Restorative Justice Workshops with Dr Carolyn Stauffer
Written by Deborah Wan, a member of the LOVR team
We had such an amazing week when Dr Carolyn Stauffer came to Singapore for a series of workshops with our team and other partners who were interested in exploring ways to address and end sexual harm and relationship violence.
We were swept away by Dr Stauffer's positive energy when she arrived. Despite taking a long 25-hour flight to Singapore and having little rest time before the work week started, she was enthusiastic about making some stops to lovely places in Singapore just to wander and have a feel of our little island city. Some of the questions she posed in our conversations during our time together reflected her curiosity about our systems, rituals and culture, and lifestyle in general. During our informal chats with Dr Stauffer, we truly felt heard and respected, and we also had time to self-reflect on our thoughts and beliefs about Singapore's narrative and what is ingrained in us. We were reminded of what Howard Zehr said about 'living restoratively' - "to take relationships seriously, envisioning yourself in an interconnected web of people, institutions and the environment".
Thank you Dr Stauffer <3 !
Ground Zero: Targeting Gaps and Growth in Sexual Harm Prevention & Advocacy
This was a 2-day workshop for participants to learn more about proactive education, using restorative approaches to mitigate harms, and advocating for systems change. In this workshop, participants examined what we and our communities can do to break cycles of sexual violence.
Dr Stauffer facilitated spaces for participants (students and practitioners from IHLs) to talk about sexual harm truth-telling, proactive justice, and post-traumatic growth. In addition to learning more about using restorative approaches to mitigate harms, participants also had the opportunity to connect and build community in this shared mission of breaking cycles of sexual violence.
Some participants who solely worked with persons who experienced harm (or 'victim-survivors') shared that hearing stories from practitioners who worked with persons who caused harm challenged some of their existing beliefs and preconceived notions of 'perpetrators'. Advocating for systems change can be an exhausting journey but in this workshop, participants realised that they have a much larger community to lean on.
"I think Dr Stauffer was amazing at making everyone feel heard and creating a safe environment to share. I thought it was so insightful and such a good learning experience." – Kamalini, student from Singapore Management University
"This was a really good effort to bring different stakeholders together (both students and practitioners) to share and learn. It's been incredibly insightful and inspiring. Good job and really appreciate this!" – Tan Wan Lin, practitioner from Singapore Management University
Self-Care Retreat
This was a 1-day retreat is to invite participants to bring all parts of themselves to lay down traumatic encumbrances and pick up resilience practices. In order to journey with clients and community members who have experienced harm, participants shared that they needed to have enough in our own mental and relational capacity to be present, to accompany and to serve.
Dr Stauffer facilitated a very relaxing and comfortable space for participants to feel brave, open and vulnerable to share and to unpack their own baggage. All participants reported that they had an opportunity to examine their own thinking and beliefs pertaining to self-care and resilience. 70% of participants reported learning resilience practices that they can apply in daily lives.
"There was no obligation to share and it was up to my own comfort level so I had the option to share if I wanted to." – Tan Yi-En, student from SUSS
Rupture & Repair: Restorative Approaches to Intimate Violence
What does a restorative approach to intimate violence look like? Together with practitioners from the Lutheran Church of Singapore, LCCS staff attended a half-day exploratory workshop to learn about the unique dynamics of intimate violence that occurs within households, work settings, affinity groups and faith communities.
Dr Stauffer facilitated conversations about concepts such as 'the costs of silence', 'organisational disclosure', and 'moral injury', which were all new and complex issues for participants to dialogue about. Discussing about the balance between collective/group honour and individual agency/accountability left participants with more questions than answers. It was a much needed and reflective space to ponder on what was needed to enhance safety, justice, and dignity for all affected parties.
"I really loved Dr Stauffer's facilitation for this workshop. She was very approachable and provided a safe space for discussion, especially for such a heavy topic like intimate partner violence." – Andrea Rajindran, student from National University of Singapore
