L-R: MPPGA students Panthea Pourmalek, Nicole Johnston, and Samantha El-Ghazal
Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs students Samantha El-Ghazal, Nicole Johnston, Panthea Pourmalek, Genevieve Varelas and Nellie Kamau are graduate members of the Research Network on Women, Peace and Security, co-directed by Dr. Erin Baines, Professor in the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia.
In March 2022, Samantha, Nicole, and Panthea, who are also part of the Network’s Youth Advisory Board, participated in the Network’s first annual Symposium in Montreal focused on “Revisiting and Re-imagining WPS: 20 Years Later.” Here are some reflections on their experience:
Samantha El-Ghazal: “It was a pleasure to join a group of great scholars and thinkers at the Research Network on Women, Peace and Security’s first annual symposium. The RN-WPS Youth Advisory Board had the opportunity to host a panel discussion to highlight the importance of youth inclusion in the field of WPS.
I also had the privilege of moderating a panel on future defense challenges in Canada, along with academics and policy professionals from across the WPS discipline in Canada. This was a great opportunity to bridge theory and practice. It was especially enriching to learn from and with women experts in a field that is traditionally dominated by men.”
Samantha El-Ghazal and Panthea Pourmalek participate in a Research Network on Women, Peace and Security Symposium
Panthea Pourmalek: “This year’s symposium was a wonderful opportunity to bring together the WPS community in Canada, and connect with the leading minds in our field. I had the honour of speaking on the plenary panel on the original dreams and visions of the WPS Agenda, alongside Canada’s current WPS Ambassador Jacqueline O’Neill, our former Ambassador to NATO Kerry Buck, and a leader in the Canadian civil society WPS space, Beth Woroniuk.
It was great to launch our symposium with a chance to hear from those who experienced the very creation of WPS first-hand and to share my vision of the future as a young scholar in this field. I also had the chance to organize a roundtable with the members of the Network’s Youth Advisory Board, including my brilliant MPPGA colleagues Samantha and Nicole. Connecting with this community of incredible, intelligent, and driven young women has been the absolute highlight of my participation in the network.”
Nicole Johnston: “Attending the first annual RN-WPS Symposium allowed be to connect with scholars, practitioners and advocates from diverse areas of the WPS field. I was honoured to present with my fellow members of the Youth Advisory Board members on the role of youth in Women, Peace and Security academia in Canada. Together with symposium participants, we dreamed of a WPS research landscape in Canada that is increasingly inclusive of youth and emerging voices.
The symposium was also an incredible opportunity to engage with and learn from leading scholars in the field of WPS, and to reflect on how I can best leverage my MPPGA education to work in this field and support women peacebuilders globally.”
“We would also like to extend a collective thanks to Prof. Erin Baines for her endless support and mentorship.”
