The University of the Fraser Valley hopes its new Peace and Reconciliation Centre (PARC) — which the school says is the first of its kind in Canada — will help contribute to a more equitable society. Professor Keith Carlson, the centre's chair, said institutions like universities and governments can often reinforce unequal power structures by excluding knowledge and experience from historically-marginalized communities. The Abbotsford-based university says it has received substantial funding from the Oikodome Foundation, a local Christian charity. Along with relations between Indigenous people and settlers, Carlson said the centre could address everything from domestic violence to interfaith conflicts in the Middle East and Ireland. Carlson, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous and community-engaged history, echoed Nolte's words.

Source: CBC News September 26, 2020 13:52 UTC