We would like to congratulate Patrick Tomczyk, the recipient of the Mahatma Gandhi World Peace Graduate Scholarship! This scholarship is one of 3 supported by the Foundation and awarded to outstanding students at the University of Alberta.

Patrick Tomczyk is a PhD student in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta.  His doctoral research is in non-violent conflict transformation and peace-building through the arts, particularly theatre and drama. He is interested in how theatre and drama can be used in Alberta K-12 classrooms to challenge stereotypes, prejudices, and inequalities in order to educate and transform how we work with interpersonal conflict and particularly bullying.  The goal of this research is to build positive relationships and to promote empathy and healthy communication, so that we may heal ourselves and in turn our world. While not studying at the UofA, Patrick can be found working with youth with special and complex needs as both a teacher and therapist.

The Foundation is so pleased to support 3 scholarships at the University of Alberta. This year, the Mahatma Gandhi World Peace Scholarship was awarded to Neda Asadi. Congratulations Neda, and thank you for sharing a bit about your important graduate work...

My name is Neda Asadi, I was born in Iran but have spent most of my life in Canada. I feel privileged to be born in a country with a rich history and culture. I feel equally blessed to have been raised in Canada, a country which has provided me with many opportunities—most importantly, the opportunity to thrive and become my authentic self. Currently, I am a PhD candidate in the department of Educational Policy Studies, in the faculty of Education, at the University of Alberta. I am interested in the topics of education, international politics, and health as they relate to marginalized populations, and in particular, those marginalized due to various forms of migration. I am thankful to the Gandhi organization for supporting my research both through financial assistance and through recognition of my work. The focus of my research is on the impact of current education policies on the educational opportunities of refugee youth. Through my work, I endeavour to propose new educational initiatives to effectively respond to the educational needs and by extension, the social well-being of young refugee learners. While the desire to begin this research has its roots in my own struggles in the education system, it was re-ignited during my volunteer work in one of Edmonton’s inner city schools. Witnessing refugee youths’ tremendous needs, and their real and alarming concerns, I found myself desiring the skills to be the change I want to see in my world. I am hopeful that with the knowledge and experience I gain in the academic world I will be able to open spaces inside the system to make transformational change for the betterment of all society while being true to Gandhian principles of truth and social justice.