Restorative Justice in the Local Community: What is the Impact?

Source: (2002) Paper presented at “Dreaming of a New Reality,” the Third International Conference on Conferencing,
Circles and other Restorative Practices, August 8-10, 2002, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

This workshop examines how local communities in Eastern Ontario, Canada, have been impacted by the conferencing movement and the kinds of responses experienced. Included will be a discussion of the further development of hosting, local faith communities providing hosts and safe places of sanctuary for conferences. A report will be given on the efforts of initiating conferencing in various locales across the region. You will hear about one of the exciting developments over the past year, the formation of a Network for Restorative Practices in Eastern Ontario. This is a coalition of conference and forum facilitators, police, victim advocates and other stakeholders dedicated to furtherance of restorative practices. This workshop is meant to be a primer for discussion about successes, resistances and insights experienced at a local level in the restorative justice and conferencing movement. It is an opportunity to learn from one another as we work at this way of building and healing local community.