About Us

We are a Canadian peace research institute with a focus on disarmament efforts and international security, specifically related to the arms trade, emerging military and security technologies, nuclear weapons, and outer space.

Project Ploughshares is the peace research institute of The Canadian Council of Churches. 

Established in 1976, Project Ploughshares operates out of the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement (CPA) at Conrad Grebel University College on the University of Waterloo campus. The CPA is home to University of Waterloo faculty and graduate students, as well as peace-oriented entrepreneurs and established local peacebuilding organizations. Policy work and program implementation are often carried out in collaboration with other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), in Canada and internationally.

Project Ploughshares

Our Organization

Providing credible research

Our Experts

Cesar Jaramillo

Executive Director
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Branka Marijan

Senior Researcher
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Jessica West

Senior Researcher
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Kelsey Gallagher

Researcher
Learn more about Kelsey

BSIA Technology Governance Initiative Researchers

For the 2024 winter semester, Project Ploughshares is working with two students from the Technology Governance Initiative, a program set up by the Balsillie School of International Affairs.

Roman Vysochanskyy is a published policy researcher and scholar with a strong foundation in public policy and international relations. His academic contributions have earned him several prestigious awards, including a Fulbright Scholarship at Columbia University and a grant from the Polish National Commission for UNESCO. He holds a Master's degree in International Public Policy from the Balsillie School of International Affairs and a PhD in Social Philosophy and Philosophy of History from Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Ukraine. Additionally, his undergraduate course work, along with a Master's degree in Middle Eastern Studies from the same university, enriches his policy analysis from a global perspective. Roman's scholarly output, presented in both English and Ukrainian, addresses diverse topics including conflict analysis, information security, and postcolonial studies. 

Saad Hammadi focuses on policies related to space governance in line with international law and considerations for human rights, military and public interest. His research areas at Ploughshares include the geopolitics of access to satellite data, use of space for military purposes and peaceful use of outer space. He has previously led campaigns and advocacy as South Asia Campaigner at Amnesty International. Saad holds an MA in Global Governance from the Balsillie School of International Affairs. His Master’s Research Paper focused on why justice and accountability are critical for the protection of the rights of refugees, arguing that the onus of refugee protection cannot be left to the global South amidst fragmented international response and double standards of the affluent states.