The nonprofit Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center is hosting a free talk from noon-1 p.m. today as part of its “Finding Solutions, Growing Peace” Brown Bag Lunch Series in the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, 655 Kilauea Ave. in Hilo.
This month’s speaker is Laurie Tochiki on the topic “‘Ohana Conferencing: Restorative Justice in Child Welfare.”
“What is ‘ohana conferencing? What are the similarities and differences between ‘ohana conferencing, mediation, ho‘oponopono and family group decision making?” says Tochiki, who will discuss the fundamental principles and values of conferencing.
In this talk, learn the origins of the process and how it developed as a community-based, strengths-focused, restorative-justice process within child welfare.
Tochiki is the president and CEO of EPIC ‘Ohana, a nonprofit organization providing ‘Ohana Conferencing for families and children in the welfare system. Tochiki has a Ph.D. in education policy from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, a J.D. from the William D. Richardson Law School and an M.A. in administration from Central Michigan University. She is a fellow with the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform and has a certificate in Multi-System Integration in Juvenile Justice.
Ku‘ikahi’s Brown Bag Lunch Series, the third Thursday of each month, is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lunch, enjoy an informal and educational talk-story session and meet others interested in “Finding Solutions, Growing Peace.”
The lunch-and-learn series is made possible in part to funding from the Atherton Family Foundation. For more information, contact Ku‘ikahi program coordinator Al-Qawi Majidah at 935-7844, ext. 3, or majidah@hawaiimediation.org, or visit www.hawaiimediaiton.org.