THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN CANCELLED

This program will enable us to widen our comprehension of values that unite us such: as forgiveness, truth, reconciliation, social and ecological justice as we engage in participative processes of Restorative Justice.  Joanne will demonstrate how narratives and story-telling in these processes can lead to a deeper understanding of truth, individual and collective responsibilities and repair of harm. We will discuss the contributions and challenges of Restorative Justice in dealing with structural injustices and show how these processes of transformative dialogue can lead to solidarity and mutual recognition of our common humanity.  There are no ready-made answers in restorative processes.  Every accord is different, depending on the participants; thus, there is room for the Spirit’s work!

Goals include: 

• Provide an overview of the history, principles and practices of Restorative Justice.
• Connect these practices to Gospel values, Indigenous cultures and evolutionary consciousness.
• Reflect on the meaning and practices of Restorative Justice in light of case-studies of family, interpersonal and organizational conflicts and the criminal justice system.
• Differentiate between the punishment, retributive model and the restorative justice paradigm.
• Through case-studies, show how conflict can become an opportunity for transformative dialogue that can lead to solidarity.
• Engage in peace-building circle processes.
• Provide tools to facilitate various types of circle processes that promote healing, repair harm to human dignity and strengthen relationships, including celebrations and rituals. 
• Train in diverse circle processes to practice strategies to positively impact situations. 
• Prepare interventions in life situations of participants in order to work to transform cases of conflict and difficult dialogue within families, communities and/or organizations. 
• Discuss the contributions and challenges of Restorative Justice Practices in working to change structural injustices of inequality, identity, race and gender.

Resource Person: Joanne Blaney, MKLM, is a Maryknoll Lay Missioner, teacher and restorative justice trainer and facilitator.  She has over 20 years of experience in working with conflict, violence, forgiveness and reconciliation. Presently Joanne’s ministry as a Lay Missioner is in Brazil.  Through her ministry with the Popular Education and Human Rights Center in São Paulo, Brazil, Joanne trains community leaders in violence prevention and restorative justice practices. She also works with people in prison and has given presentations at restorative justice conferences throughout the world.  Joanne first joined Maryknoll Lay Missioners in 1991 and serves as its Mission Services Director. She co-authored a book (in Portuguese) on Forgiveness, Reconciliation and Restorative Justice.

Bibliography:

Conway, Truly D., Matzo McCarthy, David, Schieber, Vicki.  Redemption and Restoration: A Catholic Perspective on Restorative Justice.  Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 2017.

Hadley, Michael. The Spiritual Roots of Restorative Justice.  State University of New York Press, 2001.

Lederach, John Paul.  Little Book of Conflict Transformation.  Good Books, NY, 2013.

Llewellyn, Jennifer J.  and Philpot, Daniel. Restorative Justice, Reconciliation and Peace-Building. Oxford University Press: New York, 2014.  (Chapter 2 –Restorative Justice and Reconciliation and Chapter 5 – Accountability).

Pranis, Kay.  Little Book of Circle Processes.  Good Books, 2005.

Pranis, Kay, Stuart, Barry, Wedge, Mark. Peace-Making Circles:  From Conflict to Community. Living Justice Press, 2003.

Zehr, Howard. Changing Lenses: Restorative Justice for Our Times.  Herald Press, 2015.