Juan Jimenez - MA in Conflict Analysis and Management (MACAM)
I am originally from Mexico and have been in Canada for eight years. I am now serving as a pastor in Lillooet, B.C. In doing so, I've faced some challenges working with community organizations that are not in line with my faith. Once I realized that additional education would provide some added creditability within this small community, I looked for the right mix of learning with hands-on training. I found what I wanted at Royal Roads.
One of the major things I've learned is what I call translation tools – ways in which I can translate spiritual matters into language others will understand. Different words to express the same purpose and meaning in a way that doesn’t create conflict.
I discovered RRU while surfing the Internet. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, but when I saw this program and the pictures of the campus, I knew it was exactly right for me. I arrived for my first residency a week after attending my father’s funeral in Mexico, so I had no time to prepare myself for what to expect. My anxiety faded as the instructors and students made me feel welcome right away.
The diversity among my co-learners was awesome. In Canada, like every country, there’s a common base of thinking and culture. But RRU has a tremendous multicultural atmosphere. It provides a much greater spectrum for understanding the world out there.
The concepts I’ve learned have already been helpful in my life. I was having an issue with someone in Lillooet and rather than continuing to struggle with them I chose an approach to the conflict that I’d learned in class. It worked really well.
RRU has helped me see a larger range of possibilities in my future. I’ve learned to better understand myself, my desire to travel, and that I enjoy a challenge. I also realize now that I’m part of the ethno-political stream, which also means challenges. My education has reinforced my ideas about where I’m headed.
My recommendation for learners who’d like to attend RRU is to be sure that you’re interested in making a difference in the world. You need some fire within you that will carry you forward. If you burn with a desire to improve yourself, I would say you have the key qualification for this program.
The environment is beautiful. It’s laid back, quiet and unique. Some of my classmates found it a bit annoying –all the birds singing. But I loved it. As I told one of my instructors: I don’t think there’s a happier learner here than me.
