The RCMP is putting on several training opportunities in the near future:

• Kelowna – April 20-22 (starts at 1:15 on April 20th) S.Blaker instructor
• Chilliwack – April 27-29 (starts at 3:30 on April 27) 6-8 seats open, contact Kim McLandress
• Sicamous – May 4-6 (start at 3:00 pm May 4) S. Blaker instuctor
• Kamloops – May 4-6 (start at 4:00 pm) J. Cooley instructor  “final approval pending on attendance numbers”
• Nanaimo – May 25-27 –  S. Blaker instuctor “final approval pending on attendance numbers”
• Fort St John – June 7-10 –  ”final approval pending on attendance numbers”
• Castlegar – June 22-24 –  ”final approval pending”
• Grand Forks – July 13-15 -  Sarah Chandler instructor

The next Collaborative meeting will be on April 26th from 6-9pm at North Shore RJ Community Office – Chestnut Room, North Building, 600 West Queens Road in North Vancouver. The Collaborative will be retiring the riot topic and discussing the organizing of a future rj retreat for the lower mainland. Save the date for this meeting and more details including the opportunity to RSVP will be released the week of the meeting.

Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime is looking for feedback on their new resource, “If the Media Calls: A Guide for Crime Victims & Survivors”.  Check it out!

Next week is National Victims of Crime Awareness Week. Be sure to check out the calendar of events happening in BC!

There are a few spots left in an RCMP training happening in Kelowna with the Boys and Girls Club and the John Howard Society. For details, contact:

Sharlene O’Reilly, B.A. Psy./Crim.
Program Coordinator
Youth Restorative Justice
Okanagan Boys and Girls Club
1633 Richter Street Kelowna, B.C.
250-868-8541 Ext 5

North Peace Justice Society is collecting information on the number of rj files completed each year. Want to share your numbers? Contact Michelle:

Michelle LaBoucane
Coordinator
North Peace Justice Society
10142 101 ave
Fort St John BC
V1J 2B3
Ph: 250-263-9209
Fax: 250-263-9299
Cell: 250-262-7410

Were you interested in the RCMP trainings we posted about last week? Click here to download additional information about them, including how to register.

Restorative justice was a popular topic in the news this past week…

- Two articles coming out of Grand Forks, one highlighting the Boundary RJ Program and its search for volunteers, and another discussing rj’s ability to reduce court backlogs.

- One article out of the Vernon Morning Star celebrating the effectiveness of their local rj program.

- One article featuring a call for rj volunteers in Kamloops.

- From the other side of the country comes an article highlighting a new restorative justice pilot project to work with students.

Finally, click here to download the National Justice Network Update for March.

There are two upcoming RCMP trainings that are open to the public. See the attached documents for details on a training in Chilliwack, April 27th-29th, and in Sicamous May 4th-6th.

Typically we try not to copy/paste emails directly, but in this case we felt it best for the sake of clarity. Check out this upcoming event that you can watch online!

INVITATION TO ATTEND OR WATCH ONLINE THE ECOCIDE RESTORATIVE JUSTICE SENTENCING

Lecture Theatre, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ

Saturday 31 March, 10.00 to 17.30

We are delighted to invite you to the Ecocide Trial Sentencing at which the two CEOs, John Tench and Robin Bannerman, found Guilty at the Ecocide Trial in the Supreme Court last year, will be sentenced following representations by Michael Mansfield QC for the prosecution and Adam Hiddleston for the Defence.

The highlight of the day will be the Restorative Justice Conference where Robin Bannerman, CEO of Global Petroleum Company has agreed to come face to face with the victims of his crime. These will include representatives of the Indigenous community, Future Generations, Wider Humanity and for the first time ever in the legal Restorative Justice process, voice will be given to the Earth and the birds which die in the tailing ponds.

Mr Bannerman will be supported in the Conference by the Chairman of the GPC Pension Fund and the company’s Chief Sustainability Officer.  Lawrence Kershen QC, Chair of the Restorative Justice Council will facilitate.

Running parallel with the RJ Conference in the morning, four academic papers on the environment, climate change and carbon markets will be presented. In the afternoon, International Award winning Canadian photographer and campaigner Garth Lenz will give a talk about the Athabasca Tar Sands followed by a panel discussion.

If you are coming and haven’t yet registered, please do so here:

http://ecocidethesentence.eventbrite.co.uk/

We’d love you there in person, but if you can’t make it, the event will be live streamed on the day and can be watched here:

http://www.idcr.org.uk/ecocide-trial-the-sentence/ecocide-live-stream