> Public invited to hear Virk parents speak at SFU
Public invited to hear Virk parents speak at SFU
Contact:
Brenda Morrison, Criminology, 778.782.7627; brendam@sfu.ca
Julie Ovenell-Carter, PAMR, 778.782.4323; joc@sfu.ca
Brenda Morrison, Criminology, 778.782.7627; brendam@sfu.ca
Julie Ovenell-Carter, PAMR, 778.782.4323; joc@sfu.ca
November 13, 2008
To mark the simultaneous Restorative Justice and Bullying Awareness Weeks (Nov. 16-22), Simon Fraser University criminology professor Brenda Morrison is inviting the public into her classroom for a talk by Manjit and Suman Virk, parents of murdered teen Reena Virk.
The free lecture, part of Morrison’s Introduction for Restorative Justice 315 course, will be held Monday, Nov. 17 from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at SFU’s Burnaby campus, in ASSC 10081.
Morrison, an internationally recognized authority on restorative justice and author of Restoring Safe School Communities, says her goal “is to widen the lens on bullying and how we respond at an institutional and community level. We tend to think of bullying as a behavioral problem and not a community problem.”
When Reena was killed by a group of teens on Vancouver Island in 1997, Morrison says “we framed our attention on one small part of the story — girl violence — and lost the larger plot.” She says that Manjit Virk’s new book, Reena: A Father’s Story, points to systemic patterns of response within B.C.’s education, social services and criminal justice systems that contributed to the brutal death of his troubled daughter.
Says Morrison: “I think if we listen carefully to Manjit and Suman’s story, we begin to understand how patterns of response by institutions can escalate the problem of bullying and violence in communities. We tend to leave the problem of bullying, and other harmful behavior, up to third parties. We have disempowered ourselves by putting all our faith in institutions — we allow the ‘professionals’ to steal our voices as individuals and communities.”
The time has come, she says, “for hands-on community-based conflict resolution and problem solving. We have to ask ourselves how we can widen the web of community care around all our children. And that will take education and courage.”
All are welcome to attend the Virks’ lecture, but seating is limited. Copies of Manjit’s book will be available for signing. For more information, contact Brenda Morrison: 778.782.7627 or brendam@sfu.ca.
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The free lecture, part of Morrison’s Introduction for Restorative Justice 315 course, will be held Monday, Nov. 17 from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at SFU’s Burnaby campus, in ASSC 10081.
Morrison, an internationally recognized authority on restorative justice and author of Restoring Safe School Communities, says her goal “is to widen the lens on bullying and how we respond at an institutional and community level. We tend to think of bullying as a behavioral problem and not a community problem.”
When Reena was killed by a group of teens on Vancouver Island in 1997, Morrison says “we framed our attention on one small part of the story — girl violence — and lost the larger plot.” She says that Manjit Virk’s new book, Reena: A Father’s Story, points to systemic patterns of response within B.C.’s education, social services and criminal justice systems that contributed to the brutal death of his troubled daughter.
Says Morrison: “I think if we listen carefully to Manjit and Suman’s story, we begin to understand how patterns of response by institutions can escalate the problem of bullying and violence in communities. We tend to leave the problem of bullying, and other harmful behavior, up to third parties. We have disempowered ourselves by putting all our faith in institutions — we allow the ‘professionals’ to steal our voices as individuals and communities.”
The time has come, she says, “for hands-on community-based conflict resolution and problem solving. We have to ask ourselves how we can widen the web of community care around all our children. And that will take education and courage.”
All are welcome to attend the Virks’ lecture, but seating is limited. Copies of Manjit’s book will be available for signing. For more information, contact Brenda Morrison: 778.782.7627 or brendam@sfu.ca.
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