Ignacio Rivera, founder and executive director of The HEAL Project, presented the kick-off lecture of the fourth annual Engage conference, “Decolonizing Our Relations: Healing Justice & Breaking the Cycle of Violence.” An internationally known Queer, Trans/Yamoká-hu/Two-Spirit, Black-Boricua, and Taíno speaker, educator, writer, and performer, they bring over 20 years of experience on multiple fronts, including economic justice, anti-racist and anti-violence work, as well as mujerista, LGBTQI, and sex positive movements.
Rivera discussed restorative and transformative justice practices in Black and Brown communities that emphasize community-based, long term practices as alternatives to state intervention. Learn more about Rivera’s writing on the subject.
[Content notes: Rivera’s writing and keynote lecture may include discussions of survivorship around sexual, racial, gender-based, and state violence, as we work together to understand and heal realities of harm and violence in our communities.]
Rivera’s keynote address launched us into a full day of interactive community education workshops.