We are in need of serious commitment to changing the world around us. We must also commit to changing ourselves, to be more welcoming of total transformation. Because if we desire the world to change, how can we not?

There are many paths towards transformation. There are paths paved by restorative, reparative and transformative conflict resolution practitioners. There is political and spiritual paths paved by faith leaders, both historic and modern abolitionists, and contributors to the movement for civil rights, Black power, and land sovereignty.

In all these emerging and remerging models of transformation, we understand that the historic movement for reparations does not lay outside of them but right at the center. The recognition of what has been done is essential to understanding what must be done, and who must be at the center of that struggle for repair. This is true for the African victims of imperialism and colonialism just as it is for the indigenous people of Turtle Island, and for the Palestinians all over the occupied territories

We are gathering on Monday, February 16th from 7 to 9 p.m. at Kol Tzedek Synagogue, 5300 Whitby Ave., to engage in these ideas around reparations, reparative justice and the movements to transform the world in which we live. We continue our partnership with Rough Drafts (Maurice Ripple and Luke McGowan) and are featuring Philly natives Dr. Asali Solomon and The Bul Bey as conversation provocateurs.  Join us as we move forward!