Responding Restoratively: An Introduction to Restorative Principles and Practices

This is an introductory training to the principles and practices of restorative justice and restorative approaches to conflict resolution. Participants will learn the ethos of restorative approaches including underlying theory and values as well as experience and learn some foundational tools to respond to conflict and harm in a restorative way. Participants will learn how to facilitate restorative community building circles and less formalized restorative responses.

Cost: $250

Limited scholarships are avaiable. For questions or to apply for a scholarship please email Bethany Kay Miller at bkm2132@columbia.edu

About the Trainers

Sethulaxmi Nair seeks to generate personal and social transformation by addressing and repairing harm in relationships and developing creative responses to conflict. Sethu is a mediator, coach, and peacemaker. She spends her time shaping and managing conflict responses for New York City government employees at the Center for Creative Conflict Resolution, facilitating Healing Circles at Hidden Water, and supporting her family, friends, and community. She has worked on family matters, small business disputes, nonprofit staff and board challenges, community discord, and has provided conflict and leadership coaching. Sethu holds a Bachelors degree in Women’s Studies from SUNY Purchase and a Masters degree in Economic and Political Development from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.

Cameron Rasmussen is a social worker, educator and facilitator committed to reimagining our responses to human behavior and pathways to social justice and to contributing towards the larger movement of an anti-oppressive social justice praxis. Cameron is a Program Director at the Center for Justice at Columbia University where he supports a variety of programmatic efforts to advance individual, institutional and societal transformation for a more just and safe world. He is also a doctoral student studying alternative responses to violence that focus on healing and accountability.