Although not explicitly framed as restorative justice, Fox explains that RJ principles certainly underlie his work. “I would say a lot of what I’m doing is taking that approach,” he says. “I find in this work: once you can get [disputing neighbours] to a point of willing to have a conversation – come to a place where they can work together – then they can work on any issue.” Fox focuses on working through the relationship first and then the issue.
“A lot of neighbours want to punish their neighbours,” says Fox, who often has to convince disputants that working through conflict with a mediator can have much better outcomes, in terms of time, money, and overall satisfaction. “I try to explain that mediation is just a conversation,” he says. “People understand conversation and it’s not this big intimidating thing.”
Fox notes that his PACS undergraduate degree and MPACS degree informs his work in a variety of ways. He learned how to move passed the idea of relying on the court system and punishment to get your way – and learned how to convince others of the limits of this punitive worldview.
One important idea from his education that continues to guide him: “Moving past judgement to curiousity” – a phrase that he first heard in PACS 202 Conflict Resolution but found reiterated in different versions throughout other courses as well. “That’s something that I try to apply every day,” he says. “I find that helps me with every client interaction. [And] it give [clients] the idea that they might be able to learn something about the other party that changes their perspective.”
Fox notes that an internship placement at a local restorative justice organization was foundational for taking his course learnings to the next level. He learned how to put RJ into practice but also how to convince people of its benefits – which is a significant hurdle for RJ practitioners.
Reflecting on his work, Fox admits that burnout is common in the field. He stays motivated by nurturing that sense of curiousity developed in during his education in PACS. “It’s always the same issues but having curiousity helps.”