Restorative Justice & Conflict Transformation
Elaine EnnsAbout Elaine | Elaine's Curriculum Vitae | Mediation & Consultation | Training & Seminars
About Restorative
Justice
Restorative Justice views crime as a violation of people
and relationships. Restorative Justice seeks to meet
victims' needs for compensation and empowerment, to hold
offenders accountable while offering possibilities for
restoration, and to invite church and community to
participate in the justice process as healers and
peacemakers. Restorative Justice programs work with the
criminal justice system in developing and advocating
criminal justice programs consistent with the principles of
accountability, healing and restoration.
The most prominent example of Restorative Justice is Victim
Offender Reconciliation Programs (VORP). In hundreds of
communities across North America, offenders, victims and
their support communities meet face to face, with the help
of volunteer mediators, to seek ways to "make things as
right as possible".
About Conflict Transformation
Cooperative conflict transformation and problem solving can
benefit homes, workplaces, neighborhoods, congregations and
other groups. It provides an opportunity for dialogue,
accountability, healing and reconciliation. Elaine offers
the following services to assist people and organizations
to reduce the costs, both emotional and financial, of
conflict:
Mediation
and Consultation
Mediation is a basic cooperative process which uses a
facilitator. It involves two or more parties or sides, and
a mediator. The mediator guides the process and creates a
safe place for the parties to work, but does not decide the
issues. There is no agreement until the parties make one.
Facilitation and consultation services help organizations
design and establish cooperative management systems. Elaine
offers mediation, facilitation and consultation services to
individuals, churches, schools and organizations.
Training
and Seminars
Elaine travels throughout North America conducting
trainings, workshops and seminars.
- Victim Offender Mediation / Community Justice Conferencing Training. This training focuses on the theory and practice of mediation between victims, offenders and their support people. Community Justice Conferencing (CJC) is based on the New Zealand model of Family Group Conferencing. CJC mediations bring together a number of people from the offender's natural community (family, church, school, neighborhood, etc.), a police or probation officer, and the victim(s) and their support people. This training introduces participants to the basic skills of victim-offender mediation.
- Restorative Justice Training. Restorative Justice was pioneered as a response to crime. Restorative Justice provides tools for addressing situations of power imbalance and injustice. Restorative Justice is now being applied more widely to scenarios in e.g. schools, Department of Social Services, Refugee work, mental health, etc. Contact Elaine to design a Restorative Justice training for your organization.
- Conflict Transformation Training. Together with Elaine, you can design a conflict transformation training to meet your needs. Learn valuable insights and strategies for dealing with interpersonal and group conflicts in your home, workplace, school and congregation.
About Elaine Enns
Elaine currently collaborates with the Center for Restorative Justice Works (Archdiocese of Los Angeles) and has worked with the Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies (Fresno Pacific University) and Christians Empowering for Reconciliation and Justice.
Elaine does adjunct teaching across North America; recent engagements include: Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, CA (Fall 2003); Christian Brothers University, Memphis, TN (Spring 2003); Andover Newton Theological Seminary, Boston, MA (June 2002); and Menno Simons College, Winnipeg, MB Canada (1998).
Elaine often partners with her husband, Ched Myers, to teach on the Theology and Practice of Restorative Justice. Recent engagements include:
- London Mennonite Peace Center, England, September, 2004
- University of Winnipeg, Canada, September 2003
- Maine Council of Churches, June, 2003
- Marshfield United Church of Christ, MA, October 2002
- Five Oaks Retreat Center, Toronto, Canada, May 2002
- Detention Ministries, Los Angeles Archdiocese, California, April 2002, Jan 2003
- United Church of Australia Commission for Mission, Melbourne, Australia, February 2002
- New England United Methodist Pastors Assembly, New Hampshire, August 2001
- First Presbyterian Church, Palo Alto, California, November 2000
Elaine holds a Bachelors degree from the Canadian Mennonite Bible College, Winnipeg, Manitoba (1989) and a Master of Arts in Conflict Management and Peacemaking/ Theology from the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary, Fresno, California (1995). Born and raised in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Elaine currently lives in Northeast Los Angeles.
Her most recent publication is “Estranged Relatives: Mediation and Nonviolent Direct Action” in Conciliation Quarterly, Winter 2003. Mennonite Conciliation Services, with Ched Myers.
View an online version of Elaine's CV