Keynote Presentations
October 29, 2024 | Morning Session Keynote | Plenary room
The Slow Leadership Framework: Ushering a new approach to belonging
The Slow Leadership Framework offers an alternative to forceful, autocratic, anxiety-driven models of leadership by providing strategies for diffusing tensions and working across interpersonal divides and systemic barriers. Restorative justice trainer, educator, and practitioner Sheryl Wilson will discuss how this new framework humanizes leadership, has a social justice orientation, offers a process to decolonize systems, and ultimately places a high value on the concept of belonging.
Sheryl Wilson
Sheryl R. Wilson, MLS, is the Vice President of Culture and Belonging at Bethel College, KS,and has been a practitioner, trainer and educator in restorative justice for over 20 years, working with individuals, non-profits, academic institutions, and public agencies from around the world. Her work in restorative justice has included facilitating restorative justice dialogues in various venues (including virtual circle-keeping for national forums), working as a community mediator and serving as a researcher. Her experience also includes teaching restorative justice courses at the college level, community outreach, victim offender dialogue, and victim outreach in capital cases. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities) holding a restorative justice-based master of liberal studies degree, a Kansas state-approved mediator, past President of the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice (NACRJ) board of directors, and serves by appointment on the Kansas Supreme Court’s Advisory Council on Dispute Resolution. Sheryl is the former Executive Director of the Kansas Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (KIPCOR) at Bethel College. She is the author of a chapter in Colorizing Restorative Justice, a book about restorative justice practitioners of color and the challenges they face. She is also co-author of The Little Book of Restorative Justice and Community: Reclaiming Connection and Responsibility for our Neighbors, which focuses on the role of community in restorative practices, to be published in 2025.
October 29, 2024 | Afternoon Session Keynote | Plenary room
Honouring the Voices of Survivors of Sexualized Violence: A Panel Discussion with Two Survivors and Two RJ Practitioners/Trainers
There is a growing recognition that restorative justice (RJ) may have, under the right circumstances, much to offer as a justice response to sexualized violence. One part of what may make RJ valuable in this area is the knowledge, skill, and particular personal qualities that the practitioner must bring to their work with survivors. Crucially important, as well, is an understanding of what survivors need from a justice process. And that understanding starts with hearing directly from survivors about their victimization, their bravery, their resilience, and about how RJ needs to respond to their justice needs in knowledgeable, flexible, and compassionate ways.
This panel discussion will foreground the voices of two survivors of sexualized violence who participated in restorative justice processes as a way of assisting them in their recovery. Even though their stories are very different from each other, each will offer key insights into what made their RJ experiences valuable.
Alan Edwards & Alana Abramson
Alan Edwards and Alana Abramson have been working together and separately in restorative justice for over 25 years. Jointly, they served for two years as the RJ training development specialists for the Department of National Defence’s Restorative Engagement Program, a program that facilitates communication between survivors of sexualized violence and senior defence representatives, within the Canadian Armed Forces. In 2012-14, they were part of a training team that developed and delivered advanced RJ training to practitioners in British Columbia. Since 2018, they have developed and delivered the course “Are We Fulfilling the Promise of Restorative Justice for Victims: Moving towards Victim-Centred Practice”, offered to RJ programs in BC. In 2022, they delivered the well-received “RJ and Sexualized Violence Cases: Practitioner Skills” Pre-Conference training at ARJA’s annual conference and delivered a version of this course at the 2023 National Restorative Justice Symposium. As well, they delivered a pilot course, “Inviting Responsibility: RJ casework with those who have committed sexualized violence” at ARJA’s 2023 Pre-Conference.
Dr. Alana Abramson is involved in the field of restorative justice as researcher, educator, practitioner, and trainer. She has extensive experience implementing restorative justice in community, prison, and school contexts. Her research has discussed the role of police and community related to restorative justice and she has organized and participated in numerous conferences on issues related to restorative justice, trauma and mental health, victim/survivors of crime, and prison justice. Alana’s doctoral and current work explores restorative justice in post-secondary education, most recently advancing the philosophy and practice of restorative justice as an approach to academic integrity. In 2017, Alana was the recipient of the Restorative Justice Award from the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General. She also worked to develop the first victim-sensitive principles and standards for restorative justice providers in BC. Dr. Abramson is currently a full-time Criminology Instructor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Co-Chair of the Restorative Justice Association of BC, Coordinator and Facilitator for the Alternatives to Violence Project, Board Member for BC Bereavement Society and trainer for Achieve/Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute.
Alan Edwards has developed and delivered training in restorative justice throughout Canada. And, like Alana, he has spoken about restorative justice philosophy and practice to government leaders, correctional staff, victim serving agencies, gender-based violence workers, and university students. Since 2004, Alan has worked as a facilitator exclusively on cases of serious and violent crime, in the Restorative Opportunities Program of Correctional Service Canada. He has co-authored several papers on restorative justice and violence. He was a co-author of the 2018 ARJA publication “Serving Crime Victims Through Restorative Justice: A Resource Guide for Leaders and Practitioners”. In 2017-18, he was a member of the University of Alberta’s Working Group on Restorative Initiatives for Sexual Violence. Alan presented advanced, Pre-Conference training at both the 2018 and 2020 Canadian Domestic Violence Conference in Halifax; as well, Alan presented in 2020 to the roundtable forum “Restorative Justice and Gender-Based Violence: Revisiting the Conversation in British Columbia”. In 2016, Alan received the Ron Wiebe National Restorative Justice Award, in recognition of his contributions to the field of restorative justice.
Alana and Alan continue to develop and deliver RJ trainings that focus on trauma-informed practice, gender-based violence, working with violence, and victim-centred practice.
Sara Morales-Mendoza
Sara Morales-Mendoza has been a Christ follower throughout her life and was raised in a Christian environment. She is a dedicated professional committed to community service. With nine years of experience as a youth leader, Sara is passionate about being a positive role model, advocating for young people, particularly young girls who have gone through sexual violence. She has a deep commitment to addressing the needs of youth and creating safe, supportive environments for them. Sara takes pride in ensuring young girls have a trusted person to turn to.
Sara is a graduate of the Royal Roads University Bachelor of Arts program in Justice Studies and aims to attend the University of Calgary Faculty of Law. Her goal is to become a lawyer and pursue a career in Criminal Law. Sara is also a participant and an advocate for the Restorative Justice program in Alberta, where she continues to bring awareness to the program for both victims and individuals impacted by crime. Additionally, she seeks to shed light on the justice system and its impact on individuals affected by sexual violence. Sara looks forward to furthering her advocacy in Restorative Justice and youth support. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and exploring new brunch spots and coffee shops.
Stella Braun
Stella Braun is passionate about early childhood education, specifically outdoor education. She is the cochair of a non-profit nature playgroup, combining her own passion for the outdoors with her commitment to shaping young children’s futures in a positive way. In her free time, Stella enjoys reading, hiking, and camping, and works as a full-time nanny.
Stella is committed to dismantling rape culture and teaching children the importance of consent from a young age. She has spoken at multiple conferences, studies, and to a class regarding her experience as a participant in a restorative justice process. Stella is very grateful for the opportunity to be a panelist at the RJABC Provincial Symposium.
October 30, 2024 | Morning Session Keynote | Plenary room
Restorative Response to Racial Harm
Karen McKinnon
Karen McKinnon (she/her) resides as an uninvited guest on the on the Unceded territory of the K’ómoks First Nation and its four clans Sathloot, Sasitla, Eiksan, and Puntledge. She is the Managing Director of the volunteer-powered Comox Valley Community Justice Centre (CJC). She brings with her into this work, the experience of her Ashkenazi Jewish ancestors and the youth in her family, along with her own encounters with violent antisemitism. These stories are wrapped in awareness of how her whiteness and cisgender relationship afford her privilege and can shield her from systemic and overt harms that family, friends, and neighbors do not have. Since 2009, the CJC has responded to instances of discrimination and hate. When Karen joined the CJC in 2023, the community called on her to increase the anti-hate work. Through community consultation, the CJC affirmed its role and initiated a focused effort on evolving and expanding anti-hate education and response. This evolution has included establishing a heart-lead advisory group composed of racialized and systemically excluded identifying individuals, ensuring accountability, and centering those most impacted by hate. The CJC and the advisory group are tackling complex paradoxes and curiosities such as the role of allyship, determining who should lead response efforts in a predominantly white organization, and how best to support the volunteers involved, including when racial harm is unintentionally caused. Concurrently, the organization is committed to decolonizing its structure and embedding an anti-racism and anti-hate frameworks into its operations. Karen is deeply honored to collaborate with her community on this critical journey as they strive to create a more just and inclusive society through the power of Restorative Justice and community-led initiatives.
Catherine Anne Kelly
Catherine Ann Kelly (she/her) is the Lead Facilitator with Community Justice Connect, a restorative justice program with the Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Commission. Community Justice Connect provides a variety of conflict resolution and restorative justice (RJ) services to Indigenous, racialized and religious minority communities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
Catherine has been practicing and living RJ since the late 90s – in community, federal institutions, schools and most importantly, with her family. Her work and volunteer commitments have involved youth justice, community corrections, community based reconciliation, and dementia care advocacy. Catherine serves as Past President to the St. Leonard’s Society of Canada, Chair to Harbour Main’s Tourism, Culture and Heritage Committee and is a member of the Canadian Consortium of Neurodegeneration in Aging’s Lived Experience Alumni. Catherine’s justice work is centred on culture shift and the belief that community requires all of us. Catherine loves hiking with her family, and searching beaches for the perfect soft rock.
Kamil Ahmed
Kamil Ahmed (he/him) is a first-generation immigrant and settler from Pakistan who identifies with various communities including Queer and Muslim. Passionate about mutual aid, resource distribution and building communities of care, Kamil is a community organizer, restorative justice practitioner and space-maker in Kitchener-Waterloo, on the Haldimand Tract. and He is a photographer, facilitator, music enthusiast, vegetarian, and a big fan of farmers markets.
At Community Justice Initiatives Waterloo, Kamil gets to work alongside and in service to Waterloo Region as the Program Coordinator to Community Mediation Services and Workplace and Culture Services facilitating restorative approaches to strained relationships and identity-based harm across all stages of intervention; approaches that proffer opportunity to build understanding, foster curiosity, and strengthen capacity for competent and peaceful communities.
SGT. Lila Shibley
Lila Shibley is a Sergeant with the Ottawa Police Service. She was hired in 2006 and was the first Lebanese, Muslim female hired in the service. She spent eight years on patrol serving the public before transitioning into a role in the Diversity and Race Relations Section. She spent five years in that role, building trust and positive relationships between marginalized communities and the police. This role was a pivotal one in her career. She worked hard to respond to hate related incidents in the community and took on that role before the hate crimes section was reinstated in 2020. Her work with the Indigenous communities led her to become a member of the Restorative justice committee with Tungasuvvingat Inuit, an Inuit serving organization in Ottawa and across Ontario. The program is the first of its kind that services Inuit specific needs and looks to divert Inuit from the criminal justice system. She has been part of that committee since its inception six years ago and is also one of the facilitators for the program. She now works in outreach and recruiting where she is excited to find the next generation of police officers to serve and represent the Ottawa community. She is currently the Chair of the Employee resource group representing Ethno-Religious diverse members in the Ottawa Police Service where she continues her passion of ensuring fairness and equity to every member. Lila is a mother of two children and partner to her husband in Ottawa.
October 30, 2024 | Afternoon Session Keynote | Plenary room
Decolonizing Restorative Justice
Erica Littlewolf, Vonahe’e – sending regrets
Harley Eagle -Indigenous Cultural Safety & Humility Consultant
Harley Eagle is Dakota and Ojibway, a member of the Whitecap Dakota First Nation, and currently resides in the Territory of the K’ómoks Peoples. Indigenous life ways guide his work as an Indigenous Cultural Safety & Humility (ICS&H) consultant and facilitator. His experience includes working nationally and internationally consulting and training in transforming conflict, anti-racism, dismantling oppression, cultural safety & humility, and trauma healing with many organizations and companies across many sectors. Harley holds an MA in Conflict Analysis and Management and is the former Indigenous Scholar in Residence for a Master of Arts in Leadership Health Specialization.
Tala Bautista
Tala Bautista is a member of the Sumacher First Nation in Kalinga, Philippines. She got involved in peacebuilding in 2008 and currently works with Peacebuilders Community Inc., (PBCI) as Director of Strategic Partnership and Advocacy, and Chief Operations Officer. She also served as Senior Vice President of Coffee for Peace Inc. She finished Master of Arts in Conflict Transformation at Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia, U.S.A. Her passion is to center indigenous peoples’ and women’s voices and narratives in peacebuilding.
Her work with PBCI is focused on community organizing and advocacy to local leaders to adopt the Peace and Reconciliation framework in their organizations. She helps develop the local communities’ own vision for peace, crafting contextually-based, culturally-sensitive strategies to address peace issues in their place. Her approach in peacebuilding is intensive listening and intentional relationship-building with the people most impacted by injustices. She believes that peacebuilding should be firmly grounded on people’s lived experiences, taking care to be sensitive to power differences and relations.
In 2023, she started her own social enterprise called Kape de Lin-awa to support her advocacy and to operationalize the concept of indigenization of social entrepreneurship as a way of decolonization.
Dr. Muhammad Asadullah
Dr. Muhammad Asadullah is an Associate Professor at the University of Regina’s Department of Justice Studies. He completed his PhD as well as a Masters in Criminology from Simon Fraser University, Canada. He also holds a Masters in Conflict Transformation from Eastern Mennonite University, USA. He is the recipient of multiple awards and scholarships, including CTL Teaching Award, Neekaneewak Indigenous Leadership Awards, Contemplative Social Justice Scholar Award, Liz Elliott Memorial Graduate Scholarship, President’s PhD Scholarship, and Law Foundation Scholarship in Restorative Justice. His research interests include restorative justice, decolonization, Indigenous justice and youth justice. Currently, he serves as a board member of Circles of Support and Accountability, South Saskatchewan (ww.cosass.ca) and Saskatchewan Restorative Justice Network. Previously, he was on the board of the Vancouver Association for Restorative Justice, & Salish Sea Empathy Society. To showcase his work, Asadullah has participated in a number of international conferences in Bangladesh, India, Canada, China, Italy, Malaysia, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, UK and USA. Dr. Asadullah is deeply grateful to the Elders in Treaty-4 territory who guided him to walk on this land with humility and respect.