Restorative justice takes root in Zambia and Malawi
A restorative justice curriculum has been introduced at 100 correctional facilities in Zambia and Malawi. In 2019, Rod Friesen, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Ontario Restorative Justice Coordinator, was invited to facilitate a week-long training session for officers in the Zambian Correctional Service (ZCS). This training session was part of a pilot project of MCC Zambia…
Practising restorative justice in a nightgown
My wife and I live in a triplex in the Montréal borough of Hochelaga, in the eastern part of the island. One of our sons, who does not live with us, usually leaves his bicycle, as well as his son’s smaller one, locked to our front porch when they visit us. The other night, it…
‘O, you gorgeous man!’
I recently sat with a friend for lunch and conversation. I had not seen her for almost three years. At one point she reached across the table, grasped both of my hands in hers, and exclaimed, “O, you gorgeous man!” If your eyes are sliding down to the small photo at the bottom of this column,…
Adapting to changing volunteer realities
“This is how I am a Christian,” says Heather Driedger of her work with Parkland Restorative Justice. As executive director of the non-profit organization, Driedger provides programs for inmates at the Prince Albert penitentiary. Supported by Mennonite Church Saskatchewan, Parkland offers three restorative programs: Person to Person (P2P) matches volunteers with inmates for monthly…
Building friendships and breaking down walls
It has been 30 years since Ed Olfert first set foot in the federal penitentiary in Prince Albert, Sask., but he wasn’t there to serve time! Speaking at a Parkland Restorative Justice information meeting held in Rosthern, Sask., on Sept. 15, Olfert told the audience how, in 1988, he sat on the Conference of Mennonites…
Forgiveness in all its Complexity
Mr. Koh’s story powerfully demonstrates the complexity of forgiveness. On Oct 9, his house was broken into and his mother, wife, and son were brutally murdered. Later, the person who committed the murder, a man named Young-Chul Yoo, was caught. It was discovered that he was actually a serial killer who had committed a series…
Conversion as Restorative Justice?
As part of the annual Augsburger Lecture Series at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Ched Myers and Elaine Enns spoke on “The Personal and Political Dimensions of Conversion: Restorative Justice.” After studying at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, I was familiar with the aspects of restorative justice and holistic peacebuilding as described by Enns, but Myers’…
