The Irene and Doug Schmeiser Centre for Faith, Reason, Peace, and Justice at St. Thomas More College recognizes the academic accomplishments of the first students to receive the Peace Studies Certificate. Shenyce Buhler, Rayyan Haque, and John Pederson-Bradley received the certificate at the 2024 spring convocation. STM’s certificate in Peace Studies is the first such program in the province.
Having completed her Bachelor of Arts Honors in Archaeology and Anthropology with a minor in Psychology, Rayyan Haque notes her academic interests aligned with the educational prospects of Peace Studies. The same interests in the fields of Anthropology and Archaeology drew Haque to pursue the Peace Studies certificate. “Throughout my degree, I have learned time and time again that the solutions to the issues we face lie in our collective understanding of each other and openness to every perspective.”
Now pursuing a Masters in Public Health at the University of Saskatchewan with hopes of establishing a career in Health Administration, Haque states the impact of her certificate in her new academic journey. “In my Masters in Public Health program, I hope to solidify my understanding that public health is not simply about treating disease, but about creating environments where all people can thrive – physically, mentally and emotionally.”
Also completing her Bachelor of Arts in English, Shenyce Buhler states the importance of Peace Studies as an interdisciplinary program to better understand our world by grasping a deeper meaning of peace. “I took out of it a more critical way of thinking when it comes to events taking place in the world but also in everyday things. The program allowed me to take classes that I would not have thought to choose, but in doing so expanded my learning from other subjects like International Studies.”
Reflecting on the impact of the Peace Studies program at St. Thomas More College, Buhler and Haque express the importance of our program given current experiences of violence. As Buhler states, the Peace Studies courses teach students about how peacebuilding efforts are taking place worldwide in various ways. The program also addresses how different modes of peace take place to disrupt acts of violence and address social injustices. The importance of this kind of program, according to Buhler, “allows students to look at the world through a different lens, aiding in the way that they think when issues arise.”
The program, according to Haque, emphasized the importance of peace education, integrating Peace Studies with a goal of fostering cultures of peace as a foundation of education and existence. While it can be easy to get caught up in the negatives of the world, Haque states that finding the Peace Studies program provided an avenue of hope and positivity. “I wasn’t just investing in my education, I was investing in myself and in the world, and for that I am grateful.”
The Irene and Doug Schmeiser Centre for Faith, Reason, Peace and Justice is an academic unit of STM, initiated through a generous gift by Irene Ositis-Schmeiser. For more information about the Peace Studies certificate, the Irene and Doug Schmeiser Centre for Faith, Reason, Peace, and Justice, and its distinctive program offerings:
