A bowl repaired via the Japanese art of kintsugi rests on a marble background.

Restorative practice

What is restorative practice? Derived from Indigenous/tribal practices on the continent of Turtle Island (North America) restorative practices offer an alternative to the traditional systems of policing, punishment, and retribution. The goal is to repair harm and navigate conflict rather than isolate and punish. Each party, both those harmed and those who have caused harm, come together to collaboratively determine a pathway to meaningful repair and healing.

Since 2011, Jules has been helping individuals and institutions navigate conflict and repair relationships. Serving as an advisor and facilitator, and having been a participant of restorative processes, each case is taken on with the utmost care and human-centered practices.

FOR MORE ON JULES’S EXPERIENCE, PLEASE SEE THEIR ONE PAGE INFO SHEET.

tools

  • Listening Circles: Seated in a circle, each party listens attentively to gain understanding rather than responding directly to the previous speaker.

  • Facilitated Dialogue: Harmed parties and those who have caused harm engage in dialogue with the support of advisors and facilitators.

  • Shuttle Process: If parties are not able to come together live in real time, a facilitator will “shuttle” information back and forth between harmed parties and those who have caused harm.

  • Other Creative Interventions: Sometimes writing or receiving a letter of apology, collaborating on a plan for ongoing education and accountability, or crafting a victim impact statement is part of the process.

Two Black individuals embrace in front of a stone wall.

basic philosophies and assumptions

In the Western world, we live within systems of hierarchy and oppression where harm is normalized and endemic. Patriarchy, racism, rape culture, ableism, capitalism, and many other forms of power-over perpetuate harm and encourage each of us to comply with pre-determined norms that may in fact conflict with our internal set of values. Therefore, it is a safe assumption that each person has both caused harm and been harmed at various points throughout their life, and while we are responsible for our choices, we are also influenced by our culture of origin. Restorative practice takes into account the influences that contribute to the sum total of our beliefs and experiences, seeking to repair harm not just between individuals, but within whole families, communities, and sometimes even nations.

For more information, see the work of practitioners such as adrienne maree brown, Mariame Kaba, and the Barnard Center for Research on Women’s Building Accountable Communities video series.