Introducing the NACRJ DEIJ Committee: A Timely and Necessary Response to a Changing Landscape
At the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice (NACRJ), we are proud to formally introduce our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) Committee. Although the formation of this group began over a year ago, its official launch comes at a consequential moment in time—one in which conversations and actions around DEIJ are shifting rapidly across our country.
We are living in a moment when DEIJ is not just evolving, but also facing significant resistance. In many spaces, DEIJ work is being mischaracterized, politicized, and in some cases, actively dismantled. This is happening at the same time that many communities are continuing to call for greater equity, belonging, and justice. It is within this complex and challenging context that NACRJ’s DEIJ Committee steps forward—not just as a response, but as a leader affirming DEIJ as essential to community and restorative justice.
The committee stems from the NACRJ DEIJ Resolution Statement published in June 2024. As part of that resolution, NACRJ announced the formation of a DEIJ Committee tasked with identifying specific strategies that explore, advance, and actualize the commitments outlined in the statement. As the inaugural DEIJ Committee, this group will play a key role in shaping the future of NACRJ’s efforts in this space.
Although NACRJ has always embraced DEIJ principles, this committee arrives at a pivotal moment in our journey as a growing national association. It will help guide the strategies that enable NACRJ to grow and evolve as a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and just organization in all its forms. Our goal is not to add DEIJ as an accessory to the work of our association—but to recognize it as central to the healing, inclusion, and transformation that restorative justice seeks to bring about.
Additionally, the committee’s mission will extend beyond traditional DEIJ initiatives. As a national restorative justice organization, NACRJ seeks to grow in ways that do not perpetuate systems of oppression and that continually honor the connection between restorative justice practices and Indigenous wisdom. The work of the DEIJ Committee supports this vision by helping to deepen our collective understanding of DEIJ, and by exploring how these principles intersect with and strengthen the practices of community and restorative justice.
The NACRJ DEIJ Committee serves in an advisory role to the organization, offering guidance and perspective as we further develop our internal practices, programs, and partnerships. This group of committed members and leaders will support learning opportunities, help inform policies, and develop a committee structure that ensures long-term sustainability and meaningful impact.
In the coming months, we’ll be sharing more about the committee’s work, upcoming opportunities to engage, and ways you can get involved.
In the face of uncertainty and challenge, we are choosing clarity, courage, and care. The NACRJ DEIJ Committee is here to help illuminate the path forward.