Building Community through Restorative Justice

At its core, restorative justice is about relationships—how you create, maintain, and mend them when a harm has occurred.  It is based on the philosophy that we are all interconnected, that we live in relationship with one another, and that our actions impact each other. Restorative justice asks us to see each other and recognize the dignity in everyone, and to honor the collective as well as our individual responsibility to the whole. 

By practicing restorative justice, we begin to shift the power dynamic from holding “power over” others to sharing power. We recognize each person's individual agency and value the insights and wisdom of everyone, not just those traditionally regarded as experts. In other words, we are each experts about our own lives and experiences.  

Join Associate Director of Impact Justice’s Restorative Justice Project Ashlee George for a dynamic workshop exploring the basic philosophies, principles, and practices of restorative justice through experiential activities, reflection, lecture, and discussion.  By the end of this workshop, participants are able to design and lead a community circle, explore steps to repairing harm, and integrate restorative justice practices into their own lives. This is an opportunity for participants to join together for a journey through self-exploration and storytelling.

Although the term restorative justice is relatively new, the practices and underlying philosophy can be connected to Indigenous peoples’ around the world approach to relationships, community building and addressing harm.  The way restorative justice is practiced in the western world today is largely influenced by the indigenous people of the Americas and Aotearoa (New Zealand). With this in mind, Ashlee is committed to taking great care to avoid appropriating Indigenous peace-making processes.

This workshop is for all people who want to learn more about restorative justice and its application in various settings while building community.  

CIIS students, staff, and faculty receive discounts on all events. CIIS Public Programs Members receive a 20% discount on all events. Contact us for more information at publicprograms@ciis.edu. Please note that we will check your ID for proof of eligibility on arrival at event.

Ashlee George, born in Oakland California, is inspired by her hometown’s culture and legacy of activism.  Enriched by this activism, healing and justice have been a central part of her life. As the Associate Director of Impact Justice’s Restorative Justice Project, she leads the implementation of pre-charge restorative justice diversion programs across the nation. She is a thought leader in restorative justice pedagogy and practices and lent her expertise to pilot one of the first school-based restorative justice programs in Oakland, as well as one of the first survivor-oriented pre-charge restorative justice diversion programs outside of California. 

Before joining Impact Justice, she spent 13 years facilitating restorative justice dialogues between youth who caused harm and the people impacted to create spaces of transformation and healing through accountability. She also served as a volunteer Healthcare Medic at the Berkeley Free Clinic for over four years, offering support for people navigating the complicated healthcare system as a lay healthcare worker. These formative experiences transformed Ashlee, solidified her understanding of the relationship between justice and healing and inspired much of her future work.

Ashlee holds a BA in Ethnic Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. She is also a Board Member of OneLife Institute for Spirituality & Social Transformation. In her spare time, Ashlee embodies wellness practices as a professional dancer and dance instructor and was San Francisco Queen of Carnaval in 2012. Dance allows her to connect with her most inner and sacred self, providing her own internal medicine. She strives for others to find the same within themselves. Her philosophy is, let your light shine in life and on the dance floor!