We’re excited to announce that Oak Park’s third annual Restorative Justice Conference will take place virtually, all throughout October. This year’s theme is The Medicine Wheel: Balancing Humanity.

The goal of this year’s conference is to provide the community with strategies to cope in these extreme times. “2020 has been very difficult for everyone,” says the library’s Manager of Teen Services Stephen Jackson.

“This year’s conference is about ways people can support themselves and others, find balance, and find tools just to connect,” Jackson says. “Connection is something so many of us need right now.”

As in past years, this year’s conference will bring together local activists and teachers, community leaders, and passionate individuals.

Together, we will dive deep into restorative practices, which include bringing empathy to a situation, seeking first to understand, and helping people without doing further harm. Whether they’re applied in a criminal justice, school, family, or broader community setting, restorative practices take a group perspective.