Restorative Works! Podcast Feature
Check out our episode: Irene Gotera, Language Justice Advocate, Joins Claire de Mézerville López
The restorative literature is clear—those harmed must have a space to tell their story and have their voices heard.
Those in power—government, policymakers, and justice systems—need to understand the impact of language exclusion on our communities to shift the paradigm: from harm and half-hearted compliance to inclusion and repair.
When the oppressed lack the capacity to articulate their experiences, those in power may not fully comprehend the extent of the issue. Without understanding the impact, our will to help remains insufficient. Holding systems accountable is crucial, but supporting them with education on this topic is equally important to foster change.
The justice system, in particular, must center the voices of underserved and marginalized communities and develop solutions to close justice gaps. Modern, evidence-based practices are needed to make structural shifts and ensure equal access to justice for all.
In this brief podcast episode with the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) Graduate School, I briefly discussed the need for commitment to language justice—the need to give voice to those who have been silenced and excluded for far too long.
In the pursuit of more inclusive and collaborative societies, let us be open to reimagining how we perceive language barriers. The invitation is to embrace the power of language inclusion in creating collaborative societies, and most importantly, to remain willing to amplify the voices of those who have been historically silenced.
As I described in this short talk, language justice has the potential to be
profoundly restorative.
Tune in now! https://lnkd.in/eF3riKuK