A Confluence of Amherst, Art and Restorative Justice
May 5, 2021
An evening of Amherst art as it intertwines around, with and through restorative justice.
An evening of Amherst art as it intertwines around, with and through restorative justice.
Following the lives of five people, the film Coming Home takes an intimate and powerful look at the struggles and challenges of folks coming out of prison and the successes of a restorative justice model in repairing harm. Filmmaker Bess O'Brien discusses how the restorative power of sharing one's story and gaining trust from local community members moves people forward in their healing process and moves them away from reoffending.
Dr. Paula Green discusses her work in Hands Across the Hills, bringing together a group of self-identified progressives from Massachusetts with a group of self-identified conservatives from a coal-mining region of Kentucky. Dr. Green, along with Ben Fink and Gwen Johnson, offer hope about how we can find each other beneath the chaos, dehumanization, and painful partisan divide, and share a roadmap for how we too can participate in a just and inclusive society.
Professor David Karp, author of, "The Little Book of Restorative Justice for Colleges and Universities," discussed how using restorative practices can transform college campuses.
Amherst College invited Dr. Joseph Sebarenzi, former head of the Parliament of Rwanda, to help celebrate the official launch of the College's Center for Restorative Practices.
Dr. Fania Davis, author of “The Little Book of Race and Restorative Justice,” joined the Amherst College community as part of the official launch of the Center for Restorative Practices for a conversation titled: “Restorative Justice and Racial Justice in a Time of Heartache, Awakening and Repair.”