Restorative Works

Building Sociedades Más Justas : Youth Justice in Colombia Claire de Mézerville López and cohost IIRP Lecturer A. Miguel Tello  welcome Lina Hernández Nassif to the Restorative Works! Podcast .  Lina brings a wealth of experience from her work implementing restorative justice programs, particularly with youth in Colombia. Her journey spans from coordinating conflict resolution programs in prisons...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Natalie Walters to the Restorative Works! Podcast . Natalie joins us to share her inspiring journey and innovative approaches to restorative practices integration in school settings. This includes the creation of Practice Academy—an initiative revolutionizing in-school suspensions by keeping students within the educational community, guiding them through reflect...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes IIRP alumnus, Gregg Scheiner, to the Restorative Works! Podcast . Gregg joins us and shares how his inclusive approach to mediation and conflict resolution empowers students and community members alike. He shares impactful stories, such as his work with a Nassau County high school where students and staff engaged in peer mediation sessions, leading to lasting re...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Margaret Clark to the Restorative Works! Podcast. Margaret shares her inspiring journey of integrating Indigenous wisdom into restorative practices, highlighting how these approaches foster healing, accountability, and community connection. Drawing on her Canadian roots and extensive experience, she explains why centering Indigenous voices and values strengthens...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Natasha Akery to the Restorative Works! Podcast. Natasha joins us and introduces her original framework, the "Restorative Compass," a forward-looking alternative to the Compass of Shame. Designed to help students and educators navigate difficult emotions and conversations, the Restorative Compass guides users from reactivity toward engagement, self-compassion, a...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Juan Martinez to the Restorative Works! Podcast. Juan joins us and shares his experience as a dedicated yoga instructor innovating with inclusive yoga practices in unconventional spaces. We explore how yoga and meditation foster compassion and wellbeing within challenging environments, including prisons and centers for vulnerable populations. Juan shares his jou...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Katherine Stanley Obando to the Restorative Works! Podcast. Katherine shares how restorative practices show up organically in her work as a journalist, particularly in rural areas where trust, voice, and relationships are essential. Through El Colectivo 506 , a Costa Rican journalism collective rooted in community, collaboration, and care, Katherine and her team...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Bianca Johnson to the Restorative Works! Podcast. Bianca joins us and shares her introduction to restorative justice through a pilot diversion program that instantly resonated with her values. Her story highlights how relationships built in the community can open the door for meaningful engagement and real change within institutions. Bianca shares a moving story...

Claire de Mézerville López is joined by co-host, Executive Director of IIRP Canada, Pat Lewis , for a special IIRP Canada series, highlighting the use of restorative practices and restorative justice across Canada. In this episode, they welcome long-time educator and bilingual consultant Peggy Barrette to the Restorative Works! Podcast. Peggy joins us to share her journey of integrating restorativ...

Claire de Mézerville López is joined by co-host, Executive Director of IIRP Canada, Pat Lewis , for a special IIRP Canada series, highlighting the use of restorative practices and restorative justice across Canada. In this episode, they welcome seasoned youth care specialist Joe Blake to the Restorative Works! Podcast . Joe joins us to discuss the representation of Indigenous youth in Canada's jus...

Claire de Mézerville López is joined by co-host, Executive Director of IIRP Canada, Pat Lewis , for a special IIRP Canada series, highlighting the use of restorative practices and restorative justice across Canada. In this episode, they welcome dedicated community leader, Nicole Chouinard, to the Restorative Works! Podcast . Nicole joins us to share how she and her team collaborate with schools ac...

Claire de Mézerville López is joined by co-host, Executive Director of IIRP Canada Pat Lewis , for a special series with IIRP Canada highlighting the use of restorative practices and restorative justice across Canada. In this episode they welcome seasoned educator, consultant, and curriculum specialist, Angela Green, to the  Restorative Works! Podcast . Join us as Angela helps us explore the inter...

The Power of Storytelling is a special collaboration episode between Minorities in Publishing and the Restorative Works! Podcast . Through the power of storytelling, we aim to engage powerful leaders and activists in conversations around keeping hope in dire times; giving back power to communities; radical empathy; arts as means to tell real life stories, and the effects of genuine engagement in c...

Returning guests, Dr. Lindsey Pointer and Deron Bell, two inspiring voices at the intersection of education, creativity, and healing, are featured presenters for the upcoming 2025 IIRP World Conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee—Artful Integration: Exploring the Art and Science of Restorative Practices . Lindsey, Assistant Professor at Vermont Law and Graduate School and Principal Investigator at t...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes back Kendall Hughes, D.Min., to the Restorative Works! Podcast . Join us as Dr. Hughes shares moving stories—from a group of teens who made amends after a traumatic act of vandalism, to incarcerated men working through shame and accountability in a high-security penitentiary. These stories highlight the power of restoring dignity and finding healing through mean...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Emanuela Biffi from the European Forum for Restorative Justice (EFRJ) to the Restorative Works! Podcast .  Join us as Emanuela shares how the EFRJ is fostering a vibrant global restorative justice community through international events, training programs, and innovative initiatives like the REstART Art Festival .  EFRJ's events go beyond traditional conferences...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Michael Washington, Ph. D., and Doug Judge, Ph. D., to the Restorative Works! Podcast. Dr. Washington and Dr. Judge share their insights on how leaders can step into complex, high-stakes environments and commit to change using relational-based approaches.  Dr. Washington, an expert in leadership development and operational excellence, shares his journey of shift...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Fernanda Fonseca Rosenblatt, D.Phil., to the Restorative Works! Podcast . Join us as Dr. Rosenblatt discusses the critical shortcomings of the conventional criminal justice system in addressing gendered violence and explores how restorative justice offers a survivor-centered alternative. Survivors often face secondary victimization, navigating a system that can...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Mark R. Warren to the Restorative Works! Podcast . Join us as Mark shares insights from his latest book, Willful Defiance , shedding light on how exclusionary discipline policies, such as suspensions and expulsions for minor infractions, have been instrumental in pushing children from the classroom to the criminal justice system. As the conversation unfolds, Mar...

Welcome to Season 3! Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Frida Rundell Ph. D., to the  Restorative Works! Podcast .  Join us as Dr. Rundell unpacks the intersection of storytelling, trauma, and restorative practices, offering a deeply personal and professional perspective on fostering healing. Drawing from her childhood experiences in South Africa, Dr. Rundell shares how the philosophy of ubuntu—"...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Nicole Garcia Diaz and Robert Gordon to this special episode of the Restorative Works! Podcast , recorded live during the IIRP Collaborative Center for Restorative Practices in Higher Education 's virtual forum on December 5-6, 2024! Robert and Nicole share their personal journeys with restorative practices, highlighting how they've integrated restorative justic...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Gemma Varona, Ph. D., to the  Restorative Works! Podcast . Dr. Varona joins us and discusses her decades of experience researching the evolving boundaries of restorative justice, challenging the traditional limits imposed by legal frameworks. She shares her journey from academia to hands-on work with survivors of terrorism, sexual abuse, and large-scale corporat...

Join Claire de Mézerville López as we celebrate 100 episodes of Restorative Works! Listen along as we journey through some of the many inspiring moments where we have listened to people from across the globe describing their work of restoring dignity and building relationships and community. From the classroom, to the workplace, to city streets around the world, we reflect on the wisdom of our man...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Adam Haller to the Restorative Works! Podcast . Adam joins us and shares his story, from a career in carpentry to leading efforts at one of Pittsburg's largest homeless shelters, Community Human Services Wood Street Commons .  He discusses how his team works to foster dignity and authentic relationships in a system often burdened by bureaucracy. He highlights th...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Ivelisse Cotto to the Restorative Works! Podcast . Ivelisse joins us to discuss the challenges teachers face when implementing restorative practices, especially when many have never been taught to tap into their own emotions or build crucial relationships with students. She discusses the importance of offering teachers the same space and support to develop these...