Julianne Funk (2013 BSSRPL)
Julianne Funk is a peace scholar-practitioner. Her path has led her from her birthplace in California to call Chicago her American hometown, but today she also calls Europe home. One of these locations is Leuven, in Belgium, where she received her MA (peace and conflict studies) and PhD (social sciences). Another is Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina where she is currently based. A volunteer with Brethren Service, Julianne works with local and regional peacebuilding NGOs to learn from expert practitioners and provide support in research, reporting and fundraising. At the moment, she is consulting for the Ecumenical Women’s Initiative in Croatia. She also continues to explore indigenous, and especially faith-based, conflict transformation resources as a research associate with the Centre for Research on Peace and Development at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, her alma mater. Julianne is especially interested in deepening mutual understanding and exchange between Christians and Muslims and between Christian churches. She has published on such themes as religion, identity and conflict transformation/ peacebuilding in Bosnia-Herzegovina as well as Islam and reconciliation.
Nathan Loewen (2012 ISSRPL)
Nathan Loewen travelled from a small farm on Canada’s prairies to Montreal in order to pursue his doctoral research; his objective was to determine how to shift the political orientation of Western philosophy’s “problem of evil” from absolutism to democracy. Now, as a professor of humanities at Vanier College, cosmopolitan Montreal is his home. Nathan focuses on three teaching areas: the philosophy of religion, international development studies and Jain studies. Nathan contributes to Vanier’s diversity by establishing institutional connections with Indian universities and rural-urban connections with a “virtual team-teaching” project. He is very interested in leveraging internet resources to deepen his students’ understanding of their world. In fall 2012, Nathan will be promoting a ‘global studies’ classroom to other Vanier teachers. This is part of a long-term goal to establish a global studies program at Vanier. He also chairs the American Academy of Religion’s “International Development and Religion” group and supports the programming of the International Summer School for Jain Studies. Montreal gives Nathan plenty to enjoy in his spare time: from working in a community garden to attending events in the neighbourhoods, universities and communities throughout the city.
Pam Blood (2011 ISSRPL)
Pam Blood “Piikaaksin”, her traditional Blackfoot name, is from the Blood Tribe/Kainai First Nation located in southern Alberta, Canada. She studied journalism arts at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Calgary, Alberta and received her B.A. (Political Science) at the University of Lethbridge. She has worked as a research assistant on various studies regarding First Nations issues (Persons with Developmental Disabilities and voting practices). She is currently the project coordinator for the Blood Tribe Cultural Awareness Project which is addressing racism and discrimination in the Lethbridge area. She currently advises with the City of Lethbridge’s ‘Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination’ team that designed an action plan to address related problems in the area.
Freeman Poritz (2010 ISSRPL)
Freeman Poritz is from Vancouver, Canada, and has worked as a teacher. His interests include hiking, reading, studying languages, music and travel.
Stuart Brown (2007 ISSRPL)
Stuart Brown is the Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Abti-American University in Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria. This is his third post in Nigeria and he has also worked in Kenya, Cameroon, Senegal, Tunisia, Switzerland and several provinces of Canada, in a variety of academic and ecumenical or interfaith positions. Stuart has a doctorate in Islamic Studies from McGill University in Montreal. He has been married to Margaret for forty-one years (and counting); with four children and five grandchildren.