supplementary events

The following events have been listed as the aims of these events are consistent with the focus of the Contemporary Restorative Practices Conference.

These events are being auspiced by the respective organisers as listed in the table below, who are entirely responsible for their organisation and management.

Restorative Practices in Faith Communities

Sunday 24th November 2024
12.30pm (light lunch),followed by conversation 1pm - 3.30pm

This meeting, conducted in a circle format, will explore current issues, challenges and opportunities for the development of RP in faith communities. The meeting assumes that attendees will have attended at least one day of the Contemporary Restorative Practices Conference and have an basic awareness of RP principles.

Please use the link below to register, there is no cost to attend:

https://forms.gle/XDWTCvUedDsp5d7V7

Any enquiries please contact:
Chris Bedding, Faith Worker’s Alliance
contact@faithworkers.org.au

Small Group Conversations: 6 questions for engagement

Wednesday 20 November 2024
9.00am - 3.00pm

A Small Group is committed to the creation of a restorative and reconciled community. The strategy is to discover ways to engage the disengaged through working with existing associations and through direct invitation. This work focuses on direct efforts to bring into conversation those groups of people who are not in relationship with each other.

Contact:
Margaret Thorsborne Chair of RPI
mthorsborne@gmail.com
+61 412 135015

Redefining Leadership in A Post Pandemic World

Wednesday 20 November 2024
8.45am registration for 9.00am start
$250 (discount for RPI and AARJ members), includes catering
Location: ANU

Please use the link below to register

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1230840?

As we approach the fifth anniversary of the life-changing COVID-19 pandemic, it's evident that the need for human connection has only grown stronger. Amidst reflections on the crisis and its leadership, a shift towards new models is discernible, with the concept of leadership focusing on more on the art of convening and facilitating versus motivating and inspiring.

Drawing inspiration from Peter Block's work, this workshop introduces six pivotal conversations aimed at fostering personal transformation and organizational evolution. Each conversation stems from thought-provoking questions, emphasizing the power of invitation over mandates, the significance of envisioning possibilities rather than fixating on problems, the importance of asserting refusal to lend weight to our affirmations, and the transformative potential of focusing on gifts rather than shortcomings. Participants will be equipped with actionable processes for effecting genuine social change.

Objectives:

(Re)defining leadership as the art of convening and posing thought-provoking questions to unveil new avenues of possibility.
Learning to forecast the future by reshaping our understanding of the past.
Experiencing an innovative approach to organizing gatherings that catalyzes transformation.

This methodology, termed "A Small Group," has been successfully implemented worldwide across diverse sectors, including business, education, grassroots community organizing, collaborative problem-solving, faith communities, and initiatives fostering "economies of compassion" or neighborly connections.

At the heart of my approach to nurturing "restorative communities" lies the conviction that global change takes root at the local level. Participants will be prompted with a simple yet profound question at the workshop's outset: "Do you want to change the world?" Naturally, the response is typically affirmative. Building on this momentum, the follow-up query, "How do we embark on this endeavor?" underscores the importance of beginning with the space we inhabit—a room, where change starts.

Throughout the workshop, the six essential conversations will be meticulously unpacked, accompanied by guidance on both physical setup (room layout) and linguistic strategies to initiate transformative dialogues. Each participant will receive a comprehensive 35-page booklet delineating the protocols and methodologies employed.

Come and enjoy less PowerPoint and more Powerful Conversations

Workshop Facilitator: Lee Rush

Lee Rush is the Executive Director of justCommunity, Inc. a non-profit organization he founded in 1999. Based in Quakertown, PA, justCommunity provides training and consultation services in the area of civic engagement, community mobilization strategies and restorative practices.

Lee is also a consultant with Designed Learning, Inc., (a Peter Block company) and an instructor for the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP). He is currently serving on the board of the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice (NACRJ).

Lee draws on over forty-five years of business experience in the fields of education, healthcare and non-profit management. During this time, he has served in a range of positions including teaching and counseling at the secondary level, administering a day treatment program in an alternative school setting, supervising staff in a residential youth facility, directing a human resource department for a mid-sized healthcare company, serving as an Executive Director of a 501(c)(3) health foundation.

Lee earned his undergraduate degree in Criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and his Masters Degree in Psychoeducational Processes from Temple University. He specialized his studies in Organizational Development and Adult Learning theory. He was named the National Prevention Advocate in 2013 and has received numerous awards and recognition, including a Mission of Service Award from the International Mankind Project and a Distinguished Service Award from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.