Church Center of the United Nations
777 United Nations Plaza
Manhattan, NY 10017
United States
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This seminar is primarily for undergraduate students at Anabaptist colleges and universities in Canada and the U.S. International students are especially encouraged to participate.
From devastation and injustice in Palestine-Israel, to decades of violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to military rule in Myanmar, to the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, to 70 years of a divided Korean peninsula, to shifting global power dynamics that threaten UN action, what role does – and can – the UN play for better or worse in fostering peace? Through engagement with UN diplomats, UN peacebuilding staff, and grassroots civil society peacemakers, the seminar will provide students an opportunity to look closely at the UN system – its gifts, challenges, and opportunities for authentic peacebuilding in a rapidly changing world.
MCC is serving now, and has for decades, in all the above places of conflict and high tension. And we are present at the United Nations, engaging diplomats and the UN system about these crises.
In this three-day seminar, students will:
- Engage the theme with presenters from the fields of UN diplomacy, international NGO’s, and MCC experts and partners.
- Learn about the work of the UN, about faith-based advocacy, and about calls to reform the UN.
- Take a tour of the United Nations building and engage with one another within the UN’s dynamic setting in New York City.
- Engage a mix of plenary sessions and small groups offering high interaction with experts.
- Connect with and learn from fellow students.
- Apply learnings to their own context.
Event information
The MCC United Nations office is offering scholarships of $150 and $250 USD to supplement financial support from schools and to help with the cost of travel and lodging. Scholarships will be designated to students who lack sufficient funding from their school to cover the full cost of their travel to and lodging in New York City.
- Applications will be reviewed as they are received and, if approved, scholarships will be awarded on a rolling basis. The final application deadline for students to apply for a scholarship is October 3rd at 11 pm Eastern Time.
- Students who apply for a scholarship will be asked to indicate the cost of their travel and lodging, the amount they are receiving from their school (or other support), and a requested scholarship amount.
- All students who apply to the seminar, including those who apply for scholarships, once they receive notice of acceptance, will receive a link to register for the seminar and pay the $75 USD seminar fee. Those who were awarded a scholarship will receive their funds after the seminar is over.
- As noted above, there will be a rolling application process for both seminar attendance and scholarship. On October 3rd at 11 pm Eastern Time the seminar and scholarship application period will end. If accepted, students must register by October 9th at 11:59pm EST in order to confirm their spot in the seminar.
The earlier you apply for the seminar and a scholarship, and if you have a clear need, it is likely you will receive a scholarship.
Students should contact their school to see if there are any scholarship possibilities. Students also have the option to apply for a scholarship through the MCC UN office.
Priority will be given to students from Anabaptist-related schools in Canada and the U.S. Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be an undergraduate or graduate student in a U.S. or Canadian school
- Have strong interest in issues related to areas such as peacemaking, international relations, Christian nonviolence, the United Nations
- Commit to full participation in the seminar and all its activities
The seminar begins with registration at 4 p.m. on Wednesday November 12, and ends with lunch on Friday November 14.
Note: There will be a 45-minute online session one week before the seminar to provide a brief introduction to the seminar and the UN Office. Those who are unable to attend are required to watch the recording of the session before arriving in New York City.
Application deadline: Rolling until October 3rd, 2025.
Seminar fee: $75 USD from accepted participants.
After applying you will receive a confirmation email. Spots are limited and applications will be accepted on a first-come first-serve basis. If your application is approved, you will receive instructions via email about how to register and pay the $75 USD seminar payment by October 9th at 11:59pm EST.
Participants arrange their own lodging in New York City during the seminar. Please check out this list of affordable options.
Presenters
Ashley Gagné, the seminar facilitator, began serving as Director of the MCC UN Office in March 2025. Originally from Maine, she has more than fifteen years of experience working with universities, NGOs and UN agencies in Africa, Latin America, and Oceania as an advocate, writer, and educator. From 2007 to 2009 she led the Jesuit Refugee Service's communications strategy in West Africa, among other humanitarian and development initiatives around the world. Ashley holds a BA in English from Mount Holyoke College and an MSc in Development Studies from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies.
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