May 18th - May 21st, 2023
Practicing for an Abolitionist World
A Virtual Transnational Gathering for Transformative Justice, Restorative Justice, and and Community Accountability Practitioners
Join Virtual Event
May 18th–May 21st:
4 Days
Connecting everyday people across borders who are responding to sexual, partner, family, state, or community-based violence by turning towards each other rather than systems of punishment and state capture and control, practicing values of abolition, self-accountability, interdependence, community care, and bodily autonomy.
Speakers:
Global Perspectives
Presentations
3 Days
Day 1: Thursday, May 18, 2023:
May 18th12:30 to 13:00 (UTC)
Opening Session
Hosted by Mariame Kaba , Mimi Kim
Mariame Kaba and Mimi Kim will welcome attendees to the conference. Mimi Kim will offer opening remarks, grounding us in lessons from over four decades of theorizing, practicing, and training people and communities in community accountability and transformative justice in the United States and transnationally.
May 18th13:15 to 14:30 (UTC)
South Asian Regional Session
Hosted by Dee , Nikita Sonavane , Sandhya Nair , Tanmay Nivedita
In this session, we will learn from members of Alternative Justice, Criminal Justice and Police Accountability Project, Kranti, and Jan Jagran Shakti Sangathan.
Moderator: Dee, Alternative Justice
May 18th14:45 to 16:15 (UTC)
North Africa & Middle East Regional Session
Hosted by Nazan Üstündağ , Yasmeen Daher
This session will include representatives of the Kurdish Women's Movement/Global Prison Abolitionist Coalition and the Febrayer Network of Independent Arab Media Organizations, moderated by a member of the Palestinian Feminist Collective.
Moderator: Leila N., Palestinian Feminist Collective
Presentations
The Political and Ethical Predicaments When Theory Meets Practice in Questions of Transitional Justice and Sexual Violence with Yasmeen Daher, Febrayer Network of Independent Arab Media Organizations
Transnational Transformative Justice in War with Nazan Üstündağ, Kurdish Women's Movement/Global Prison Abolitionist Coalition
The presentation will address how in the autonomous region of Northern and Eastern Syria transnational justice works, specifically as it concerns women. Mala Jin which refers to Houses of Women refers to communities of women that deal with disputes between men and women and all crimes committed against women. 80 percent of cases are resolved in these communities and if disputes can not be resolved they are delegated to district assemblies. The presentation will also address the difficulties of extending such structures for issues concerning other crimes such as those committed by ISIS members in the context of war. In Northern Eastern Syria practices of transitional justice and severe forms of incarceration therefore coexist.
May 18th17:15 to 18:45 (UTC)
Europe Regional Session
Hosted by Farzana Khan , Jael Rollin , Kelsey
This session will include presenters from Bewegungsstiftung/"In our Bodies - on the Streets"/Kommunikationskollektiv, Cradle Collective and Healing Justice Ldn.
Moderators: Anna + Valentina, Feminist Autonomous Centre for Research
Presentations
What does it take to make transformative justice truly transformative? with Jael Rollin, Bewegungsstiftung, "In our Bodies - on the Streets," and Kommunikationskollektiv
This workshop explores the obstacles and challenges - as well as ways forward to make transformative justice and community accountability truly transformative. It draws from experiences from Generative Somatics in Central Eastern Europe and Caucasus, 15 years of facilitation and mediation in grassroot movements in Germany and 4 1/2 years accompanying social movements funded by Bewegungsstiftung. How can our movements and our accountability processes - especially when the shit hits the fan become compelling instead of frightening? What do we need to practice and what do we need to let go off in order to heal and move forwards with power?
Building skills for transformative justice approaches to violence and harm, in the heart of empire with Kelsey M., Cradle Community
Cradle is a collective experimenting with putting abolitionist and transformative justice principles into practice in the UK and elsewhere. They will be discussing their experiences in developing daily practices of violence and conflict intervention and de-escalation and community accountability approaches to supporting survivors of interpersonal and state violence and the specific challenges and questions they are working through in the UK.
Rehearsing Freedoms - Embodying Liberation and Structural Justice for Community Led Health & Healing with Farzana Khan, Healing Justice Ldn
May 18th19:00 to 20:00 (UTC)
Panel: Working with People Who Cause Harm
Hosted by JAC Patrissi , Jae Lin , Shira Hassan
During this session, we will learn from two groups who have been running support helplines and hotlines for those who have caused harm. We will hear from the Games and Online Harassment Hotline and Growing a New Heart, which operates A Call for Change Helpline. Both projects offer resources, support for transformation, and innovative strategies for personal change and repair. This 60-minute panel will focus on how these projects were built, how they operate, and lessons learned from their work.
Moderator: Shira Hassan, Just Practice
Day 2: Friday, May 19, 2023:
May 19th16:30 to 17:00 (UTC)
Opening Session with Just Practice
Hosted by Shira Hassan
Justice Practice will provide today’s welcome to get us ready for today’s presentations.
May 19th17:15 to 18:30 (UTC)
Panel: Queer & Trans People
Hosted by Care , Leander & Stas Phoenix , Stas S.R. Phoenix , Thanh Mai Bercher , Andrea J. Ritchie
How do trans people translate our transformative justice practice transnationally? This panel features trans and nonbinary speakers with roots and practice in Germany, Italy, Turtle Island, Vietnam, and more.
Moderator: Andrea J. Ritchie
May 19th18:45 to 20:15 (UTC)
Latin America Regional Session
Hosted by Ari , Leyla Savloff , Liliana Cabrera
In this session, we will learn from members of YoNoFui.
Moderator: Camila
May 19th21:15 to 22:45 (UTC)
North American Regional Session
Hosted by Che Johnson-Long , Cindy Mahendar , Rabbit Richards , Ruth Jeannoel
In this session, we will learn from members of Dream Defenders, Vision Change Win, and PACE legal society.
Moderator: Ruth Jeannoel
Day 3: Sunday, May 21, 2023:
May 21st12:30 to 13:00 (UTC)
Opening Session with Spring Up
Hosted by Leander & Stas Phoenix
Spring Up will provide today’s welcome to get us ready for today’s presentations.
May 21st13:15 to 14:30 (UTC)
East Asia Regional Session
Hosted by Honey Andres , Moé Suzuki
In this session, we will learn from members of Abolisyon/Dinner Party Collective and Chabujo.
Moderator: omi/angelique
May 21st14:45 to 16:30 (UTC)
Panel: Gun Violence
Hosted by Andreia Beatriz Silva dos Santos , Brandon Daurham , ethan ucker , Mariame Kaba , Martine Caverl
In this session, we will learn from Ujimaa Medics, Stick Talk, and Reaja ou Ser Morta as they discuss the transformative ways they address and respond to gun violence.
Moderator: Mariame Kaba
Presentations
Stick Talk with Brandon Daurham and ethan ucker
As arrests, prosecutions, and incarceration for gun possession offenses surge across the U.S., organizers from Stick Talk (Chicago IL) are advancing Firearm Harm Reduction, a community defense strategy co-created by young Black and Brown people who are on both sides of the gun.
What does it mean to make community safety and care with guns? Let's discuss!
Stick Talk builds capacity to respond to urban gun violence without criminalizing firearm possession or defaulting to abstinence-based approaches to firearms.
May 21st17:15 to 18:45 (UTC)
Transnational Session
Hosted by Brendah Aryatugumya
In this session, we will learn from members of Healing Together and Centre for Transnational Development and Collaboration.
Moderator: Vivianne
May 21st19:00 to 20:00 (UTC)
Closing Session
Hosted by
Join us for our final session together to close our conference.