April 7, 2011

Restoring the Restorative Justice Conversation


Re-Enlivening & Restoring
the 
Restorative Justice Conversation!

Today we are pleased to announce a collaborative partnership with VOMA: the Victim Offender Mediation Association, to reinvigorate the rich conversations within the restorative justice community.

NAFCM and VOMA are now co-hosting the new Restorative Practices Discussion Group.  This new group is designed to connect like-minded practitioners, share resources, aggregate collected wisdom, and advance the restorative justice conversation.  We encourage those working in restorative-focused programs to explore this interactive discussion group (listserve) and lend their voices to the collegial and collaborative conversations it will now house.

VOMA's extensive history supporting restorative practitioners and programs both in the U.S. and abroad has uniquely qualified them to co-host this substantive, wide-ranging discussion group. By specializing in victim-offender mediations, conferencing, circles, and related restorative justice processes, VOMA's institutional and field knowledge will serve to elevate the Restorative Practices Discussion Group into a leading forum for professionals the world round.

Further strengthening the foundations of this new group has been the energetic participation of VOMA's Board and administrative representatives: Barbara Raye, Duane Ruth-Heffelbower, and Sheryl Wilson, each of whom supremely represent the ideals and professional dedication of VOMA and the broader restorative justice field.  Sheryl has graciously agreed to share of her wisdom and time by serving as VOMA's official representative, inspiring and moderating, along with NAFCM, the exciting conversation housed in this new discussion group.

We are excited to be working so closely with VOMA on this new resource.  NAFCM and VOMA's respective programs work side-by-side, our members are often one-and-the-same, our philosophical and practical objectives are closely aligned, and our passions to help those in conflict are beautifully in sync.  Beginning today, through the Restorative Practices Discussion Groupwe now also share a common platform to convene and support restorative programs and practitioners. 

We invite you to learn more about this new group, as well as NAFCM's many other topical and geographic-focused listserves.  Take a moment to learn how to join the community's newest conversation and begin reconnecting and restoring our important voice!

In community,
Executive Director, NAFCM

2 comments:

  1. I am thrilled about this new collaboration and joined the discussion group right away! Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wonderful, Karmit! We've already had several restorative champions and luminaries, including yourself, join the discussion. We're honored to serve as the co-host and platform for this important group.

    ReplyDelete