Pathways to Mobilizing for Peace

Collectif Échec à la guerre is a coalition of Quebec civil society organizations concerned about the growing role of war in Canadian foreign policy and the rise of militaristic rhetoric in Canada. It was established in 2002, when war against Iraq was imminent, with the aim of opposing the war and any Canadian participation in it. Opposed to Canada's military interventions in Afghanistan, Libya, and now Iraq and Syria, the Collective denounces the false security and humanitarian pretexts of the so-called “war on terror.”

Independent Jewish Voices Canada (IJV) is a grassroots organization grounded in Jewish tradition that opposes all forms of racism and advocates for justice and peace for all in Palestine-Israel. Our strength comes from our members. IJV has active chapters in cities and on university campuses across the country.

Sharon Gubbay Helfer is a professional oral historian specializing in life stories, a multimedia artist and a researcher/practitioner in the area of difficult dialogues and listening skills. Following a PhD in Jewish Studies focusing on Montreal’s Reconstructionist Synagogue, she carried out postdoctoral research in Jewish-Catholic dialogue at the Université de Montréal and then worked on the major Oral History Centre project “Life Stories of Montrealers Displaced by Wars, Genocides and Other Human Rights Violations” where she produced a Palestinian Canadian Life Stories project. Dr. Gubbay Helfer is a certified facilitator with the Compassionate Listening Project and with the Compassionate Integrity Training curriculum. She was the creator of the SSHRC-funded project: Rabbis and Imams in 21st-century Montreal: their paths to the present, towards a shared future, where she video-recorded interviews with Seven Montreal Rabbis. As of 2023, she has been working on a book about photographer Germaine Kanova, thanks to Research/Creation grant from the Canada Council for the Arts.

SHIFT Pathways Series: As part of our mandate to facilitate collaboration across difference and host a welcoming space for difficult conversations, SHIFT hosts the Pathways Skill Share series to bring together speakers from across Montreal to exchange about the concrete challenges of turning principles of social transformation into practice. 

Please note - this event is held in person, at the SHIFT space. If, for accessibility reasons, you are not able to join in person but would like to attend the event, please contact shift.calendar@concordia.ca and we can work together to see if an alternative solution is possible. A week’s notice will give us the best chance of making something work.