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Sonya Shah, MFA, is Associate Professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS).

Sonya Shah has 20 years experience in social justice education. She has been an associate professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies for ten years, and a facilitator of restorative justice processes in her family, community, schools and prison settings for nine years. She has trained hundreds of facilitators in trauma healing and a restorative modality, and helped communities design their own group healing processes nationally. She's currently facilitating circles for survivors of sexual harm and people who have committed sexual harm in an inaugural cohort of grantees and fellows with Justice Beginnings Collaborative called Project Ahimsa.

Sonya earned a BA from Brown University and an MA in Film & Video from the Art Institute of Chicago. She was awarded the prestigious Fulbright fellowship and Jacob Javitz fellowship.

In conjunction with her work in the restorative/criminal justice field, Sonya has spoken on various radio programs including NPR, BBC, KPFA, and KQED, and has just started a blog on Huffington Post, with more entries to come in the Fall of 2016. Her 2004 documentary, Khmer Barbee (formerly Something between Her Hands) is distributed by the National Film Network and has screened in over seventy film festivals, conferences and colleges.

Sonya Shah's CV.

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Select Panels and Keynote Presentations

Shah, S. Presenter. White House Convening: "Girls of Color and Intervening Public Systems: How Can Communities Interrupt the Sexual Abuse to Prison Pipeline." White House Council on Women and Girls. Washington, D.C. 10/28/2015
Baliga, S., Shah, S., Davis, F., & Others. Presenter. "Day-long convening on Restorative Justice for Nepal's High Court Delegation." Asia Foundation and Impact Justice. CA. 11/4/2015
Shah, S. Panelist. "Innovations and Change." Bench and Bar Conference. The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Newton, MA. 10/23/2015
Shah, S. Keynote Plenary Panel Speaker "Arts in Corrections: Opportunities for Justice and Rehabilitation." University of San Francisco, 6/16/2015
Shah, S., & Others: Graves, C., Fania, D., & Others. Panelist. "Using Restorative Justice to Address Violence Against African American Community", "Restorative Techniques for Confronting Historical Harm", "Crime Survivors and the Shaping of a Restorative Justice Movement." 5th National Conference on Restorative Justice. Harbor Beach, FL. 5/31-6/3/2015
Shah, S. and Insight Prison Project. Keynote Plenary Speaker. "Working Together with Restorative Justice in the East Bay: A Day with Practitioners." Cal State East Bay: School of Social Work and Criminal Justice. Hayward, CA. 5/8/2015
Shah, S. & Mizell, B. Presenter. "Restorative Justice and Trauma in Prisons." California Rehabilitation Oversight Board. Sacramento, CA. 4/22/2015
Shah, S., Johnson, J. & Scott, M. Keynote Plenary Speaker. "Repairing, Restoring and Reintegrating: Feminism and Restorative Justice." Association of Women in Psychology Conference. San Francisco, CA. 3/7/2015
Shah, S., Guizar, D. Wilson, D. Keynote Plenary Speaker. "Crime Survivors Stories." Survivors Speak Conference: Californians for Safety and Justice. Sacramento, CA. 4/7-8/2014
Shah,S. Panelist. "Historical Roots of Mass Incarceration: Colonization, Slavery and The New Jim Crow." UC Berkeley: School of Urban Planning. Berkeley, CA. 3/6/2014
Shah, S. & Blake, M. Presenter. "CSJ and California Victims' Voices." San Francisco Sentencing Commission. San Francisco, CA. 1/2014
Shah, S. Moderator. "Michelle Alexander Speaks." Nourse Theater. San Francisco, CA 10/17/2013
Shah, S. Moderator. "Unlikely Friends: Screening and Panel." Delancey Street Theater, Victoria Theater and Jewish Community Center Theater. San Francisco, CA.7/2013, 9/2013, 10/2014

Select Media and Writing

2015 KPFA: La Raza Chronicle. Host. 4-part series on Restorative Justice with Producer: Julieta Kusnir. 10-2/2016. First session aired:
soundcloud.com/larazachronicles/10-27-2015-full-show
San Quentin News. Interview. "Delegation From Nepal Courts Look at San Quentin in Search for Restorative Justice." December 2015.
sanquentinnews.com/view-sq-news/
The Greater Good. Interview. "Can Restorative Justice Help Prisoners to Heal." Reporter: Jill Suttie. greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/restorative_justice_help_prisoners_ heal 6/9/2015
ABC10. Interview. "John Legend Talks Justice System Reform in Sacramento."
abc10.com/story/life/2015/04/21/john-legend-talks-justice-system-reform-in-
sacramento/26104107/ 4/20/2015
KVEC. Interview. "Restorative Justice at California Men's Colony." Dave Congalton
Show. Producer: Heidi Harmon. 3/12/2015.920kvec.com/podcasts/congalton/03-12-15.mPublic Programs
2014 Huffington Post. Author. "California Proposition 47." huffingtonpost.com/sonya-shah/ 11/4/2014
Vice News. Interview. "A Proposal on California's Ballot Would De-Felonize Drug Use." Reporter: Kayla Ruble. 11/4/2014.
news.vice.com/article/a-proposal-on-californias-ballot-would-de-felonize-drug-use
NPR: State of the Reunion. Interview. "American Justice Series." Producer: Delaney Hall.
stateofthereunion.com/american-justice/ 10/2014
NPR: Making Contact. Interview. "Restorative Justice: Reconciling Face-to-face." Producer: Andrew Seltzer. radioproject.org/2014/06/restorative-justice-reconciling-face-to-face/ 6/24/2014
KPFA: La Raza Chronicle. Interview. "Restorative Justice that Heals." Producer: Julieta Kusnir. insightprisonproject.org/news/la-raza-chronicles-kpfa-radio-segment 7/22/14
KMRW: Pieces of Peace. Interview on Restorative Justice. Producer and Reporter: Susan Santiago. kwmr.org/blog/show/6834#sthash.Q3SerjvI 2/6/2014
2013 California Crime Victims' Voices. Interview. Californians for Safety and Justice. safeandjust.org/resources/2013-06-california-crime-victims-report 2013
KALW: Crosscurrents. Interview on Restorative Justice. Producer: Holly Kernan. kalw.org/post/crime-victims-find-healing-through-restorative-justice 10/7/2013
KALW: Your Call. Interview on Restorative Justice. Host: Holly Kernan. kalw.org/post/today-your-call-how-does-restorative-justice-work-california-1 9/25/2013
KRCA Interview on public safety and crime survivors. Reporter: Mike Luery. kcra.com/politics/Steinberg-prison-plan-advances-in-Senate/21781542 9/2013
TELEVISA Interview for one-hour program on restorative justice. In collaboration with US State Department and Mexico. Reporter: Adriana Ruiz. 5/2013
2012 KALW: San Quentin Prison Report. Co-Producer of 5 radio shows. kalw.org/term/san-quentin-prison-report?page=1 9/2012 - 12/2012
2011 Tikkun Magazine. Author. "Healing from Harm and Unlearning Violence." Issue on Restorative Justice. Duke University Press. 12/2011

Fellowships and Awards

1999-2002 Jacob K. Javitz Fellowship, U.S. Department of Education, Washington D.C.
2004 African American Women in Cinema Award, New York, NY.
1999 Chicago Artists International Program Grant, Dept. of Cultural Affairs, Chicago, IL & UK.
1999 Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture Fellowship, Skowhegan, ME.
1999 College Art Association Fellowship, College Art Association, New York, NY.
1998 Award for 9th Triennial India, Selected to represent U.S. in the 9th Triennial of India.
1996-1997 Fulbright Scholar to India, Department of Education, U.S. & India.