Big Love for Community!

May 22, 2024

What a lovely evening we had on May 16 at Terrapin in Athens to celebrate our community! Brittany Lopez was a fantastic emcee. Thank you, Brittany!

This year GCC chose Dignidad Inmigrante en Athens (DIA) as our Spotlight Community Partner who will receive 10% of all donations from the event.

In addition to the fantastic libations on offer at Terrapin and delicious food from Homy Made, we heard from the Peace Leaders at Clarke Middle school, along with Matt Fayoyin, restorative practitioner on faculty at CMS. Peace Leaders are students who learn restorative practices and have the capacity and willingness to co-facilitate circles amongst their peers. Last year the Peace Leaders held 14 circles that helped their peers work through conflict in nonviolent and accountable ways.

We were also wowed by the performances of Beto Cacao with his brother Noe and Vic Chestnut 2024 finalist Mannequin Party (Spencer Paul) throughout the evening.

Thanks to several Athens-area business owners and private donors, a silent auction included art classes (K A Artist), spa treatments (Urban Sanctuary), fitness sessions (Creed and TransFit), a basket of hemp-based products (Franny's Farmacy), a 50 inch TV, framed art by Greg Benson, and more. And our generous financial sponsors Joiner and Associates, Pawtropolis, Hope Animal Medical Center, and the District Attorney, Western Circuit.

Thanks to everyone, and a special shout out to Russel and Lindsey at Terrapin Beer who so very well represent the epitome of community!

For more photos, click here.

other blogs and recommended reading

Weaver School Embraces ‘Peacemaker Event’ on Campus

In collaboration with the Restorative Justice League of Merced, the “Weaver Peacemaker Event” is an all day event that focuses on educating students to “promote kindness and build a culture of peace on campus.”

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Restorative Justice

The Feminist Law Professor Who Wants to Stop Arresting People for Domestic Violence

A recent piece from The New Yorker which highlights Leigh Goodmark, a professor at the University of Maryland who advocates for the decriminalization of domestic violence. Though this sounds like a radical position, the article shows statistics that suggest there is merit in an approach that does not involve mass incarceration.

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NYC Expands RJ programs

The Bronx community center is one of 16 organizations in New York City receiving a combined $6.5 million over the next year for programs to bolster public safety using restorative justice — a philosophy that aims to build community and mediate arguments through conversation, rather than through discipline or criminal charges. It’s sometimes used as a way for crime victims and perpetrators to make peace. But it can also be used as a tool to help people feel comfortable having difficult discussions. Some New York City school administrators, court officials and nonprofits are already using restorative justice to mediate disputes.

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Decolonizing Language

The words we use to describe marginalized groups have far greater impact than we might realize. Make sure you are always acknowledging otheres' humanity when talking to or about them.

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Opinion

Where Is the Forgiveness and Grace in Cancel Culture?

A link to an editorial written on 12/28/21 in the New York Times from Michael Eric Dyson, reflecting on Bishop Tutu's approach to apartheid and the limited value of punishment or banishment.

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