On Friday January 09, the Restorative Justice team welcomed young adults to join us in a conversation on how our community can aid in building resilience for our future generations. Extra special thanks to the youth that showed up!
Our group started with a land acknowledgement, recognizing how we are lucky to be allowed to learn from each other in flexible and safe spaces. The history of residential schools has taught us how important it is to take care of those who may be in vulnerable positions. At Restorative Justice we do our best to model resilience, strength and compassion so that those around us can feel nurtured in connection with each other.
Peter Block, is an author that focuses on empowering others, and his thoughts were shared around the importance of creating empowering spaces where young people can develop self-sufficiency and belonging. Growth is fostered through generative learning and shared responsibility. He calls for adults to reclaim their village role to support children’s “full lives”.
We started the conversation by asking “Can you share with us an activity that you like to do, that brings you joy”. Some of the reflections included reading, dancing, movement of any kind, working with my hands, standing up for justice, and hanging out with friends.
Then we asked the group “Thinking back to a learning experience or a person that you found really inspiring, can you reflect on some things that really stood out to you. What made that experience really positive?”
Stepparents were also mentioned as a source of inspiration. It was mentioned how telling stories were a valuable way of learning.
Several people mentioned exceptional teachers. One participant reflected on a teacher who reassured him that even when it seems overwhelming, we will eventually understand. We discussed how powerful that was. Teachers who were natural teachers with great attitudes, treat students with respect, and tell jokes. We really learn well from people we feel comfortable with. It was also discussed that we are already learning from the resilience of young people around us and how sometimes we make things a lot more complicated than they need to be. The wisdom of the younger generation and their eagerness to making the world a better place was also talked about.
From here we moved onto the next question: “What are some things/activities that we have done in the community that have drawn your attention that you would like to see more of?”
Many people mentioned music in Centennial Park, the Taiko drum event which invites people to learn and enjoy a different culture, Mateada music events in the parking lot. Some other ideas included:
– Events where everyone is welcome, people can join in as much or as little as they want
– Events that bring people together
– Lunch at the Christmas Bazaars, at the church and Beaver Point Hall
– Coming to ASK SS events
– Cranfest
– Outdoor theatre
– Being a part of non-profit organizations that contribute to our island
– Community events that bring people together
The discussion moved to our last question that was “What is something that we don’t have here on the island that you think would be really beneficial for young people in our community?”.
– Many people see the need for a community center where people can hang out and try different activities, painting, knitting or crochet, music making, crafts
– A place where young people can find a youth advocate connecting them to resources such as grants and mentors
– Late night place for youth to be. Everything closes early.
– A bowling alley and skating ring where youth could be together doing something active
– A youth shelter and access to resources for those who are experiencing vulnerability
– A youth lobbying force or advocate for decisions made that affect youth
– Dream coaches in schools, helping youth understand and develop a learning path to realizing their dreams
– Mentorship and work shadowing programs
“Inspiration is there when we look for it.”
We closed our meeting with the prompt “What is one thing that you are grateful for that you are taking with you from our time together today?” and the feedback included feelings of peace in the room, the gentleness of the discussion, and feelings of inspiration and hope.
We were so grateful for the conversation today and look forward to seeing each other again at our next Restorative Justice ASK Salt Spring on Feb 13, at 11:00am in SIMS room 06.