In our collective efforts to create a more just and civil society, we sometimes forget to look back at our accomplishments. We’d like to take this opportunity to recognize practitioners and organizations that are being celebrated in their communities for the impact of their work in schools, with women and families, and in justice settings.
Location: Springwood, New South Wales, Australia
Vic and Liz O'Callaghan, pioneers in the field of restorative practices, were awarded Medals of the Order of Australia in the 2024 Australia Day Honours, which recognizes the good work of Australian citizens. Vic and Liz received this award to honor their contributions to restorative practices and education. Their work in restorative practices has focused on formalizing the Listening Circle process and has had an unprecedented impact on the field's evolution. The IIRP is proud to teach people how to facilitate Listening Circles, which aid individuals in developing a mutual understanding of their personal experiences related to a difficult experience or event.
Location: Island of Curaçao, South America
Sentro Di Dama (SEDA), the Women’s Development Center of Curaçao, celebrated 44 years of work in February 2024! SEDA supports community members experiencing violence, financial instability, and interfamilial conflict through restorative methods and ongoing community training. The celebration centered around reflections and storytelling, relaying the resilient history of the island and its people, along with the role SEDA has played. The celebration strengthened SEDA’s resolve to provide quality support to women and families for many years to come. SEDA has been working with the IIRP since 2012 to bring restorative practices to women and families on the island.
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2024 was an incredible year for IIRP podcast collaborator, Marlee Liss. Marlee is a survivor advocate and award-winning speaker on Restorative Justice for Sexual Violence. In June she travelled to Belfast, Northern Ireland, for the Action Trauma Summit, where she spoke on a panel titled “Compassionate Justice.” She delivered a keynote sharing the account of her personal sexual assault case, which set a precedent in North America as the first to be concluded using restorative justice means through the courts. The conference included several renowned voices in the field of trauma and healing, including Dr. Gabor Maté, Richard Schwartz, Fritzi Horstman, Stephen Porges, Nomfundo Walaza, and Dr. Mariel Buqué. Sought after for her deeply impactful storytelling, Marlee has delivered presentations and training sessions advocating for survivor-centered justice at more than 20 universities, symposia and conferences, including Vanderbilt University, Stop Violence Against Women Perth, Connecticut Women's Consortium, Fordham University, University of San Francisco and more. She is currently working on her memoir and a documentary about her restorative justice story, directed by Kelsey Darragh.
