Thriving Together: Stories from CCEJ CCEJ

CCEJ staff Ali Haezart-House interviews former Restorative Youth Diversion participant, Noelia Sanchez. In this episode, their conversation explores how CCEJ’s restorative justice diversion program helps youth face the impact they’ve had on others, start taking accountability, and build systems of support so they can thrive. Noelia shares her experience and the impact of Healing Harms and her life trajectory before and after restorative youth diversion.To learn more about CCEJ’s restorative youth diversion work, visit our website at www.cacej.org/healing-harms.As always, follow us on social media to stay up to date on CCEJ trainings and events!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CACEJInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccejlove/ 

CCEJ staff Vanessa Rodriguez interviews our Executive Director, Reena Hajat Carroll and Executive Director of Groundswell, Alison Edwards. In this episode, Reena and Alison discuss the landscape of Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) in the workplace. They touch on workplace culture, navigating conflict through restorative justice circles, and the importance of community building.To learn more about CCEJ’s mission to educate and empower youth and adults to lead change for equity and justice in our communities, visit our website at www.cacej.org.To learn more about Groundswell, formerly OC Human Relations, visit their website at www.wearegroundswell.org/ As always, follow us on social media to stay up to date on CCEJ trainings and events!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CACEJInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccejlove/ 

CCEJ staff Vanessa Rodriguez talks with Sarah Howlett and Narges Zagub, members of our Institutional Transformation Team. In this episode, we learn the basics of Restorative Justice and how listeners can make changes in their own lives to help build a world where people live free of oppression and thrive. To learn more about CCEJ’s adult training for Equity and Transformation and Restorative Justice services visit www.cacej.org/transformation. Be sure to follow us on social media to get notified about any upcoming trainings (links below)! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CACEJ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccejlove/Sign up for an adult open training at CCEJ’s office: https://www.cacej.org/trainings 

CCEJ staff Vanessa Rodriguez talks with Lexie Nguyen, Building Bridges Camp Alumni and volunteer facilitator. We learn how Lexie originally heard about CCEJ’s Camp as a high schooler, what it felt like to attend, and how her experience continues to impact her life and her work for social change. “CCEJ profoundly impacted my life today,” Lexie shares.To learn more about CCEJ’s camp, visit www.cacej.org.  If you’re an alumni, join our alumni network at www.cacej.org/alumni 

Whatchu Know About RJ | What is the first thing you do in the morning when you get out of bed? Whose land do you wake up on? What is the history of how the land came to be there for you?As part of our series: Expanding the Breath, expanding Restorative Justice into family, society and workplaces we have a conversation with the Editor and Contributor of Colorizing Restorative Justice: Voicing Our Realties, Dr. Edward C Valandra/ Waŋbli Wapȟáha Hokšíla, about Settler Colonialism- the theft and illegal occupation of Indigenous land and the elimination of Indigenous peoples. Edward shares critical insights about who is a settler, how the near genocide of Indigenous peoples is the United State’s ‘first harm’, and the violent impacts Indigenous peoples continue to experience today.Throughout the conversation, we examine the limitations and strengths of Restorative Justice to effectively engage with Settler Colonialism, and grapple with Edward’s call to all Restorative Justice practitioners to address this ‘first harm’ in order to make the transformative potential of the Restorative Justice movement a reality.We also explore with Edward how non- Indigenous people can come into consciousness of this legacy of this ‘first harm’ by first ‘unsettling’ themselves with strategies and methods such as challenging their own ‘settler fragility’, thoughtfully practicing land acknowledgments and continuing to develop their ability to act against Settler Colonialism.Resources to Learn More:Link to: Anna Soole: “A Resource for Indigenous Solidarity” https://www.annasoole.com/single-post/2018/04/03/decolonization-a-resource-for-indigenous-solidarityLink to Colorizing Restorative Justice book: http://www.livingjusticepress.org/

Whatchu Know About RJ | “Restorative Justice work extends beyond the school.” In our training, CCEJ complicates individual views of trauma by acknowledging the historical roots of trauma in white supremacy, colonization, capitalism, cisheteropatriarchy. Having this deeper view of trauma is especially important for bringing Restorative Justice practices “home” to families of all kinds, a challenging process we get insights on from CCEJ’s Training Specialist, Mayra Serna.We begin this special two-part conversation by examining the power of storytelling within families to name, understand, and begin to heal trauma. Taking three generations of our own families as examples, we explore how systems of power have impacted their values and choices around disciplinary and resilience practices. We do discuss discipline methods within our families, please be advised regarding your own experiences and activations regarding such experiences. We close this first part by inviting listeners to explore their own family narratives through a series of questions to use in their own families.In part two of this series, we examine discipline and school by discussing various trauma and stress responses from school discipline practices, as well as historic uses of such practices. We also examine what questions Restorative Justice asks in connection to discipline. Mayra shares promising practices that incorporate parents and caregivers as leaders and contributors to school culture. Mayra discusses what a powerful support Restorative Justice can be for parent and caregiver communities, and how parents and caregivers are important to the successful implementation of Restorative Justice in schools.