Mir Centre for Peace Lecture Series Features Local Speakers

This March the Selkirk College Mir Centre for Peace Lecture Series will feature two distinguished, local speakers - Randy Janzen, Instructor for the School of Health and Human Services at Selkirk, and Michelle Mungall, NDP candidate for the Nelson-Creston MLA.

Randy Janzen has recently returned after living for a year in Guatemala, where he was studying Peace Studies. His presentation “Guatemala After the Civil War: The Journey to a Just Society” will centre on the legacy of violence that can be seen and felt today in Guatemala. Randy will explore why the vision of people wanting to achieve a society built on the tenets of social justice continues to remain elusive even though its civil war ended 12 years ago.

After living in Zambia and travelling to other African countries, including Raikai, Uganda, which is considered the birthplace of AIDS in Africa, Michelle Mungall's presentation, "A War Without Bullets: Scenes from the African Battlefield with AIDS" will focus on her experience in Africa and their struggle with AIDS.

Michelle is passionate about sharing her knowledge with individuals in the West Kootenay region. "I am motivated to do this," says Michelle, "because we can do much to help our African brothers and sisters prevent this illness from devastating communities."

Admission is by donation for both lectures and pre-registration is not required. Donations raised will go towards future Lecture Series at the Mir Centre for Peace. Selkirk College is in the midst of developing a campaign to raise $200,000 in support of the series and to help continue to offer prominent Lecture Series speakers.

Randy Janzen’s lecture will take place at Castlegar Campus in Sentinel Rm 113 on Thursday, March 5 from 12:00 – 1:00 pm and Michelle Mungall’s lecture will take place at the Mir Centre on Wednesday, March 11th from 7:00 – 9:00 pm.

First published on February 25, 2009