The Future is Restorative: NACRJ Conference Reflection

As we say goodbye to the summer and welcome the fall season, we’re reflecting on one of the highlights of this past summer: the NACRJ - National Association of Community & Restorative Justice Conference in New Orleans.

This year’s conference theme, the Future is Restorative, reminds us of what is possible when we center survivors, dignity, healing, and accountability in our approaches to harm—and what is at stake when we don’t.

Restorative justice is not about returning to the past or restoring things to the way they were. We restore humanity, we restore agency, we restore the ability to exist in the world by meeting and addressing people’s justice needs. This is the future we are working to create at the Hub and through our many community partners everyday.

In New Orleans, our executive director lead an ancestral honoring circle on the Cultural Ceremony Floor, creating space for us to honor our ancestors and transform ancestral wounds. Reflection, un-learning, collective healing, and trauma stewardship are all part of what it takes to build a new, restorative future.

This fall, we hope you’ll join the Hub in our upcoming book club, community circles, survivor support circles, art workshops, RJ summit, and other community engagement opportunities to help co-create a restorative future for all. Join our mailing list (http://eepurl.com/idG-rL) and follow our page to stay up-to-date on all the ways you can participate in the Hub’s growing community.