Events Calendar

Restorative justice builds connections and addresses matters in a way that rebuilds trust and strengthens relationships.

Participate in a circle dialogue with Philadelphia practitioners and learn how restorative justice can be applied to community, education, faith, family, and judicial settings.

Guest panelists include:

• Jody Dodd, restorative justice facilitator, Philadelphia District Attorney's Office
• Rev. Dr. Donna L. Jones, executive director, Metropolitan Christian Council of Philadelphia and founder, Restorative Cities Initiative
• Kwaku Owusu, co-founder and finance director, Collective Climb
• Khoumbare Semega, Temple University student

You’ll also learn more about the new Restorative Justice proficiency certificate, which starts in spring 2025.

About the Panelists

Jody Dodd has been a lifelong activist working on peace, human rights, environmental, and social justice issues with many people and organizations across the United States and the world. Through the Philadelphia District Attorney's office, she developed a restorative justice program for juveniles that has been active since 2021 and currently is working to expand restorative justice for adults charged with felony assault.

Rev. Dr. Donna L. Jones has been a restorative and transformative justice practitioner, trainer, author, and advocate for more than two decades. The Metropolitan Christian Council of Philadelphia helps nonprofits, grassroots community leaders, interfaith congregations, and institutions involved in restorative justice practice education, neighbor-led community safety strategies, and holistic justice reform. The Restorative Cities Initiative promotes a collaborative training and advocacy model for integrated restorative practices throughout social systems that achieves peace with justice.

Kwaku Owusu co-founded Collective Climb with two close friends in 2020. The organization uses restorative practices to promote Black joy, security and freedom for community members in Philadelphia. He primarily focuses this work on young Black teens and men through the Restorative Community Project and Restorative Justice Diversion, both of which use art as a tool for processing the conditions which lead to negative behavior in his community.

Khoumbare Semega is a Mauritanian American and a freshman at Temple University who has worked with Collective Climb on multiple restorative community projects. She strives to engage with restorative practices through various mediums of art as well as applying its principles to day-to day-life.