An exclusive interview between The Shift Network's Director of Peace Philip Hellmich and Molly Rowan Leach

Join us for this archive we celebrated the final session of a hugely successful Summer of Peace 2013 partnership with Restorative Justice on The Rise, where The Shift Network's own Philip Hellmich, interviews me about the impetus for the birth of this free global telecast series, now in its 3rd season and featuring an incredible archive of over 1110 special guests working directly in the field and beyond. We will cover the personal and the collective, as I share my own insights into how our conflicts and wounds can be our greatest gifts and opportunities.

This series is for you, for us, and I am honored to be a part of this key moment of systemic transformation with you.

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Jason Tashea first came across youth courts in 1997 as a bailiff for the Anchorage Youth Court program, where he then served as a member, defender, prosecutor, and presiding judge until 2003.

He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Oregon in 2012.

He interned at the American Bar Association's (ABA) Rule of Law Initiative in Yerevan, Armenia, and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime in Vienna, Austria, where he actively promoted juvenile justice reform at both organizations.

His youth court proposal was enthusiastically supported by ABA, translated into Armenian and given to the Armenia Ministry of Justice for adoption.

This experience led him to co-found Youth Courts International to promote and implement youth courts at the international level, beyond the US. Jason just returned from 10 months in Kosovo as a Fulbright Fellow studying diversion and promoting youth courts.

Jason is the juvenile justice policy director for Advocates for Children and Youth. More about YCI at www.youthcourtsinternational.org

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Leslie Neale and her films are recognized for their impact on social justice. Her award-winning film "Road to Return," narrated by Tim Robbins, was presented to the United States Congress, prompting a bill authorizing 6 million dollars for prison aftercare. "Juvies," narrated by Mark Wahlberg, toured the world as one of the top ten "Human Rights Watch" films of 2005. "Juvies" also screened at the United Nations, encouraging the first ever conference on juvenile justice, won many awards and aired on HBO. Her films encourage in-depth examination of these topics with an uncommon sensitivity.

We will be discussing the importance of media in social justice, the key messages of this powerful new film and much more tomorrow morning on this week's Summer of Peace Edition of Restorative Justice on The Rise.

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This week we are thrilled to be hosting Rachel Pearl and Youth Representatives from the Restorative principles-based GREEN Corps Fresh Start programs in conjunction with the Clackamas County Juvenile Justice Department and other key partners. They are leveraging programs that combine youth empowerment with job skills in Green jobs and food production to reduce juvenile incarceration and recidivism successfully. Their approach not only saves thousands of dollars in the diversion of youth from sentencing and incarceration, but also gives them an opportunity to exemplify accountability and repayment of their offenses by putting their hands in the soil, literally. It's exciting to see the inclusion and connection of Green programs with Restorative Justice and I'm really excited to hear all about how the program got started, how it works, and how others can replicate it. Many agree that youth should not have a track record that tracks them endlessly and stigmatizes their chances to gain employment and establish successful lives that illuminate their own unique gift to the world. This is one big way to make that difference without losing the important values of accountability, restitution, and community safety.

A little bit more about Rachel Pearl:
Rachel Pearl is the Community Connections Coordinator for the Clackamas County Juvenile Department. Her current role is to develop, implement and coordinate a Restorative Community Service program for youth offenders. In her current role, Rachel is also the co- founder and Program Coordinator for GREEN Corps Fresh Start, an urban horticulture and small business training program for youth in the Juvenile Justice system. GREEN Corps allows youth an opportunity to pay restitution to victims while also developing skills in the areas of farming, food and customer service, bicycle repair and forestry while assisting in the business aspects of the program. GREEN Corps is a social enterprise model within a restorative framework with youth working three Farmer's Markets a week in addition to other business ventures. Rachel formerly developed Strength Based programming for youth transitioning back into the community in Portland, Oregon. Prior to this she coordinated a sexual assault and domestic violence prevention program for Incarcerated youth in California. She has over 15 years of experience working with youth offenders. Her experience includes program development and management, direct client services, group facilitation and case management.

For more information and a one-pager PDF description with images: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/clackamas/sites/default/files/green_corps_2012_volunteer_descriptions.pdf

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Mike Butler has thirty-one years of comprehensive policing experience ranging from beat officer to police chief with nationally recognized police departments.

Since 1993, Mike has been at the helm of the Longmont Police Department.

In 2008, Butler assumed responsibilities for the Longmont Fire Department as well.

During his tenure the Longmont Police Department was chosen as one of the Top 10 Community Policing Departments in the nation by the United States Department of Justice.

He has assisted in or taken a primary role in the development of a number of innovative management systems and programs.

Chief Butler is a big supporter of restorative justice and the work that the Longmont Community Justice Partnership (LCJP) is engaged in with Longmont schools and the larger community.

He believes this work has significantly reduced the number of repeat offenders and contributes to a sense of security in Longmont, CO.

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Hailed by dignitaries such as the Dalai Lama and Tariq Khamisa, Azim's murdered son and for whom the TKF Foundation was formed in honor of.

Thich Nhat Hanh, Azim Khamisa delivers his inspirational message to a world in desperate need of forgiveness, peace and hope.

Following the murder of his only son Tariq in 1995 through a senseless, gang-related incident, Azim chose the path of forgiveness and compassion rather than revenge, and this amazing choice led to the establishment of the Tariq Khamisa Foundation (TKF) and his subsequent forgiveness work which has reached millions through international speaking, (in 1996 - a crowd of 300,000), public and corporate workshops, video and audio recordings and four published books, including the award winning From Murder to Forgiveness and the Random House book The Secrets of the Bulletproof Spirit coauthored with Jillian Quinn.

Azim is going to share with us the historical perspective of Restorative Justice and offer a clear understanding of what it is. Given there are many views and opinions of what this hugely growing field entails, and how it works, we are delighted to speak with not only someone who has lived the processes first hand but who can truly help clarify the things that commonly cause people to question the efficacy of Restorative Justice, and to show how common concerns of accountability, safety, and respect for victims still plays a huge role in guiding the processes.

Related Links:

Ending the Cycle of Violence

The ACCLAIMED 6 part video series and curriculum ENDING THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE: From Murder to Forgiveness introduces Azim and Ples's teachings on Restorative Justice and Forgiveness to youth ages 11-15. To learn how to bring these much needed violence prevention resources to your schools and communities, go to: http://chariotvideos.com/educationalfilms/ending-the-cycle-of-violence/

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Matthew is the Restorative Justice Coordinator at the Clackamas County Juvenile Department and Chair for the NW Justice Forum Planning Committee

Matthew Hartman (MA) has extensive experience in organizational development, particularly related to the work of aligning a groups practices with their stated values and purpose. Working across the US and internationally, Matthew has offered facilitation, consultation and training in restorative justice, conflict transformation, and mediation to non-profit, public and corporate sectors.

Currently, Matthew is the Restorative Justice Coordinator of the Clackamas County Juvenile Department where he is providing in-house consultancy toward aligning the department's practices with restorative justice values and principles. Related projects include strategic planning, website enhancement, the development of the Victim Impact Program, and coordination of a Victim-Offender Dialogue Program. In addition, Matthew is also expanding and strengthening the capacity of Clackamas County communities to engage as a meaningful participants in responding to juvenile crime. Matthew is the Chair of the NW Justice Forum Planning Committee and a Steering Committee member for the Restorative Justice Coalition of Oregon.

Matthew has an undergraduate degree in Sociology and a Masters degree in Conflict Transformation. Additional areas of expertise include trauma healing; qualitative evaluation; conflict analysis and theory; and strategic peacebuilding. Matthew's natural style and ability to put individuals and groups at ease assists all parties in achieving their goals through listening, transformative dialogue and creative problem solving.

Website link for more information about CCJD and its programs or visit: http://www.clackamas.us/juvenile. Also visit the NW Justice Forum Website at www.nwjusticeforum.com

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Sebastian Junger is internationally known for his book The Perfect Storm as well as War, his account of the year he spent with Tim Hetherington at Outpost Restrepo in Afghanistan, for which Hetherington and he also co-directed Restrepo, a powerful documentary that received wide acclaim and an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary. Tim Hetherington was tragically killed in Misrata, Libya while covering the uprisings of the Arab Spring and the rebellion against Khadafy and his troops.

We are honored to host Sebastian Junger for this special edition of Restorative Justice on The Rise, to discuss the film and the significance of Tim Hetherington's work and life, and role as a humanitarian and image-maker who brought great light and truths to our common humanity through his work and selfless service.

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Fred Van Liew, a lawyer, mediator, consultant, trainer, lobbyist, community organizer, and novice blogger, is the Director for the Center for Restorative Justice Practices in Des Moines, Iowa.

For most of his twenty-eight years as a practicing attorney he worked as a prosecutor "inside the system."

He learned much during those years but looking back says what he took away from the experience is that we can do much better when it comes to how we respond to crime and those who commit them.

Fred retired as a prosecutor in 2010 and worked for awhile applying Restorative Justice principles to workplace conflicts. He takes part-time classes in Conflict Transformation at Eastern Mennonite University and says he is fortunate to have Howard Zehr as his mentor.

He is in the early stages of writing a book exploring the experiences ordinary people have had with the justice system, traveling every month to a different part of the country to discover what justice looks like for the average person and those who have been caught up in the system.

For More Information visit:- www.thejusticediary.com

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Dr. Mark Umbreit is a Professor and founding Director of the Center for Restorative Justice & Peacemaking at the University of Minnesota, School of Social Work.
He serves as a Visiting Professor at the Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee. Dr. Umbreit has also served as a Fellow of the International Centre for Healing and the Law, and a Fellow of the Center for Contemplative Practice in Society. He is an internationally recognized practitioner and scholar with more than 40 years of experience as a mediator, peacemaker, trainer, teacher, researcher, and author of eight books and more than 200 other publications in the fields of restorative justice, mediation, spirituality, forgiveness, and peacemaking. Dr. Umbreit has conducted training seminars and lectures throughout the world, in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Mideast, and North and South America. Mark has been a consultant and trainer for the U.S. Department of Justice for the past 30 years. Dr. Umbreit also serves on the faculty of the Center for Spirituality & Healing in the Academic Health Center at the University of Minnesota, teaching courses on Peacemaking & Spirituality, and Forgiveness & Healing.

As a practitioner, he facilitates peace-building circles in the community between members of diverse cultures and restorative dialogues between family survivors of homicide and the offender in their quest for healing and strength. Mark initiated the first Palestinian-Jewish dialogue group in the Minneapolis/St. Paul community, as well as a Muslim Restorative Justice Engagement Project in the Twin Cities and beyond. He is working with colleagues in Northern Ireland, Italy, Liberia, and Israel/Palestine on peace building initiatives. He has helped establish restorative justice programs in hundreds of communities, including in nearly every state of the U.S. and numerous other countries. Dr. Umbreit's multi-site and multi-national research has contributed significantly to restorative justice policy development in the U.S. and other countries, as well as providing resource materials and guidance to practitioners. Mark is currently working as a Senior International Consultant with the United Nations Development Program and the Ministry of Justice in Turkey to support their legislative efforts to implement victim offender mediation throughout the country.

When it was first introduced, the restorative justice movement was met with widespread resistance and skepticism. Now, more than twenty-five years later, the movement has flourished and continues to make great strides in reforming the traditional justice system. Today the restorative justice movement is endorsed by many former skeptics.

-Excerpt from the Introduction to The Handbook of Victim Offender Mediation by Dr. Mark Umbreit

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