Date of Dialogue: Jan. 2013

Description: We spoke with Dr. Galtung about many of the deep rooted processes from a global perspective that inform in one way or another the “lens” and approach of restorative justice that is growing in the U.S. and beyond. We looked at Huna traditions and other powerful examples that point to the core need of going to the root of what is causing imbalance and/or harm, and the universal human need to be heard and understood that underlies at the very foundation the process of restoration, balance, and even healing.

Brief Bio: Johan Galtung is a Norwegian sociologist, mathematician and the principal founder of the discipline of peace and conflict studies.[1] He founded the Peace Research Institute Oslo in 1959, serving as its director until 1970, and established the Journal of Peace Research in 1964. In 1969 he was appointed to the world's first chair in peace and conflict studies, at the University of Oslo. He resigned his professorship in 1977 and has since held professorships at several other universities; in 1993 he had been selected as a Distinguished Professor of Peace Studies at the University of Hawaii where he taught until 2000. He was awarded the Right Livelihood Award in 1987.

Johan Galtung Website: https://www.transcend.org

Video: A Day with Amy Goodman and Johan Galtung: http://www.envisionpeacemuseum.org/a-day-with-amy-goodman-and-johan-galtung/

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Date of Dialogue: October 2013

Description: Fania Davis and Destiny Shabazz (a youth participant at RJOY-Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth) share powerful examples of how their program is making significant progress in the Bay Area and modeling a restorative justice program for schools and beyond. Destiny’s insights as to how it works for the youth she is working with, and how it supports and helps transform even the most challenging issues is inspiring, informative, and truly insightful. Hearing from youth voices such as Destiny’s is a great way to find out more about implementation and process, typical challenges and some victories.

Brief Bios: Fania Davis Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Fania E. Davis came of age in the 1950s, during the social ferment of the civil rights era. Two close childhood friends were murdered in the 1963 Sunday School bombing by the Ku Klux Klan. This crystallized within her a passionate commitment to social transformation, and, for the next decades, she was active in the civil rights, Black power, Black students', women's, prisoners', anti-apartheid, and socialist movements. Currently, she is an activist in the international restorative justice movement. She is currently Executive Director of Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth.

Destiny Shabazz is a high school freshman in Oakland CA and is an inspiring youth voice for Restorative justice. Her keynote at last year’s National Conference was received with a standing ovation. She is a participant and facilitator in restorative processes with RJOY.

RJOY Website: www.rjoyoakland.orgRJOY Videos (RJ In a Nutshell; RJ in Oakland Schools; more) http://rjoyoakland.org/videos/

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Date of Dialogue: 12-5-13

Description: This powerful dialogue looks at the ground level and national issues we face, as well as the incredible possibilities and actual work happening to transform our criminal justice system. Bryan speaks eloquently to the heart of things, shows us solid evidence, and takes us on a deep dive into the human spirit to boot.

Brief Bio: Bryan A. Stevenson is the founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, a private, non-profit organization headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama, and is a professor at New York University School of Law. He has gained national acclaim for his work challenging bias against the poor and people of color in the criminal justice system. Stevenson has assisted in securing relief for dozens of condemned prisoners, advocated for poor people and developed community-based reform litigation aimed at improving the administration of criminal justice.

Bryan’s full bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Stevenson
More about Equal Justice Initiative: www.eji.org

Bryan’s Viral TED Talk: http://www.ted.com/talks/bryan_stevenson_we_need_to_talk_about_an_injustice

Bryan on Moyers & Company: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmcAcy4XHKw

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Date of Dialogue: 9-5-12

Description: We covered a great deal of ground during this conversation with Michelle sharing background from her internationally acclaimed bestseller The New Jim Crow, personal insights and motivators for her in her work, and her belief that restorative justice provides a powerful solution to many of the problems we currently face. This dialogue is packed with stats, facts, and inspiring all the way through.

Brief Bio: Michelle Alexander is an internationally-renowned author and lawyer. Her most recent book, The New Jim Crow, has gained global acclaim for its pinpointing of the very real yet hushed critical issue of racial profiling and mass incarceration. She has been featured in major media worldwide, including Moyers & Company, NPR’s Fresh Air, CNN, and many others.

Quotes/Highlights from Transcript:

“It wasn’t long into that work (with the ACLU Racial Justice Project) that I realized that even I, someone who cared a lot about racial injustice and thought that I knew a lot about our criminal justice system, that I was deeply misguided and in a lot of denial about the way in which our criminal justice system wasn’t just in need of reform but had become the primary vehicle for creating and sustaining racial inequality in our time.” (10:08)

“I think that what I’ve come to see and understand better in recent years is that the American dream is just not real for millions of Americans and its not a matter of not trying.” (15:45)

“It (restorative justice) is definitely not a pipedream. I’m so encouraged by the movement that is growing around restorative and transformative justice. I think that one of the reasons why it’s such a crucial part of the work to end mass incarceration and to break this cycle of caste like systems in America is because it helps provide an answer to, well, if we don’t have prisons, if prisons aren’t the answer then what, what are we going to do about the harms and people affected. I think there is kind of real harm that has to be acknowledged and addressed. People do violate each other’s rights, commit real crimes against each other that cause pain and suffering in our communities.” (55:29)

Open-Source Copy of Transcript:

Michelle’s full bio: http://newjimcrow.com/about-the-author

More about The New Jim Crow: newjimcrow.com

Michelle’s joint interview on Moyers & Company with Bryan Stephenson (jus
t below) of the Equal Justice Institute):
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04022010/watch.html

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