CMU to host public dialogue on community resilience
Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) is hosting a one-of-a-kind community gathering, open to the public on October 23 in Marpeck Commons.
As part of the LINCZ conference, Community Dialogue: Building Resilience Through People and Nature brings together researchers, practitioners, and community members from Canada, Zimbabwe, and Cameroon to discuss how people and communities are building resilience in the face of environmental, social, and climate challenges.
The free event will take place from 7:00–8:30 PM at Marpeck Commons (2299 Grant Ave.).
Rather than depending on a traditional keynote, the event is designed to engage conference participants and the broader community in open dialogue with one another.
The conversation will explore the question: "What does community resilience look like in practice, and what can we learn from communities responding to environmental, social, and climate challenges?"
Moderated by Rachel Krause, Associate Professor of Biology at CMU, the dialogue will feature four speakers whose work spans community leadership, biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, gender-responsive adaptation, and peacebuilding.
The speakers are Vurayayi Pugeni, SCAN Area Director with Mennonite Central Committee; Anja Oussoren, Program Manager with Tearfund Canada; Martin Entz, Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba; and Gaëlle Manguele, Researcher at the Institute of Agricultural Research for Development.
Together, they will explore how local knowledge, healthy ecosystems, inclusive governance, and sustainable livelihoods contribute to community resilience.
The interactive format is designed to create opportunities for participants to learn from different perspectives, reflect on their own experiences, and engage with the ideas and questions raised throughout the evening.
The LINCZ conference is a three-day gathering hosted at CMU from October 22–24. Featuring panel discussions, interactive workshops, artistic exhibits, and site-based learning activities, the conference explores how communities in sub-Saharan Africa are responding to climate change through locally led and nature-based approaches.
For more information about the conference and public community dialogue, visit lincz.ca/conference.