Seminars : (digitized documents)
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Weekend “live-in” seminars for youth in the countryside (1964-1972):
the format of this activity varied from a weekend to a full week in a rural setting. The idea behind this activity was to bring together a particular group of youth, college and university students, in an environment close to nature sharing their ideas, concerns, and life experiences with each other in a spirit of dialogue and deep listening. A variety of topics were offered for discussion or exchange, such as poverty, group dynamics, development in “Third World”, religious freedom, and so on. The groups were composed of youth from different social, cultural and religious backgrounds.
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Francophone-Anglophone Dialogues (1966-1972):
One-day and/or weekend seminars. It is the through friendship and close collaboration with an anglophone group called Society of Quakers that this activity was put in place. At that time, we were concerned with the question of strained relations between the “two solitudes” of Canada, namely Anglophone and Francophone. The relationship between these communities or “two founding peoples of Canada”, finds its roots in the colonial history of Canada-Quebec. In the context of mounting nationalism in Quebec, the “Dialogue anglophone-francophone” initiative suggested by the Quakers was more than welcome to build bridges between the two communities.
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Public Seminars on Religion and Culture (1967-1980):
scholars from abroad and resource-persons from local communities were invited to lecture and share personal experience of different religious and cultural traditions.
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Weekend Immersion Seminars (1968-1980)
these activities invited participants to experience another tradition through teachings, ceremonies, prayers, and meditation led by spiritual teachers of different religious traditions (Jewish Rabbi, Sufi master, Hindu Swami, Zen Buddhist monk, Indigenous spiritual leaders etc.). Participants were interested adults of diverse religious/cultural backgrounds as well as teachers of religious studies in post-secondary education throughout Québec.