Restorative Justice and The Next Economy
Phoenix Soleil hosts a restorative justice series as part of LIFT Economy’s Next Economy Now podcast. She hopes you’ll enjoy these conversations with leaders in restorative justice as much as she has.
Restorative justice is an approach to harm, conflict, and accountability that asks: Who was impacted? What do they need? Who is responsible? And what would repair look like? Rather than focusing on punishment, blame, or exclusion, restorative justice creates pathways for truth-telling, accountability, healing, and repair.
This work is an essential part of the next economy. A racially just, regenerative, and locally self-reliant economy cannot be built on extraction, disposability, or revenge. It requires practices that help people, organizations, and communities address harm, rebuild trust, and stay in right relationship with one another.
The Restorative Justice series explores how restorative principles can be applied across many different contexts. Gerald brings the perspective of a prosecutor who facilitated restorative dialogues between people responsible for crimes and those harmed in cases that otherwise would have gone through the court system. Tatiana shares her experience as a survivor of a violent crime who found closure through a restorative process. Malachi shares how encountering restorative justice while incarcerated for a violent crime transformed his life and led him to become a leader who now facilitates restorative circles for others. David leads a restorative justice program in Oakland schools, and Kazu brings restorative principles into activism, social change, and advocacy. Together, these conversations reveal restorative justice not as a single practice, but as a way of approaching harm, accountability, healing, and systemic change.
Restorative Justice Series on Next Economy Now
Want more information about restorative justice? Phoenix has compiled a list of resources you can explore here.
Stay up to date with this series & get more free resources: Join Phoenix’s newsletter here to be the first to know about new podcasts in the Restorative Justice series, plus more free resources and tips from Phoenix on how to foster more generative relationships in all areas of our lives.
Phoenix Soleil, host and interviewer of this series, is a partner and co-owner at LIFT Economy who helps people and organizations navigate conflict, strengthen communication, and build trust. As a mediator, facilitator, and Nonviolent Communication trainer, Phoenix offers mediation, training, strategic support, and conflict coaching to individuals, groups, families, and organizations. Her work is grounded in the belief that, when approached skillfully, conflict can become a conduit for deeper understanding, greater trust, and meaningful change. You can reach out to her through our contact page.