This is a public event that is free to attend and open to all. This event is available with American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation.
In this event Chris Cowie, the Executive Director of Community Justice Initiatives (CJI) explores the steps that Waterloo has taken toward becoming a restorative region, and how other regions can make similar moves.
Community Justice Initiatives (CJI) of Waterloo Region, Ontario has a long and rich history of providing restorative justice programming. CJI is credited with starting the first victim offender mediation program in 1974 and since that time have innovated restorative responses to situations of conflict, crime, and abuse. CJI has recently begun implementing a strategy to transform our community to use restorative practices as a primary response to conflict and wrongdoing. We are working to create a restorative region where restorative practices and processes are infused into broad municipal systems that impact the entire community. To do this, CJI is influencing the systems in which we live to become restorative rather than punitive. This includes working with municipal governments, police departments, schools, retirement homes, social services, and businesses to have a discussion about restorative practices, provide training and learning opportunities about restorative practices to the public, and to assist people to utilize restorative justice in their everyday lives. CJI is building a plan to involve community members and services to create a transformative peace initiative where instead of punishment, our community will offer restorative responses first. We hope to inspire others to become restorative regions and cities, and discuss ways to build momentum on a national level.