.

Moving forward through mediation

Posted by MSC Staff | Monday, March 14, 2016 @ 12:56 PM

Being passionate about solving the world’s problems is a common trait among MSC students, says Brigitte Sabourin.

The skills and knowledge she’s gaining in her four-year Conflict Resolution Studies (CRS) degree are equipping her and her classmates to make positive change even when the quantity and magnitude of world issues seem daunting and difficult to address, she says.

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