Feel Good Friday - North Oakland Restorative Justice Council

Last Feel Good Friday I wrote about a Canadian group since I was in Canada. Today I'm back in the Bay Area so I'm going to highlight the work of a Bay Area group, the North Oakland Restorative Justice Council!

The best description of their work comes from their Facebook page. "The North Oakland Restorative Justice Council supports loved ones that have been impacted by violence in the North Oakland area. We support restorative justice for the victims and perpetrators. In addition, we are on-demand for crisis situations when needed to be an alternative to incarceration."

What exactly is restorative justice? According to Wikipedia it is "an approach to justice that focuses on the needs of the victims and the offenders, as well as the involved community." For the North Oakland Restorative Justice Council, that means working with member organizations to engage youth in the community, working with neighborhood watch groups and communities affected by displacement and racial profiling to build partnerships and violence prevention campaigns, hosting monthly "Peace 'n Justice Walks" and more. As their slogan says, they are "Putting the neighbor back into hood".

As an example, one of their member organizations is Phat Beets Produce, a group focused on creating a more equitable food system in North Oakland, providing access to fresh produce and facilitating youth leadership. You can watch this video about their Food Justice Food Truck to see how they are impacting the community.

If you like what you read (and live in the Bay Area) you can join the next Peace 'n Justice Community Walk on April 14th. The walks take place the 2nd Friday of every month.

Everyone, no matter where you are, can support the North Oakland Restorative Justice Council with a donation and by liking their Facebook page.

Feel Good Friday - Canadian Women's Foundation

I'm in Montreal, it's the last day of Women's History Month and it's Feel Good Friday. So who are we going to talk about today? The Canadian Women's Foundation!

As explained on the website, "we specialize in helping women and girls move out of violence, out of poverty and into confidence and leadership." The organization was founded in 1991 by Nancy Ruth Jackman and Susan Woods who were concerned that only 2% of philanthropic donations went to organizations that benefit women and girls. Since that time, the Canadian Women's Foundation has invested more than $40 million to over 1,200 community programs.

Currently they provide support to 450 women's shelters and 84 community programs across the country which directly benefit 30,000 women and girls each year! You can read details and impacts here or check out the summary below. The work of the Canadian Women's Foundation is focused in three areas:

1. Stopping violence by funding emergency shelters, helping women and girls to escape from sex traffickers and investing in school-based violence prevention programs for both boys and girls.
2. Ending poverty by funding programs that teach women a skilled trade, start a small business or get work experience.
3. Empowering girls by funding programs that allow at-risk girls to "explore science and technology, play sports, learn to think critically, or take on leadership, in a supportive all-girl environment."

For those of you with two minutes and some Kleenex, watch this video titled, "What's possible in a world that's #GirlPowered?"

If you're ready to give, the Canadian Women's Foundation is ready to receive. If you're still not sure why you should take action, here are the top 20 reasons and some more inspiring videos.

As always, stay in the loop by liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter @cdnwomenfdn. No passport required.

Feel Good Friday - Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

It's Feel Good Friday and time to celebrate another group that focuses on civil liberties. Today, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, also known as CAIR.

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties organization, established in 1994 with the vision to "be a leading advocate for justice and mutual understanding." Their national headquarters are in Washington DC and they have regional chapters in 20 states, with the first one established in the San Francisco Bay Area!

Their mission, as explained on the website, is "to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding." They do this through a focus on media relations, government relations, education and advocacy.

Specific examples of this work include advocating on behalf of Muslims and others who have experienced religious discrimination and hate crimes, monitoring legislation and government activities that affect Muslims, sponsoring voter registration drives, condemning terrorism and all acts of violence against civilians, organizing training seminars and ensuring that an accurate portrayal of Islam and Muslims is presented to the American public. Whew! You can see a great example of how the Muslim community is supporting the Jewish community in this one minute video.

You can contribute to the work being done by CAIR in the usual ways - making a donation, volunteering your time and showing your support on social media by liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter @CAIRNational. You can also do something very empowering and unique.

Visit the CAIR site, #RegisterMeFirst, and show your opposition to a Muslim registry by adding yourself to a map of the USA and pledging to register in solidarity.  Share THAT on Twitter.