The 2009 Conference will include three types of presentation sessions.  Information about these sessions will continue to be updated as more details are finalized.  These sessions are defined below:

Keynote/Plenary Session:  A session featuring a single speaker during a time period when no other conference activities are in session.  Keynote/Plenary sessions will be an hour to an hour and a half in length.

Workshop Session:  A limited access session featuring an in-depth presentation on a single topic during a time period when other conference activities are also in session.  Workshop sessions will be 75 minutes in length.  These sessions are limited to 35 participants who must sign-up ahead of time for a seat in the session.  Once the full conference schedule has been developed, an on-line signup process will be established for registered attendees to reserve seats in workshop sessions.  There is no additional cost to attend workshop sessions.

Panel Session:  A session feature summary presentations by three or four speakers on topics related to a specific theme during a time period when other conference activities are also in session.  Each speaker will have about 15-20 minutes for their presentation.  A question and answer period of 10-15 minutes often follows the final speaker.

Conducting Restorative Justice Research
Dr. Paul McCold, Visiting Professor, Simon Fraser University, Canada

This workshop will engage participants in an exploration of research agendas for program evaluation, academic research, and best practices determination.  It will discuss possible design strategies, important measurement variables, formulation of research questions, as well as tests and measurements useful for restorative justice research.


Restorative Peacebuilding
Dan Van Ness, JD, LLM, Executive Director, Centre for Justice and Reconciliation at Prison Fellowship International, Washington, DC & Dr. Jennifer Llewellyn, Professor, Dalhousie Law School, Canada.

Restorative Peacebuilding applies restorative theory to both elite and grassroots efforts to develop short-term and long-term domestic processes to deal with crime and other justice matters within and between nations.  The workshop will explore the use of Restorative Peacebuilding in promoting post-conflict societies and introduce participants to the Restorative Peacebuilding process of the Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice’s Working Group on Restorative Justice.

Restorative Peacebuilding addresses the perceived peace vs. justice dilemma faced in many conflict societies; and, provides a framework for rationalizing the role of the international community in helping conflict societies end conflicts and the cycle of violence in process that addresses national sovereignty, ownership and responsibility.


RJ CitySM
Dan Van Ness, JD, LLM, Executive Director, Centre for Justice and Reconciliation at Prison Fellowship International, Washington, DC

RJ CitySM is a research and design simulation project to create a model justice system for a city of 1 million people which is capable of handling all crimes, all offenders and all victims as restoratively as possible.  It begins with what is currently known about restorative justice and explores what are believed to be its limitations.  The goal is to create policies and programs that could form the foundation of a society's entire criminal justice system.  The workshop will demonstrate how a burglary of an elderly woman's house by two young men might be handled in such a system.

Peacebuilding through Restorative Dialogue in the Global Community
Dr. Mark Umbreit, Professor and Director, Center for Restorative Justice & Peacemaking, University of Minnesota, School of Social Work

Restorative dialogue offers life-enriching paths that can lead to conflict transformation and healing among those traumatized by severe criminal and political violence, including former combatants.  Peacebuilding through restorative dialogue utilizes a mindfulness approach that emphasizes deep listening and honors the healing power of story expressed through the strength, wisdom, and resilience of people affected by severe criminal and political violence.  Effective peace-building requires human encounter through face to face dialogue among people in conflict.  Highly cognitive, problem solving approaches that increase intellectual understanding alone rarely produce lasting peace.  A more contemplative and mindful way of understanding and responding to conflict and trauma is offered by peacebuilding through restorative dialogue.  It is grounded in open hearted, non-judgmental, moment by moment awareness that honors the healing power of story.  It uses the energy of conflict and trauma expressed directly by those involved in a powerful form of human communication – the non-verbal language of the soul.  Case examples will be presented from Dr. Umbreit’s work in the United States, Northern Ireland, and Israel/Palestine.

Faith and Community Collaborations Track

Engaging Faith Communities in Reflection on Crime
Dr. Michael Hadley, Professor Emeritus of the University of Victoria

As a Millennium initiative parishioners of Christ Church Cathedral (Victoria, Canada) formed a partnership with inmates of William Head Institution, a Canadian federal prison, to design and build a contemplative labyrinth.  The “labyrinth project” was an outgrowth of “The Restorative Justice Coalition” - a voluntary gathering of federal prison inmates and community visitors (known as “outmates”) who meet weekly to discuss justice issues, and to form supportive relationships.  Working together as equal partners on the “labyrinth project” triggered further reflection on the complex relationships between faith and justice. A short documentary film “Journey to the Centre” will be shown.  It graphically captures the process of social and spiritual engagement.  After viewing the documentary, participants in the workshop will explore the issues, and examine two versions of a case study (one designed for Christians, another for Muslims) that can be used as teaching models in faith communities.

Indigenous Practices Track

Theory to Practice:  Revisiting the Dynamics of Navajo Peacemaking
Dr. James W. Zion

Dr. Zion wrote the initial set of rules for what was then called the Navajo Peacemaker Court in 1982.  Gradually, the Judicial Branch of the Navajo Nation expanded the program.  Between 1998 and 2002 Dr. Zion wrote three academic papers in an attempt to explain how Navajo peacemaking practices worked (The Dynamics of Navajo Peacemaking, 1998; Indian Restorative Healing, 2002; Navajo TherapeuticJurisprudence, 2002).  Between February 2004 and May 2007 he served as a court commissioner in the Crownpoint (Navajo Nation) Family Court.  In this workshop, he reexamines his earlier academic perspectives in light of operational experience to compare his earlier theoretical view with practice to identify lessons learned and provide a richer understanding how Navajo peacemaking works.


The Spirit of Belonging: Indigenous Cultural Practices in Conflict Transformation
Dr. Cyndi Baskin, School of Social Work, Ryerson University

Indigenous peoples in what is now called Canada have always had systems of justice which are based on the values of interconnectedness, accountability and healing.  Within the Indigenous worldview, the purposes of justice are to restore balance to the community, reconcile a person to his/her own conscience and with those who have been wronged.  This workshop focuses on culture-based, community-controlled practices of conflict transformation among Indigenous peoples in Canada.  It will examine the use of these practices in cases of partner abuse, sexual offending, and child welfare.  Specific cultural practices, such as healing circles, ceremonies and the implementation of community councils will be highlighted.  Challenges, successes, cautions and results from research findings will be presented.  The author concludes that conflict transformation is about community belonging rather than forms of separation.

Justice System Applications Track

Developing Racially and Culturally Relevant Restorative Justice Processes
Dr. Kathleen Daly, Professor of Criminology & Criminal Justice, Griffith University, Australia &
Dr. Karen Crozier, Special Assistant, Office of the Provost, Fresno Pacific University

This workshop will explore the implications of Dr. Daly’s research on race and other social issues that can interfere with restorative justice processes and practices.  The key principles for developing racially and culturally relevant restorative justice process as well as common misconceptions.  A facilitated exercise will allow participants to reflect on existing restorative justice initiatives, programs, ministries, or practices in light of the issues and concerns raised by Dr. Daly’s research.  Participants will engage in a process to identify a specific actions that can be taken to make restorative justice initiatives, programs, ministries or practices more racially and culturally relevant.


Restorative Justice:  Creating and Sustaining Change
Mr. Leigh Garrett, Chair, Restorative Practices International

This workshop will provide participants with an opportunity to learn about:

 The dynamics of change applied to the restorative justice context.
 How to implement changes in systems and organizations.
 How to interact with large systems like the criminal justice system.
 How to ensure that changes are sustainable in the longer term.

Systems, and in particular criminal justice systems, require enormous effort to change direction and introduce new concepts like restorative justice.  This workshop will assist participants in helping them understand how to approach and implement change, but most importantly make the change sustainable.  Participants will have an opportunity to discuss their particular circumstances and challenges.


Bringing Restorative Justice to Violent Neighborhoods
Justice Janine Geske (Ret.), Distinguished Professor of Law, Director of the Restorative Justice Initiative, Marquette University Law School

The participants will have the opportunity to learn how a successful restorative justice project has been integrated into neighborhoods filled with drug dealers, prostitutes, and gang members.  Participants will learn how to work with victims, community members, offenders (including those returning from prison), faith communities, police, schools, community based organizations and businesses to create an interactive and healing environment in an urban setting.  There also will be discussion about pitfalls and challenges in partnering with law enforcement agencies.  Most importantly, the workshop will focus on sustainability of restorative justice processes in the community.


“Willie’s Wish”: Scenes from a Quadriplegic’s Meeting With His Attackers
Ms. Susan Leinweber, Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Victims of violent crime deal with their pain in different ways.  Victim-Offender Mediation/Dialogue for violent crimes addresses the need for healing through participation in one of the "rawest" forms of restorative justice - facing the individual(s) who brutally altered their lives. Victims have the opportunity to literally look into the face of the one(s) who created the pain, receive answers to questions that only the offender(s) can provide, and, if they so choose, express forgiveness. Workshop participants will be shown portions of a mediated dialogue between “Willie,” a quadriplegic, and the two men responsible for his victimization.  It is a powerful example of extraordinary human spirit, and the fulfillment of a young man’s wish to forgive the two men responsible for his lifelong confinement to a wheelchair.

“Keeping it Real”: Sustaining Restorative Justice through Flexibility and Problem Solving

Dr. Gordon Bazemore, Professor and Chair in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, and Director of the Community Justice Institute  This workshop is to be an open dialogue for those interested in a critical and optimistic look at what is happening with restorative justice within U.S. juvenile justice (and beyond).  The purpose of this workshop is to generate a wide ranging discussion to what might be done to mainstream restorative justice in juvenile justice.  The session is open to crazy ideas.  The only rule is that we look beyond the U.S. while keeping in mind that this is where most of us live and work.  International participants are strongly encouraged to attend to share good ideas with us, and perhaps keep us from exaggerating how much better things are “over there”.  Some of the following issues will be explored through interactive dialogue:

• Resilience of traditional juvenile justice paradigm: The addiction to punishment and traditional treatment, dumb debates, and neglected issues – accountability and healing.
• Restorative juvenile justice as a “fad”: Signs of demise, self-help, and pockets of resiliency.
• Do we need legislation to broaden the use of restorative justice principles and practices?
•  Where does restorative justice fit into juvenile justice?  Boutique or mainstream practices?
• Problem solving beyond cases: Addressing system and community needs.
• Beyond program model orthodoxy:  In search of wide “restorative paths” for maximum application and impact.
• Restorative “approaches” vs. programmatic models: The strength of “weak” practice - finding restorative options in challenging situations
• Great studies - little application: Restorative justice works, but how and why does it work?  What can be learned from research to improve practice?