Taken at face value, the 12′ structure installed on playa will spell out a cheeky provocation, “NO DANCING,” clearly legible from afar. But as the viewer approaches, each of the large block letters will reveal a story, a testimonial from a real person about a personal experience with unjust rules. Smith sees the piece as a call to awareness of social injustice and the power of restorative justice.

RJ and Gender-based Violence

This blog explores restorative approaches to gender-based violence and the relationship between the restorative justice and transformative justice movements.

One of the most powerful and underused tools in a BIT’s toolbox is the integration of restorative practices. Conflict is almost always a reflection of something more profound, what psychologist Marshall B. Rosenberg, Ph.D., the “father of nonviolent communication,” would call “a tragic expression of unmet needs.” Restorative practices acknowledge this reality and seek to meet it.

Over the last school year, Bridger Middle School leaders decided to take a different approach to deal with the fighting and students acting out.