As many restorative justice practitioners know who actively facilitate any form of circle or conference, or convening with a purpose, there often comes a moment when the sharp tenseness transmutes to....something unexpected, something that allows for a new understand, a new lens on oneself and the "other", a bridge of sorts where none previously existed...you know it, we know it, you've witnessed and so have we....but what is that? How does it happen? What are the conditions for transforming in the face of pain and suffering, with those who harmed us or those we've harmed?  And what are the basic needs we as humans have, across the world, that we can lift up especially during violent and unthinkable collapsing times?

About Shilpa

Shilpa's Substack (full of incredible posts on timely topics)

Shilpa Jain is currently rooting herself in Oakland/Berkeley, CA. For the last 11+ years, she served as the Executive Director of YES!. YES! works with social changemakers at the meeting point of internal, interpersonal and systemic change, and aims to co-create a thriving, just and balanced world for all. Prior to this role, Shilpa spent two years as the Education and Outreach Coordinator of Other Worlds and ten years as a learning activist with Shikshantar: The Peoples’ Institute for Rethinking Education and Development, based in Udaipur, India, where she served as coordinator of the Swapathgami (Walkouts-Walkons) Network.

Shilpa has researched and written numerous books and articles, and facilitated workshops and gatherings on topics including globalization, creative expressions, ecology, democratic living, innovative learning and unlearning. Her publications include A Poet's Challenge to Schooling, Reclaiming the Gift Culture, Other Worlds of Power, Paths of Unlearning, Unfolding Learning Societies volumes one, two and three, and several issues of Vimukt Shiksha (“Liberating Learning”) and the Swapathgami newsletter “Making Our Paths of Living and Learning”. She is also co-author of “Connect. Inspire. Collaborate”, a highly sought-after facilitation manual.

Shilpa has facilitated dozens of transformative leadership gatherings in India, Jordan, Senegal, Lebanon, Egypt, Thailand, Canada, Peru, and the US, working with hundreds of young leaders from over 50 countries. She was founding coordinator of the Global Youth Leadership Collaborative, a network of 15 Jam facilitators from 14 countries that has collectively produced dozens of international gatherings for young changemakers, and distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to small-scale grassroots social change innovations worldwide.

Shilpa made the decision to leave the trappings of academia, Washington, DC, and the path of “professionalism” to live and work in greater alignment with her soul's calling. Today, she sees her work as contributing to the deep healing of internal, interpersonal and systemic breakdown. Shilpa is committed to using very simple human technologies to uncover ways for people to free themselves from dominating, soul-crushing institutions and to live in greater alignment with their hearts and deepest values, their local communities, and with nature.

ABOUT RESTORATIVE JUSTICE ON THE RISE

The world's first restorative justice podcast and public lives platform, since 2011, reaching and connecting 6 continents and tens of thousands of listeners and practitioners per episode.

In this episode, we hear from the founder of The Circle Keepers, Martin Urbach, and three youth keepers, centering their voices and ideas about restorative practices, how to build unity across divides, and more.

RJOTR believes strongly in this program and was deeply honored to host this very special episode that you won't want to miss. Listen in now to hear how youth -- directly from their voices and lived experiences -- are advocating and practicing on-the-ground!

Who are The Circle Keepers?

The Circle Keepers started in 2017 as a volunteer-run after school program for high school students to learn restorative justice practices such as peer mediation protocols, conflict resolution circles and community building activities as well as to hone their leadership skills, engage in political education, civic participation and produce community service/social justice projects and thus, create change in their school and in their neighborhoods.?

Significant Achievements:

• 100% of student participants surveyed report that The Circle Keepers program made their school experience more meaningful

• Started youth-led restorative justice cohorts in 8 different public schools, across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Bronx.

• Helped reduce suspensions by 95% at one Manhattan borough school in District 2 in the span of 4 years (2019-2023)

• Testified for City Council to successfully restore over $32M of funding cuts towards restorative justice justice programming in NYC Public Schools from 2022-2024.

• Developed a comprehensive Restorative Justice Curriculum for grades 6-8 and grades 9-12, currently offered as semester long electives in a D2 and a D15 school.

• Trained over 1000 students as restorative justice peer mediators,

  Trained over 100 NYC Public School staff in school based restorative justice practices.

  Traveled to Austin, TX to present a sold-out workshop at the SXSWedu 2023 conference of over 100 guests.

• Traveled to Washington, DC to meet with Leader Charles Schumer to learn about federal policy and  explored the National Museum of African American History and Culture to develop a stronger sense of Black epistemologies and ontologies.

• Produced a “Green New Deal for Public Schools” roundtable with Congressman Jamaal Bowman at Sarah Lawrence College.

• Produced youth led conference for 250+ NYC youth, rooted on the theme of “peace and justice”, bringing together 50+ stakeholders, including youth development organizations, city agencies, elected officials and even private businesses donating food and supplies!?

HOSTED BY: Founder & Executive Producer Molly Rowan Leach (she/her), and Social Media and Marketing Manager Logan Ward (he/him), who is also an accomplished Award-Winning Documentary Filmmaker (Remarkable, 2024)

ABOUT MOLLY: https://restorativejusticeontherise.org/about-us/host-executive-producer/

Molly’s writing: https://medium.com/@mollyleach

 

ABOUT LOGAN: https://www.loganward.net/about

Logan’s portfolio: https://www.loganward.net/

ABOUT RESTORATIVE JUSTICE ON THE RISE

The world's first restorative justice podcast and public lives platform, since 2011, reaching and connecting 6 continents and tens of thousands of listeners and practitioners per episode.

 

This webinar was recorded on May 9th, 2025.

In this episode, social anthropologist and experienced mediator Deborah Heifetz will explore her groundbreaking Map to Compassion — a non-hierarchical framework recently published in MIT’s Journal of Awareness-Based Systems Change. She will guide us in understanding how we can sustain curiosity in environments dominated by fear and distrust. Drawing on over 30 years of global peacebuilding experience and somatic education, Heifetz illuminates how our developmental needs, culture, and tribal affiliations shape our emotional responses. Her emphasis on fairness over punitive justice aligns with Restorative Justice principles, inviting inquiry through the question: “What can be done to feel fairly treated?” This focus on fairness elicits deeper, more feelingful inquiries and reveals choices that support repair with the intent on rebuilding relationships and communities. Over many years, Heifetz has worked at the nexus of inner and outer peace. In this webinar, she will offer compassionate approaches to conflict resolution, providing practical tools for balancing emotionally charged needs during challenging times.

 

ABOUT DEBORAH:

Deborah Heifetz (she/her) is a social anthropologist, mediator, and professional facilitator with over 30 years of experience in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and somatic education. She developed the systems-based model – the Human Needs Map, a circular matrix representing the interconnections between human needs at different levels of scale and reflecting the synergies and tensions between needs. Her model has been considered a breakthrough framework by founders of Human Needs Theory for its non-hierarchical approach to human needs and for the way human needs and emotions are tied to human development. A co-founder of BraveHearts International, she has worked globally in mediation, sustainability, and leadership training, integrating movement-based and somatic practices like Laban Movement Analysis and Somatic Experiencing with her knowledge and sensitivity for culture and community building. A Chevening Scholar, she recently published The Map to Compassion in MIT’s Journal for Awareness-Based Systems Change.  Heifetz works at the nexus of inner and outer peace.

Website: https://heifetzmatrix.com/

HOSTED BY: Founder & Executive Producer Molly Rowan Leach (she/her), and Social Media and Marketing Manager Logan Ward (he/him).

 

ABOUT MOLLY: https://restorativejusticeontherise.org/about-us/host-executive-producer/

Molly’s writing: https://medium.com/@mollyleach

 

ABOUT LOGAN: https://www.loganward.net/about

Logan’s portfolio: https://www.loganward.net/

ABOUT RESTORATIVE JUSTICE ON THE RISE

The world's first restorative justice podcast and public lives platform, since 2011, reaching and connecting 6 continents and tens of thousands of listeners and practitioners per episode.