Purpose: A Circle Format Retreat combined with micro-presentations to empower and recharge focus, feel seen, heard, and connected to a global community of diverse practitioners and professionals–and held and supported by two diverse and deeply seasoned yoginis and restorative practitioners, versed in facilitation and in deep spiritual practice.
In this summer series we celebrate what brings us together, what values we share globally as living, breathing, diverse beings in a cosmos of possibility. We celebrate the life of our dear friend and colleague, Eric, who passed last August by offering the first online series since his sudden passing, foundationed in his vision that we must urgently focus as much as we can on what we share in common, in order to be effective in healing and transforming lives.
We are living through an era that demands both action and deep remembering. In a time when division and urgency dominate the airwaves, we invite you into a space that restores what matters most: our shared humanity.
This experiential course series blends wisdom traditions, dialogue practices, and inner work to help us re-center in truth, dignity, and connection. Whether you're a teacher, leader, artist, or seeker—this is for those ready to hold the center, together.
Duration: June 26 - August 7 (Weekly Thursday Sessions plus independent practice group options)
Session Times: 8am-11am Pacific US/CAN (4pm-7pm Paris/Prague/Budapest)
Assets: Recordings, Resources, Access to Networking & Community Discussion Board
Teachers/Guides: Neelima Upamaka, Molly Rowan Leach, with Logan Ward. Also drawing on teachings and conversations with global guides pictured above (PLEASE NOTE: these guides will not be with us live, but we will honor their offerings and cite them appropriately and vigorously to our podcasts, former webinars, and their books where applicable)
Registration Reciprocity: To support accessibility, sliding scale as follows:
Deliverables:
Contact Us
Email: rjonrise@gmail.com
Text or WhatsApp to 1.719.221.5663
Endorsements of Restorative Justice on The Rise
Bios (Also Below)
Intention: It is an honor and responsibility to host educational space of any kind, and we offer this and all our spaces with a foundation of humility and do no harm. We are curious to learn alongside with you while also providing you strong insights and tools suggestions for your consideration, based on our decades of combined, hands-on, work within the field of restorative justice and related fields that interconnect towards individual and communal transformation. Please consider yourself an equally valued voice in this community. At the first session we will determine our class guidelines and values together, and will offer time for each to voice in.
Ms. Molly Leach is the founder of Restorative Justice on The Rise (2011-Present), the world's first known podcast and major media advocacy forum on "the outside" focused on restorative justice--stated this way because our colleague and friends at Restorative Media were podcasting from inside San Quentin starting in 2010!
Molly is a survivor of parental incarceration, a long-time facilitator of both conflict and non-conflict processes, including a 1.5 year directorship of a program working with courts, communities and schools; she has co-facilitated along Kay Pranis, one of her deeply respected mentors, during the global COVID crisis towards offering spaces of belonging during volatile chaos. She has collaborated with very local community efforts to stand for restorative within punitive systems in response to violence; she is a Salzburg Global Media Fellow supporting the latter's powerful role in systemic transformation, and, has first-hand lived experiences in criminal and family law proceedings that provide a powerful and well-rounded insight into how restorative justice process is truly the optimal pathway for any type of harm--and--maybe more importantly--for us to re-center our common humanity and celebrate it together.
In addition to her professional work, Molly was initiated into Kriya Yoga I & II in 2008 and 2009, respectively, has been an understudy apprentice in the arts and practices of the Northwest US Indigenous in Circle, Sweat Lodge, and Earth-Based Interrelationship. She has helped support Cross Cultural Dialogues as a contractor/organizer for Kessler-Keener Foundation, focused on repairing and rebuilding relationship that re-centers respect and voice to those whose lands are still stolen. She has facilitated or co-hosted countless online panels, interviews, and edge dialogues to bring back voice and storytelling to the digital world. Her work has been featured in major publications such as Oxford's Peace and Conflict Studies, and the upcoming Bloomsbury Dictionary of Restorative Practices. Find Ms. Leach on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/molly-r-leach-7108731b/
Neeli Upamaka helped to establish Talking Peace, founded by the late and dear colleague Eric Butler whose sudden death is still a shock to us all. Neeli has facilitated all types of harm and community building processes and has worked on the ground in schools and nonprofit organizations for over a decade. She was one of the first staff members of RJOY Oakland, which at the time was one of the first to break ground in offering onsite coordination efforts for US Schools. Neeli has worked with RJOTR and Ms. Leach for 6 years, and they offer private RJ process facilitation, trainings, and have continued to keep the vision alive that was originated by Mr. Butler: to never forget that you can change the world with one conversation--one at a time. Neeli has endured personal tragedies and harms that have ultimately strengthened her ability to hold courageous space for others to transform their own suffering and pain.
Talking Peace Website: www.talking-peace.org
Logan Ward is an award-winning documentarian, whose short film, REMARKABLE, has already gained international accolades and nominations, even as it just launched in Winter 24-25. Mr. Ward is a recent graduate of Emerson College and is a Media Fellow of the Salzburg Global Seminar. His natural affinity for creating spaces that honor uniqueness, voice, and choice combined with his many talents within media, filmmaking, and design make him a natural fit to become a powerful RJ practitioner and media advocate all in one. Watch REMARKABLE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PpjhMnVsFk
Media That Matters:
Public Dialogue On Justice
Restorative Justice on the Rise is an international live dialogue via Webcast and Telecouncil platform that reaches an international constituency of invididuals, organizations, professionals, academics, practitioners, and more. The mission is to provide connection, advocacy, education and inspired action as a public service to individuals and communities seeking to proactively improve relationships and structures within their spheres and our world.