New journal article with Maori colleagues

My latest publication
INDIGENOUS CONTEXTS FOR RESPONDING TO CHALLENGING BEHAVIOUR: CONTRASTING WESTERN ACCOUNTABILITY WITH MAORI RESTORATION OF HARMONY
was written with two Maori colleagues from New Zealand - Mere Berryman and Sonja Macfarlane. This article was published in the International Journal of Restorative Justice and is available at www.crjcs.org under the Vol 5, No 1 link (right hand side of web site).

When I went to New Zealand in 2004 one of the things I hoped to learn is what Maori traditional thinking could tell us to help our practices. I found it took five years to develop the relationships with Maori and an understanding of their rich culture so that I could engage in the conversation that led to this article.

I believe you will find this article most interesting, particularly for those who ask - What are we restoring? Maori tell us that at the core of what restorative justice is about is relationships, and what we are restoring are those relationships.

Creating a School of Peace and Nonviolence in a Time of War and Violence

I received word yesterday that my article Creating Schools of Peace and Nonviolence in a Time of War and Violence will be published in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of School Violence. A copy of the article is posted on my website - www.restorativejustice.com. The abstract for the article is:

Abstract
In this post 9/11 era Western cultures are focusing on values that support war and violence. In this article an ethnographer explores the impact of these values on schools. These values, seen through the lens of restorative justice, include: (a) punishment, (b) adversarial relationships, (c) monopolization of power, (d) problemization and professionalization, (e) prevalence of economic interests, (f) racism and privilege, and (g) imposition of the dominant culture. Based on his research, the author outlines how schools can create an alternative culture of peace and nonviolence grounded in the restorative justice based idea of peacemaking and focusing on: (a) building trust, (b) healing harms to relationships, (c) restoring dignity of persons affected, (d) respecting biculturalism/multiculturalism, (e) being aware of power differences, and (f) creating safety.