In September 2001, former University of Manitoba Chancellor and alumnus of St. Paul’s College, Dr. Arthur Mauro, O.C., Q.C. donated $1 million dollars to St. Paul’s College at the University of Manitoba to establish the Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice (Mauro Centre). The college gratefully accepted this gift and together with the St. Paul’s College Foundation chose to raise an additional $2 million to support the work of the Mauro Centre. To date over $2.5 million dollars has been raised, which will form an endowment to fund the Mauro Centre’s operations.

     The Mauro Centre was incorporated under the Corporations Act of Manitoba in 2002. St. Paul’s College has appointed a board of 12 directors to achieve the purposes described in the Articles of Incorporation namely, to conduct educational, research and outreach programs to promote peace and justice, emphasizing: the cultural, religious and philosophical dimensions of peace; social, economic and environmental justice; peace education; and the role of international organizations and standards in the quest for peace and justice. The Mauro Centre’s initial emphasis will address the role of the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam in pointing the ways to live in peace and harmony in a post-modern world.

     The beginning of the third millennium has been characterized by war and insurrection, by ethnic and religious strife, by terrorist activity, by suicide bombers, and by the use of children as soldiers. There continues to be a great need for an understanding of the causes of the terrible conflicts we see around the world as well as a need to educate people who can work for peace and justice in their homes, communities, and institutions, here and abroad.

Objectives of the Mauro Centre

1. To develop and implement a doctoral program in peace and conflict studies at the University of Manitoba.
2. To create a joint Master of Arts degree with Menno Simons College at the University of Winnipeg and the Winnipeg based Canadian Mennonite University.
3. To further understanding and promote appreciation of peace and justice as well as help in the development of policies and practices by local, national and international organizations through faculty and student research activities.
4. To broaden the impact of the Mauro Centre’s work through outreach activities including annual seminars, conferences, a film series, training activities, an Internet website and opportunities for study abroad.
5. To complement other initiatives of the University of Manitoba as the university increases its attention to the international dimension of its mission. 

How the Mauro Centre is Unique

The Mauro Centre is unique from other Canadian and international programs in that it will be:

* the only doctoral-level program in Canada, and one of only three in North America, and one of only eight in the world;
* the only peace and justice centre in the Province of Manitoba committed to academic programs;
* the first joint Master of Arts program between the University of Manitoba and the University of Winnipeg, with participation from Menno Simons College; and
* the only program at a Canadian University to have an active presence through an academic and student exchange program on peace and justice studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It intends to extend the presence and exchange with an equally well-known Islamic University. 

What Need Will Be Met By Our Program

     The Mauro Centre’s programs will be attractive to people in Canada, the U.S., in post-conflict zones, developing countries, and throughout the world. Participants may pursue careers as: researchers and policymakers on issues of international peacekeeping, inter-group conflict resolution, human rights, or economic and social development; as teachers, peer mediators in elementary and secondary schools; or as violence prevention officers, trainers or consultants in businesses, hospitals, police departments, and prison settings. Other professionals who may be interested in the program may be already employed as clergy, community organizers, directors of public institutions and others whose work shapes and influences social thought and actions.

Principle Staff Involved

     Dr. Sean Byrne was appointed as the Mauro Centre’s first Director on July 1, 2003. A native of the Republic of Ireland, Dr. Byrne earned his Ph.D. in International Relations from The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Prior to coming to St. Paul’s College, Dr. Byrne was an Associate Professor and the Director of the Doctoral Studies Program in the Department of Conflict Analysis and Resolution in the School of Humanities and Social Science at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In 2000-2001 and again in 2002-2003, he was named Professor of the Year in the School of Humanities and Social Science. Dr. Byrne is a recognized expert in peace building and ethnic conflict resolution. He is best known for his books Growing Up in a Divided Society: The Influence of Conflict on Belfast Schoolchildren and Reconcilable Differences. He has worked in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Israel, Bosnia and South Africa.

     Dr. Jessica Senehi undertook the position of Associate Director of the Mauro Centre on July 1, 2003. A native of Syracuse, New York, Dr. Senehi holds a Ph.D. in Social Science from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Formerly she was an Assistant Professor of Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies at Nova Southeastern, and she is best known for her work in storytelling conflict resolution process to build community and peace.