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Friends
You are invited to attend a super special event sponsored by Family Connections & the Nyack Center!
 What: A Conversation about Restorative Justice with Eve Ensler as emcee, Vilma "Nina" Balmaceda, Toney Earl, Jr., Tarik Greene, Katie Kitchen, and Alan Levin.
When: September 20, 2015 at 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Where: Nyack Community Center, 58 Depew Ave in Nyack, NY.
Please join us to examine restorative justice through the powerful stories and experiences of victims and perpetrators of violent crimes.
This community forum of victims, perpetrators, scholars and survivors will discuss different perspectives and share powerful stories that consider rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community at large. The conversation will explore ways individuals and communities can heal and move on after violent crime. Restorative Justice addresses the rehabilitation of offenders and the possibilities of reconciliation between victims and offenders.
Speakers:
Katie Kitchen: A 19 year-old man murdered Katie’s father in his own driveway after trying to steal his watch and wallet. Early on, Katie recognized that there were more victims than just her father and her family; these included the young man driven to such a crime and his family. Twenty-four years into his life sentence Katie participated in the Victims Survivor Program to help advocate for his release from prison.
 Tarik Greene, OWDS, GCDF and Toney Earl Jr, OWDS: Toney is the Executive Director and Tarik the Deputy Director of Rockland County’s M.A.D.E (Making a Difference Everyday) which provides transitional services to inmates seeking to transform their lives and be productive members of society. Tarik served 11 years in prison for armed robbery. Tarik recognizes the culture of poverty that is linked to mass incarceration and speaks about the possibilities that may be found through restorative justice.
Vilma “Nina” Balmaceda, Ph.D: Dr. Balmaceda will be providing the community with a brief background of restorative justice and will also reflect on society’s obligations to those who have rehabilitated themselves in prison.
Eve Ensler, Tony Award winning playwright, performer and activist, will emcee the event. Eve has very passionately spoken about healing from trauma and she will add a powerful voice to the evening.
Nyack’s own Alan Levin, psychotherapist and meditation teacher, will be facilitating the community dialogue following the speakers. The community will be able to ask questions of the speakers, voice their own reflections on the topics and be asked to relate these concepts to traumas they may have experienced in their own lives.
The program will begin with an invocation delivered by Reverend Owen Thompson and Rabbi Paula Mack Drill.
There is a suggested donation of $10 to benefit Family Connections.
For more information, please contact Jennifer Mancuso at jenjulia@aol.com or visit The Nyack Centers website or call the Nyack Center at 845-358-2600.
Images: Word collage courtesy of slide share, graphic from restorative practices blog, and healing circle from Oneness Wednesdays.
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