“Listening Matters: Holding Space Without Regret”
This presentation will explore restorative justice practices of listening in relationship while carefully letting go of judgment. In this discussion, Sheryl will share her experiences of walking alongside both survivors and perpetrators of trauma, listening closely to those who have experienced harm at all levels. Her presentation will highlight circle process as a key component of relational listening, and will offer a foundation for participatory engagement that demonstrates listening in action.
Sheryl R. Wilson (M.L.S.) is the Executive Director of the Kansas Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (KIPCOR), and has been a practitioner, trainer and educator in restorative justice for over 20 years, working with individuals, non-profits, academic institutions, and public agencies from around the world. Her work in restorative justice has included facilitating restorative justice dialogues in various venues (including virtual circle-keeping for national forums), working as a community mediator and serving as a researcher. Her experience also includes teaching restorative justice courses at the college level, community outreach, victim offender dialogue, and defense-initiated victim outreach in capital cases. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities) holding a restorative justice-based master of liberal studies degree, a Kansas state-approved mediator, past President of the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice (NACRJ) board of directors, and serves by appointment on the Kansas Supreme Court’s Advisory Council on Dispute Resolution. She is the author of a chapter in Colorizing Restorative Justice, a book about restorative justice practitioners of color and the challenges they face. In July 2024, Sheryl will transition from her role at KIPCOR to become the Vice President of Culture and Belonging at Bethel College.