First ever undergrad restorative justice conference held at the University of Regina

Advertisements

A historic event unfolds at the U of R

On Feb. 19, the Faculty of Justice Studies and the UR Restorative Justice Club hosted the first- ever undergraduate restorative justice conference in Canada.

The conference drew hundreds of attendees with prominent guest speakers, including the award-winning criminologist and best-selling author Dr. Lisa Monchalin. The event also commemorated the 50th anniversary of the University of Regina.

There were interactive breakout-room sessions on restorative justice and its role in court, prison, policing and Indigenous justice. Networking sessions also allowed the U of R campus community to connect with the guest speakers and the rest of the attendees.

Thirty volunteers were on scene to help with registration , catering, photography and videography and the justice studies exhibition held at the Research and Innovation Centre. When asked about the vision for the RJ conference, Dr. Muhammad Asadullah, associate professor in the department of justice studies, one of the pioneers of the U of R Restorative Justice Club and the leading organizer of the conference stated: “The inaugural Undergraduate Restorative Justice Conference was a great success, bringing together key justice stakeholders, non-profit organizations, students, community members, and academics. Tickets sold out several days before the event.”

Asadullah sees the application of restorative justice in academic settings as crucial. “Universities worldwide, including in Canada, have found that using restorative justice not only supports students but also fosters a stronger culture of academic integrity and accountability. This approach should never be seen as an ‘easy way out.’ In fact, research has shown that students often find it more challenging to take responsibility and engage in the restorative process than to simply accept a suspension.”

One of Asadullah’s takeaways from the networking sessions during the conference was that “restorative justice is rooted in a relational worldview. The inclusion of a lunch buffet for socialization and networking was intentional, fostering deeper connections among participants. Feedback from conference attendees strongly reflects the success of this approach.”

Nimra Burki, who emceed the conference, is president of the U of R Restorative Justice Club and a third-year student in human justice. “The event unfolded better than I expected!” she said. ““According to our volunteers, we had over 100 attendees at the conference. It was lovely to also see representatives from other clubs, such as RPIRG, as well as professionals in diverse fields, [such as] MLAs, officers from Regina Police Services and Saskatoon Police Services and Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan Staff, attend our event in support of our club’s mission statement.”

When asked about her personal response to the RJ conference, Burki said, “If I had to choose one aspect of the conference that really stood out to me, I would say it was the networking lunch period. People from various educational and professional backgrounds were seated together discussing restorative justice through various, fascinating lenses. It was beautiful to see the diversity reflected in the conversations and for people to realize how relevant restorative justice is in different fields.”

“I was beyond happy to know that, as a club, the conference we hosted played a major role in advocating for restorative justice on campus and in the wider public community,” she added.

However, the preparation and planning of the event was not all rosy for the URRJC team. Nimra stated that the club struggled to recruit students to take part in the workshops.They relied on the professors to promote the event in their classrooms and it helped.
The keynote speaker was Dr. Lisa Monchalin, who, Nimra said, “gave incredible insights on the reflections of Indigenous history and its impacts on restorative justice.” Kokum Brenda, from Muscowpetung First Nation, who has had major impacts in human justice and is a significant part of the Ta-tawaw Student Centre, also spoke at the conference, Nimra added.“

The goal […] was to create a conference that is accessible to any undergraduate student, to connect restorative justice practitioners from around the country and to spread the message of restorative justice to a wider audience. I would like to say that we achieved all three key objectives,” said Carter Jessop, URRJC secretary and fourth-year human resources major.

Jessop explained how the preparation for this conference started from scratch. . “We began in September of 2024 by determining how we would like to lay out the conference, who we were connected to that we would like to attend and speak at the conference and who else could support the process. As we prepared for weekly meetings, we incorporated ideas for a documentary, food, ticket prices and sales, student and guest presenters, abstract submissions and selections and venue ideas.

“We aim to host this conference on a biannual basis, with the next one planned for 2027,” said Asadullah. “Additionally, we hope to launch an undergraduate journal of restorative justice later this year. The inaugural issue will feature papers presented by both students and academics.”