Minka 2017 | Host to Home
Academics
About The Minka
Events
What is a Minka?
Minka is a Quechua word that represents the coming together of people to work collaboratively on a common project that benefits an entire community. It is a call to action where community members work side by side towards a common goal, bringing the expertise they have from their daily lives and placing it alongside the expertise of another. It is a culminating event where, in solidarity, community members are empowered to create changes that have lasting impact in the community they build together. During a Minka, the needs of the community are placed over the needs of the individual. Everything stops when someone calls a Minka.
At St. Jerome’s University, our Minkas are an opportunity for us to bring people together to dialogue about a social justice issue we are facing in our local community. The Minka is an opportunity to dive into the complexity of the issue and be part of developing approaches to making change in our community.
Minka 2017 | Host to Home I October 27-28, 2017
In 2017, St. Jerome’s University is partnering with Reception House Waterloo Region to explore
Host to Home: Deepening connections and understanding the refugee journey in Kitchener-Waterloo.
This year, the Minka hopes to:
Media Folder:
Build capacities in connecting across differences, specifically differences in culture, spirituality, and communication.
Strengthen awareness and respect for the dignity of all as we work towards community, belonging, and a stronger sense of home.
Provide opportunities for dialogue around current challenges and how to move forward for meaningful change.
Encourage participants to develop, personally, in the areas of reflection, citizenship and spirituality.
Who We Are
Rooted in our commitment to the education and growth of the whole person, our mission and values, and the definition of the word Minka, the Minka will seek to achieve the following:
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Build a community and culture of inclusion, openness, cohesion and belonging by bringing together participants from all areas, representing many different perspectives and experiences with a culture of openness and an attitude that values the unique gifts each person brings to the table.
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Foster relationships with and between community members and organizations working across all different sectors, including those who may not normally access the university.
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Generate space for interdisciplinary collaboration on increasingly complex local issues. In this space, the diverse perspectives of all participants are seen as contributions of equal value and importance.
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Provide opportunities for personal and community-based learning and capacity building through a lens of dignity and empowerment for all.
Each year, St. Jerome’s University will partner with a community organization to offer an opportunity to dialogue and strategize about a social justice topic in Kitchener-Waterloo. 2017's partner is Reception House Waterloo Region.