Restorative justice is increasingly recognized as a fitting and generative response to harms committed in communities. After a brief overview of the theory of restorative justice, stories of restorative and reconciliatory practices will be shared, inviting reflection on the unexpected ways in which these practices open up pathways for a more participatory democracy and resistance to the “vertigo of political responsibility.”

Dr Matthew Bersagel Braley is a husband, dad, and an associate professor in the Ethics, Culture, and Society Department at Viterbo University. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on racial reconciliation, social justice, South Africa, peacemaking, ethics, religion, global health and servant leadership.