UofMosaic Chapters
University of Toronto
UofMosaic at Vancouver
The Mosaic Institute is establishing campus UofMosaic chapters across the country to build bridges of understanding and cooperation between campus-based ethnocultural communities, and to harness students' energies to advance Canadian solutions to global problems of war and underdevelopment.
We hope to counteract a distressing trend: the widening gulf between some student ethnocultural communities, often resulting in open hostility and conflict. Universities have become the focal point for clashes between ethnocultural groups acting upon grievances related to international conflicts.
UofMosaic student leaders work to transform that passion, which has taken negative forms at times, into constructive, collaborative efforts for dialogue, understanding, and innovation.
A test chapter was established at the University of Toronto in September 2009. More than 150 UofT students had joined by the end of the month. In the first year of operation, the chapter convened a roundtable on the use of citizen diplomacy in the Middle East; hosted a forum on the rapprochement between Armenia and Turkey; organized a large-scale public event entitled “Peace and How to Build It: A Canadian Conversation”, which featured Canadian peacebuilders in NGOs; and hosted with the University of Toronto Multi-Faith Centre a symposium on the role of religion in peacebuilding, which featured Jewish, Christian and Muslim peace practitioners.
In the second year of operation, UofMosaic @ UofT hosted a full-year dialogue program entitled the “Indian-Pakistani Dialogue for Peace at UofT”. Throughout the year, a committed group of mostly Indo- and Pakistani-Canadian students met, along with distinguished speakers from the community, to discuss issues of premier importance in resolving the conflict between India and Pakistan. .
In 2011-2012, chapters were operational at the University of Toronto, Ryerson University ,and York University. All three campus chapters hosted dialogue programs for students with family and community connections to the Middle East.
In 2012, UofMosaic is expanding to Concordia University, McGill University, the University of British Columbia, and Simon Fraser University.
WE NEED YOU!
UofMosaic is seeking students interested in strengthening Canada’s contribution to the world by identifying constructive, collaborative solutions to international conflicts. We need students who are passionate about learning and collaboration, and who are focused on how international issues affect student life on campus. We need people who are prepared to approach complex and controversial global issues with evenhandedness, and to pursue moderate and constructive means for achieving peace. We are looking for students who agree with us that the best Canadian citizens are global citizens – and vice versa.
This is an exceptional opportunity for all students who are passionate about peace, and particularly for students with an interest in the fields of international relations, diversity, development, and conflict resolution.
If you are interested in establishing a UofMosaic chapter on your campus, or becoming involved with an existing chapter, please contact Project Coordinator Lorenzo Vargas at lv@mosaicinstitute.ca , or by phone at 416-644-6000 ext.670.