150+ Canadians Day 55: Judah Oudshoorn
Judah Ourdshoorn contributes to peace through working to end male violence through trauma-informed restorative justice.
Author of Trauma-Informed Youth Justice in Canada and co-author of The Little Book of Restorative Justice for Sexual Abuse, Judah Oudshoorn is a Professor of Community and Criminal Justice at Conestoga College. He is also a Restorative Justice Mediator with the Correctional Service of Canada, a Sessional Instructor of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Waterloo, an Editorial Board Member of the Internet Journal of Restorative Justice, and the Editor for restorative justice titles in the Little Books of Justice and Peace building series. His work centres on making justice systems more trauma informed, and finding meaningful ways to hold men accountable who have used violence toward partners and children.
Judah has facilitated dialogue and conflict resolution processes in many places – from prisons to workplaces to family homes. He values workplaces that bring out the best in employees. Judah believes that character and skill development are important parts of doing meaningful work.
He has also worked in diverse capacities with youth in Toronto and with First Nations people on issues related to residential schools; he is also widely involved in community services that work with men, particularly fathers, on issues of abuse.
Reportedly, Judah likes hot coffee, cold beer, warm sunshine, and comfortable chairs, but most importantly, he is a proud dad and husband.
“…most of the time violence is acted out in private spaces, within the home and I think we need to recognize and acknowledge that most of the time we don’t publicly see the impacts of male violence… I do this work because I grew up in a violent home…. I was abused as a child and I understand the impacts of violence. I know what it’s like to grow up in fear, and I know what it’s like to sort of live under the thumb of patriarchy and male violence… I really think I have an obligation, a responsibility as a man to stand up and speak out against male violence and I have an obligation and a responsibility to encourage other men to do so as well.” -Judah on why he volunteers forMale Allies Against Sexual Violence
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