A local organization host their first youth conference highlighting Restorative Justice
Alianza Coachella Valley hopes to create safe spaces for students of all backgrounds, in and out of the classroom with Restorative Justice techniques.
Alianza Coachella Valley hosted its first youth conference at the Indio College of the Desert campus. The theme of the day was Restorative Justice.
The Alianza Represenatives says Restorative Justice can be interpreted differently. Still, their goal is to allow students to take accountability for their actions and understand that they caused harm to someone.
At the conference, students discussed topics like what they value and how to communicate non-verbally. "the values, So the one that I chose would be patience because our life is hard," says Jenny bravo, a Desert Mirage High school student. "And we were just trying to, like, be more understanding of what it is."
Students participated in a lot of group activities like the Human Knot. The goal is to get out of the body knot without speaking. It was all body language and eye contact.
The parents of CVUSD brought food to show support. "It's very important because we have our children with good behavior is less stressful for us," says Sandra Ramirez, parent of four CVUSD students. "Less stress for the teachers, and obviously for the CVUSD."
Students from the valley's east to west end participated in the community building circles.
I hope that they lead the advocacy to hold district staff accountable and let them know we need this in our schools," says Daniela Rojas, Alianza
Alianza reps passed out bags, pamphlets, and shirts that explained reformative Justice.
Alianza is hosting another conference next week to help students resolve conflicts with peers, teachers, and family members. Go to their contact us page for more information or direct message the org, at @alianzacv on Instagram.
