About Passerelles de justice réparatrice

With a Master of Law specialized in human rights issues, Estelle discovered restorative justice with much enthusiasm when she moved to Québec in 2005. After spending 10 years fighting against inhumane treatment and torture, and 4 years working for peace and non-violence, she agreed to take the position as Coordinator for Passerelles de justice réparatrice at the end of 2009. She is now pleased to dedicate her efforts to promoting an innovative approach with great promise for the future.

Manon joined the team of Passerelles de justice réparatrice to support and develop restorative justice projects. After completing a master's degree in international studies at Université Laval and with much professional experience as a project manager, particularly in humanitarian aid, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development, she wishes to put her knowledge and interpersonal skills at the service of the mission of Passerelles de justice réparatrice. Manon wishes to work towards a more peaceful and harmonious world, both on an individual and collective scale. The spaces for dialogue, humanity, and inclusiveness offered by Passerelles de justice réparatrice contribute to this mission.

Kamélia is an eternal student: she holds a bachelor's degree in law, a minor in political science, and is now studying for a bachelor's degree in sexology. She began her career as an intervenant working with women and children victims of domestic violence. Building on this experience, she now advocates for justice system reform, especially regarding sexual and domestic violence. In her practice and personal life, she has seen how the needs of victims and survivors are not always met by traditional justice, which is limited to civil pecuniary repair and criminal punishments. Thus, she firmly believes in the importance of alternative forms of justice, notably restorative justice. She joined the team in March 2023 as a restorative justice officer.

Holding a master's degree in conflict prevention and resolution, Clément has developed a solid understanding of issues related to conflict management and relational dynamics. His experience as an executive assistant in a correctional facility was a pivotal moment in his professional journey. Faced with the limits of the traditional system, he developed a strong interest in restorative justice, which he deepened through his research before training as an encounter facilitator.

Convinced of the transformative potential of restorative justice, Clément adheres to values of listening, accountability, and the recognition of individuals. He wishes to help create safe and respectful spaces for dialogue that foster mutual understanding and the rebuilding of bonds for the benefit of those affected by crime and violence.

Having worked as a speech therapist and as someone who has benefited from the services of Passerelles de justice réparatrice, Marie-Stéphane says she is touched by the organization's mission to build bridges and open up communication. According to her, putting words to the experience, breaking the silence, redefining perceptions, and hearing the other person in their suffering help people find each other, heal, and understand.

More than just a photo, this kintsugi is, for Dominique, a portrait of her experience and a representation of her connection with the core purpose of Passerelles de justice réparatrice. Rich with her training in architecture and her deep interest in the arts, her goal is to contribute to a work much "bigger than oneself," in which she profoundly believes: "Repairing the human network, in its individual and collective dimensions, through unlikely encounters, where bonds of trust have been broken." Dominique has had the privilege of experiencing some of these improbable encounters. On each occasion, she says, it was a journey to the heart of humanity's most suffering and greatest aspects. These exchanges have profoundly transformed her. Now it is her turn to make a difference by giving back.

Trained as a criminologist, Cindy has been able, through her professional journey, to experience intervention with incarcerated individuals and victims of criminal acts. These encounters are what led her to want to get involved in restorative justice services—a path that would benefit from being traveled more often. At the same time, she passionately teaches in the victimology certificate program at the Université de Montréal to awaken students' interest in this very specific facet of psychosocial intervention.
After twenty years within CAVAC de Montréal offering services to victims of criminal acts and their loved ones, she now works within a university institution as a conflict and violence prevention and intervention advisor. This new posture allows her to act upstream of violence and intervene just as much with an affected person as with a person who committed acts of violence, offering the possibility of repairing a broken bond. Her interest in restorative justice has always taken a major place in her perspective of support throughout her career, and she joined the board of directors of Passerelles de justice réparatrice in 2018.

A lawyer by training and a member of the Bar since 1989, Natalie began her career as a political attaché before specializing in labor law. Her path led her to the community sector, where she has worked for over 15 years. After directing FERME, a pioneering organization in foreign labor recruitment, she has served since 2022 as the executive director of the Coalition des organismes communautaires pour le développement de la main-d’œuvre. Experienced in financial management and governance, she sits on several boards of directors and coordinates various committees with rigor and commitment.

Héléna holds a bachelor's degree in criminology and a certificate in law from the Université de Montréal. She served as an Indigenous liaison officer for the Correctional Service of Canada during part of her studies, a decisive experience in her journey. It was in this context that she discovered the multiple facets of institutional and community management of incarcerated individuals. She also witnessed the strength of community-based and culturally adapted interventions in healing processes, as well as the fundamental importance of kindness and empathy in the rehabilitation of offenders. This is why she wishes to continue her community commitment, all the more so in restorative justice, an approach in which she undeniably believes.

Holding a PhD in managerial ethics, Virginie Lecourt has worked in ethics (organizational ethics and research ethics) for many years. She is particularly interested in the capacity for ethical questioning in complex situations. She has known Passerelles de justice réparatrice since its inception and strongly believes in the relevance of this center's mission. Restorative justice is also an interesting relational posture for her.

Jean-Guy has recently received a great deal from Passerelles de justice réparatrice through two healing-of-memories workshops, and he is ready to give back. He was a professor in the Faculty of Theology at the Université de Montréal for 30 years, following a doctoral thesis on the exclusion of prostituted women by the Church, based on a practice of listening to and supporting them. This was in the 1970s before anyone spoke of "sex work." He has organized conferences and symposia, and published numerous books and articles, sometimes on social issues but mostly on individual traumas related to sexual assault and abuse. Jean-Guy has also been a member and sometimes chair of academic and community boards. In retirement, he taught at Saint Paul University in Counselling, Psychotherapy, and Spirituality, and worked for a year in Rome on the problem of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, which is the subject of his latest book, Une profonde blessure (2020).

Éric is a graduate in business management from HEC and has over twenty years of experience in marketing and management. Passionate about humanity and spirituality, he is completing training in spiritual accompaniment at the Centre le Pèlerin, where he serves as marketing manager, following a career marked by management positions in various private companies. From his very first contacts with restorative justice, he was deeply touched by its humanity and the hope it inspires in a world that is in great need of it.