This Indigenous People’s Day, Eastern Mennonite University held two events to honor the people living on this continent who were displaced by colonization. The first event, Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery, provided an introduction to the influence of church doctrine on colonialism and featured a documentary and a discussion. The second event featured the documentary … Continue reading Dismantling the Event by Emily Powell & Yasmiene Mabrouk
Bridging the Gap Between Incarceration and Community by Gabby McMillon
Going into my semester at the Washington Community Scholars Center, EMU's location in the nation's capital, I wondered if my internship was a good fit for me. I had been placed with a reentry non-profit called Voices for a Second Chance. I had a basic understanding of criminal justice issues from reading Michelle Alexander’s book The New … Continue reading Bridging the Gap Between Incarceration and Community by Gabby McMillon
An Attempt at Decolonizing the Classroom By Myriam Aziz
I came to the U.S. for the first time when I was 15 years old. I was the only Arab in my school. When people would ask me where I was from and I would say “Lebanon,”, very few knew where that was. It seemed unfair mainly because I knew so much about American culture. … Continue reading An Attempt at Decolonizing the Classroom By Myriam Aziz
Different Voices, Common Truth by Ben Rush
Academic department chapels at EMU are held each spring. They provide an opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to worship in an intimate setting and meditate on their vocation and divine calling. These chapels are one of many ways for students to explore the Christian faith that is part of the core of EMU’s curriculum. … Continue reading Different Voices, Common Truth by Ben Rush
Hope in the Midst of Occupation by Adrienne Derstine
It has been nearly two months of traveling in the footsteps of Jesus, waking up to the Muslim call to prayer, and eating endless pita with hummus. I set out for the Middle East through the Cross-Cultural program at EMU with the intention of studying the Israel/Palestine conflict and to hear stories from all stakeholders. … Continue reading Hope in the Midst of Occupation by Adrienne Derstine
ICPF Conference & Restorative Justice by Caleb Schrock-Hurst
This past weekend I jumped into a car with four other EMU students from Peace Fellowship Club and drove 10 hours north to Conrad Grebel University College in Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. About an hour and a half southwest of Toronto, Conrad Grebel is a sister school of EMU’s and was the host of this year’s … Continue reading ICPF Conference & Restorative Justice by Caleb Schrock-Hurst
Speculative Charter School Growth in the Case of UNO Charter School Network in Chicago by Ryan Good & Benjamin Teresa
The Obama administration emphasized charter schools as a reform strategy; early indications from the Trump administration signal a wholesale drive toward expanded “choice” options. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is now the highest-profile advocate for school choice, arguing alongside other proponents for liberalized regulation and financing for the expansion of charter schools. In their estimation, … Continue reading Speculative Charter School Growth in the Case of UNO Charter School Network in Chicago by Ryan Good & Benjamin Teresa
Take Back The Night Through The Eyes of a Peacebuilder by Ben Rush
The first full week of November EMU held their annual Take Back The Night week. This event’s purpose is to prevent sexual violence by educating, creating spaces to address the issue, and having conversations. This year, I had the opportunity to be involved in some of the planning. I ended up helping to plan an … Continue reading Take Back The Night Through The Eyes of a Peacebuilder by Ben Rush
After “Unite the Right”: a Nonviolent Direct Action Training at EMU by Anna Messer
Nation-wide fear, hostility, and anger peaked on August 11th and 12th 2017, when activists, including white supremacists and counter-protestors, violently clashed at the ‘Unite the Right’ rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. In part, the white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups came out to protest and rally against the removal of the Robert E. Lee statue, one of … Continue reading After “Unite the Right”: a Nonviolent Direct Action Training at EMU by Anna Messer
A Reflection on the 2017 MCC UN Conference by Harrison Horst
Members of Peace Fellowship, EMU’s Peacebuilding & Development student organization, recently attended the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) United Nations annual student seminar on “Migration, Faith, and Action” in New York City. This week we feature three reflections from that trip on the PXD Blog (read the first and second posts). This final post is by … Continue reading A Reflection on the 2017 MCC UN Conference by Harrison Horst