Thursday 1 August 2013

Justice is Not Just Us - Presidential Musing by Dawn

[Note: I thought I had such a clever title, when, come to find out, this is very close to the title of a book written by Gerald Vandezande. He wrote Justice: Not Just Us. That sounds like a good one to read.]

We have such good news that we want to be sure to pass it along: The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) has awarded ICS, through our Research Centre (CPRSE), a Partnership Development Grant to do a research project related to Justice and Faith. The CRCNA posted a news story on this development, which came out right before I posted my last musing.

We are SO excited!

Our Research Centre has been awarded $200,000 for a two-year project. Dr. Ronald A. Kuipers and Dr. Allyson Carr put considerable effort into developing this proposal, and we congratulate them on the success of that effort. Most of the funds will flow to our partner organizations on this project, the CRCNA and the Centre for Community Based Research in Kitchener, Ontario, to allow their staff to work with us on the project. The bulk of the remaining monies will fund two new Research Assistantships for ICS students over the next two years, allowing them to participate in the project and also to offset the costs of their ICS education. As is typical of SSHRC grants, the funds must be used directly on the research project itself, rather than for any operating costs.

The report from the pilot project, launched prior to the outside funding, is now online. We would love to see comments about it on Facebook (if you are on Facebook, please “Like” our Institute for Christian Studies page).

Justice can be an unnecessarily devisive topic in Christian circles. I wrote more about this topic, and we decided to turn that into a Ground Motive blog entry. The report from the pilot project (pre-SSHRC-funding) is a terrific start at bridging some of the gaps among Christians regarding justice. Thanks to all who participated in this initial effort. I look forward to the final report from this project.