[Press Release] VISION: Youth realizing their full potential and building safe and peaceful communities.
MISSION: Our mission is to increase the capacity of youth, communities and the education, justice, and child welfare systems, to communicate and manage conflict through restorative Peacebuilding dialogues.
Peacebuilders started its work 20 years ago in some of Toronto’s most vulnerable inner-city neighborhoods. At that time restorative justice was relatively unknown. Circles were not associated in Toronto with conflict resolution or mediation, and the transformational Youth Criminal Justice Act had just been enacted.
Since then, our Restorative Youth Circles (RYC) justice program has successfully diverted over 1,300 young people out of the criminal courts, have had their charges withdrawn and redirected them back to school and to productive activities, all through the work of our own trained and mostly volunteer circle facilitators. This was accomplished without recourse to lawyers. The immediate cost savings to the administration of justice and to the Canadian taxpayer, easily exceeds $45 million!
In addition, our Restorative Schools Program has demonstrated a dramatic 60% – 80% reduction in student suspension rates resulting in diverting youth out of the school to prison pipeline, thus also significantly reducing schools’ expenses associated with student suspensions, school transfers and related students’ disciplinary measures.
Since March 2023, Peacebuilders has permanent offices in the New Toronto Courthouse, thus enabling a significant expansion of the RYC Program by making diversion available to adolescents aged 18 to 25 and providing them with the same opportunities available to youths 10 to 17. Best evidence is clear that adolescence is a distinct stage of human development that ranges from about age 10 until about 25 and needs to be dealt with through a restorative approach. This dramatic expansion of Peacebuilders’ RYC justice program will require both increased resources and an increase in trained volunteers.
About Spring for Peace Gala:
For 20 years, the Spring for Peace Gala has been an important event for Peacebuilders to raise awareness of the need for restorative justice approaches for youth and to help fund our innovative youth initiatives. Two decades later, Peacebuilders has much to celebrate, by looking back and moving forward! We invite you to celebrate our achievements and join us as we forge a path forward for the next 20!
Join us on Thursday, May 4, 2023 for our event at the Globe and Mail Centre. Come enjoy great food, delicious drinks, and exciting auctions. To purchase tickets click Spring for Peace Gala Tics
Online Fine Wine Auction
Our Fine Wine Auction is live and online now at www.springforpeaceauction.ca — with the auction ending May 5 at 10 p.m. ET. Wines offered are from private collections, not otherwise available through other channels. Many wines offered will appreciate in value, especially rare and acclaimed vintages.
Online Silent Auction
This year’s Silent Auction will open for bidding on April 27th at 12 p.m. ET and close on May 4th at 10 p.m. ET. We have an incredible array of unique and luxury items and experiences. Bidders are bound to find some treasures here.
