
Practitioner Spotlight – Martin Urbach
.”..Restorative justice has been practiced in Black and Indigenous communities for a long, long, long, long time. Even before colonization got here, right?”
.”..Restorative justice has been practiced in Black and Indigenous communities for a long, long, long, long time. Even before colonization got here, right?”
John Ducksworth was born in Harlem, USA attending the New York City Public school system. He has acquired an Associate Degree from Dutchess Community College, a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts from State University of New York, a Master’s Degree in Professional Studies from New York Theological Seminary with a concentration in counseling and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice with a concentration in management and organization.
Camille Jacobs is a progressive educator, restorative thought leader, and agent for social change. Her empathy and introspection are the driving force behind her new and imaginative approaches to building strong and healthy communities. Currently serving as an Assistant Principal in New York City, Camille has spent the last sixteen years advocating for students with a niche in finding creative and restorative ways when helping young people succeed.
Every few months we will feature an interview with a restorative practitioner to uplift the folks doing the work on the ground in our communities, highlight original and emerging applications for restorative justice, and provide a better understanding of restorative practices as applied in different contexts. First up, we have Cecilia B. Loving!
But at RJI, we are committed to sustaining an ecosystem for many types of restorative practices in NYC to spread. This means supporting dozens of organizations and hundreds of local restorative justice leaders.
I believe that circles can be a powerful space in which Americans can build trust and connection with one another, affirm their core values and enhance their understanding of racism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia and other forces that are deployed to tear our communities apart. Perhaps most importantly, circles can also be a space in which we learn how to take action to counter these forces and foster a culture of belonging in the communities where we live and work.