We hope to inspire and uplift you with recent highlights of our peacemaking journey, along with offering resources and upcoming conferences (including in Cyprus and Greece!).
Our first Restorative Neighbourhood initiative, Hastings Sunrise, is progressing well. This is an exciting part of Vancouver becoming a Restorative City.
Building capacities and training are a big part of what we love to do. We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Sea to Sky School District. We have a new short video of the latest training!
We are also grateful to have celebrated Lunar New Year with Premier Eby and in community. The Nisga’a New Year Hoobiyee celebrations is February 28 and March 1 in Vancouver, honouring the many Indigenous Nations participating.
Let’s collaboratively create a much brighter future for all.
Enjoy the following highlights below:
Becoming a Restorative City
Restorative Neighbourhoods - Hastings Sunrise
Peace Circles & Restorative Trainings
Sea to Sky School District in partnership with Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Lil'wat Nations
Celebrating Lunar New Year with the Premier
Canadian Bar Association BC Branch calls for more Restorative Justice
Resources
Upcoming Conferences
Becoming a Restorative City
Restorative Neighbourhood Hastings Sunrise
Restorative neighbourhoods are part of Vancouver becoming a Restorative City. Our inaugural neighbourhood, chosen by the Restorative Collective, is Hastings Sunrise.
Our cohort of local peacemakers are currently co-facilitating peace circles for this neighbourhood. Upcoming circles include with youth, interfaith, Chinese diaspora, building relations between organizations, and more. We had a productive, uplifting mentoring meeting and look forward to their next training session.
We are also looking forward to gathering local leaders again to further build relations and collaboratively advance the restorative neighbourhood initiative.
If you live or work in this neighbourhood and are interested in a facilitated dialogue or to resolve a conflict, feel free to reach out!
The leadership team from three organizations continues to regularly meet. A key focus is developing and implementing a restorative justice program, with our wonderful colleague Gillian Lindquist.
This initiative is successful because we all keep showing up and doing the work in a restorative way ourselves.
Some peacemaker comments include:
“We’re moving forward in spite of every obstacle that’s come up.
We’ve gotten by them all.”
“I’m grateful for the opportunity we’ve been given and
the time and investment put into us.”
“I feel connected. I’m hopeful.”
Peace of the Circle is so grateful to partner with Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House and Hastings Sunrise Community Policing Centre.
We thank our funders who make this possible, City of Vancouver, Law Foundation of BC, and Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
Stay tuned for the Restorative City Framework - currently under review by the City of Vancouver!
Peace Circles Training
Sea to Sky School District
in partnership with Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Lil'wat Nations
It’s inspiring to deepen our partnership with Sea to Sky School District. Join us in celebrating another fantastic group of administrators, teachers, counsellors, Indigenous educators, outreach & support workers who completed Peace Circles: The Fundamentals training!
During a three-day immersion with facilitator Dr. Evelyn Zellerer, we explored the roots of circles, facilitating the process, practical applications, and more.
Enjoy our short video of some highlights on our YouTube channel!
Special thanks to members of host Nations, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Lil'wat, who participated and so powerfully shared, and to the students for their songs and drumming.
We are also grateful for Josie Moore for hosting and advancing this initiative (Instructional Leadership Team - Restorative Practices), principal Cory Hartling for welcoming us to St'a7mes School, and Phillip Clarke and the commitment of this District to implementing circles and restorative approaches.
Celebrating Lunar New Year with the Premier
It’s uplifting to celebrate Lunar New Year in community and with government leaders this year with Premier David Eby, Hon. Terry Yung, Minister of State for Community Safety and Integrated Services, Hon. Christine Boyle, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, and many more!
Thank you Premier David Eby for the invitation to your special event. Dr. Evelyn Zellerer enjoyed inspiring conversations, cultural festivities, and sharing a fabulous meal at Sun Sui Wah Seafood Restaurant. As Councillor Lenny Zhou said, it’s great to see so many people “coming together to embrace community, culture, and new beginnings”.
Canadian Bar Association BC Branch calls for more Restorative Justice
We are thrilled to see restorative justice and Indigenous justice prominently featured in the Agenda for Justice 2025 report released by the Canadian Bar Association BC Branch!
“CBABC calls on the B.C. government to increase access to restorative justice services in communities across the province, including Indigenous communities.”
Recommendations include an action plan and to “Increase funding for restorative justice providers to enable service delivery in all parts of B.C.”
Vancouver still lacks a citywide restorative justice program; something we are advocating for as part of becoming a restorative city.
We look forward to working collaboratively with partners and government moving forward. The full report includes over 30 recommendations supporting accessible, equitable and fair legal and justice systems. Report and briefing notes available here.
“the value of restorative justice programs has been well demonstrated”
Resources
A free webinar, “Right-Wing Extremism and Restorative Justice”, with members of the working groups on Restorative Cities and Hate, Polarisation & Violent Extremism, hosted by the European Forum for Restorative Justice.
February 25, 2025
SFU Restorative Justice Certificate Online Info Session
March 4, 12 pm PST
Learn about SFU’s Restorative Justice Certificate program on their website and in this live free information session.
The latest episode is available in this restorative justice podcast series by Why Me? They speak with Will Gilluley about meeting the man who attacked and left him for dead. He shares his journey through addiction and homelessness following the attack and how restorative justice transformed his life.
Upcoming Conferences
John Howard Society of Canadavirtual conference
“Promoting Community Safety Through Effective Policy and Law Reform”
March 3-7, 2025
13th international seminar of the European Forum for Restorative Justice
“Crossing Borders - Building Futures Restorative Justice for Children and Young People on the Move.”
May 16-17, 2025
Athens, Greece
Early bird tickets available until March 28
RJ4All 4th International Restorative Justice Symposium
“Inter-community and Inter-state conflicts: Peacebuilding and Reconciliation”
June 16-22, 2025
Cyprus
Expressions of interest due Feb. 28
Restorative Justice in Education (RJE) Conference
“Language Matters: Exploring the Role of Discourse and Communication in Restorative Justice in Education”
June 24-25, 2025
Eastern Mennonite University
Enjoy our special edition highlights of the year, appreciating the many hearts and hands we are privileged to work with and who impact our peacemaking journey.
Below are also our recent blogs.
We look forward to flourishing together in 2025!
Thank you for being in Circle with us.
With Love,
Evelyn and Peace of the Circle Team
Founding Director, Dr. Evelyn Zellerer