Who We Are

About Us

About Us

Peacebuilders is a non-profit organization based in Toronto that seeks to improve access to justice for young people in conflict with the law and advocate for change in our justice, child welfare and education systems.

Through our supportive programming, training and advocacy, Peacebuilders promotes restorative approaches to justice as more developmentally appropriate ways to work with youth and adolescents in conflict and support their emotional growth, critical reflection and positive decision-making skills. Peacebuilders uses restorative programs in the youth court to offer meaningful alternatives for youth and in the education system help students and teachers manage conflict, activate safer school environments for learning and support youth, adolescents and families as they navigate the child welfare system.

Restorative Justice

Restorative justice is a way of addressing conflict that enables the individual who caused harm, the people who were affected by it, and the larger community to work together to create a meaningful resolution. In contrast to criminal justice responses, which seek to punish each act of wrongdoing, restorative justice focuses on repairing harm and restoring relationships.

Restorative practices not only provide us with tools to deal with conflict more effectively and responsibly than punitive approaches, they also provide us with a better framework for understanding conflict—how it arises and who is affected by it. For young people in our education and justice systems, punitive responses, such as suspensions and expulsions or criminal charges, do not address the underlying causes that led to conflict, nor do they recognize that young people in conflict with the justice system or at school are often victims too.

Canada’s Youth Criminal Justice Act includes several provisions that are consistent with restorative justice principles and practices including Section 3 (Principles), Section 10 (Extrajudicial measures), Section 19 (Conferences), and Section 42 (Youth sentences).

At Peacebuilders, we use restorative practices to keep young people out of the criminal justice system, make schools safer places for learning and development, and build strong and healthy communities. We developed Peacebuilding Circles, which were adapted from the Peacemaking Circles practiced in many First Nations in Canada, in particular those used in the Carcross/ Tagish First Nation.

Social Justice

Young people with social and economic disadvantages and racialized youth are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Young people in the justice system have higher rates of mental health issues, learning and cognitive challenges, substance use issues, histories of trauma and maltreatment, and homelessness.

Their struggles often reflect deficiencies in our education and child welfare systems: in Ontario, 36% of youth in custody are not enrolled in school and 49% are in the care of children’s aid societies. Once in contact with the law, these challenges are exacerbated by the stigma associated with criminal justice involvement, strict bail and probation orders, and punishments that are antithetical to rehabilitation.

At Peacebuilders, we’re committed to ensuring that youth and families are not only provided with access to justice, but access to social justice. This means addressing the underlying factors that lead to youth involvement in the justice system and advocating for policy reforms that meaningfully engage youth, their families and communities, and make them stronger.

Awards

  • 2019 York University Outstanding Achievement Bryden Award
  • 2019 Ontario Bar Association Distinguished Service Award
  • 2015 Association for Conflict Resolution Marvin E. Johnson Diversity and Equity Award
  • 2015 American College of Trial Lawyers Emil Gumpert Award
  • 2015 Order of Ontario presented to our founder Eva E. Marszewski
  • 2013 McMurtry Community Service Award
  • 2011 Ashoka Fellowship
  • 2009 Dianne Martin Medal for Social Justice through Law 
  • 2009 Toronto Community Vital Ideas Award
  • 2008 Toronto Community Safety Award

Vision & Mission

VISION

Youth realizing their full potential and building safe and peaceful communities.

What does it mean?
Peacebuilders envisions justice and education systems that are committed to helping youth, especially those who are vulnerable and marginalized. We foresee systems that adapt to young peoples’ needs—that meaningfully engage youth and communities and make them stronger. That’s why we use restorative practices to work with youth and empower them to overcome conflict and realize their full potential.

MISSION

To increase the capacity of youth, communities and the education, justice, and child welfare systems to communicate and manage conflict through restorative Peacebuilding dialogues.

What does it mean?
Peacebuilders promotes the use of restorative practices and principles in our justice and education systems, and in our communities through advocacy and restorative justice programs that use Peacebuilding Circles.

Achieving our Vision & Mission

We offer direct programs
to support young people in conflict with the law or in trouble at school.
We train others
to facilitate Peacebuilding Circles to support youth conflict more effectively and responsibly.
We advocate for systemic change
by promoting the rights, needs and perspectives of young people.
We change the way people think
by offering a different way to understand and work through conflict with young people.

Board of Directors

Sammir Assaf

Development Committee

SAMMIR'S BIO

Sammir Assaf is a wealth management executive with significant leadership experience in the investment industry and holds the Chartered Investment Management designation. Focusing on client relationship management, portfolio & risk management, and asset allocation for high net worth private clients and institutional clients.

Michael Bookman

Development Committee

MICHAEL'S BIO

Michael Bookman joined Babin Bessner Spry LLP as an Associate in 2018. Prior to joining the firm, Mike practiced at a global full service firm, where he acted for clients in a wide range of litigation matters involving commercial and shareholder disputes, securities, tort, and class action proceedings.

Mike has appeared before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Ontario Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court of Canada. From 2012-2013, Mike served as a law clerk to Justice Andromache Karakatsanis at the Supreme Court of Canada.

Mike obtained his L.L.B./B.C.L. from the Faculty of Law at McGill University, where he served as an editor of the McGill Law Journal and was a research assistant to Professor David Lametti.

Prior to law school, Mike was a consultant for a global political risk advisory firm in London, UK and served as an officer in the Royal Canadian Navy.

He has served as Co-Chair of the Spring For Peace fundraising gala for Peacebuilders. He is also the Chair of the Order of St. Michael selection committee at St. Michael’s College School.

Anna Buchanan

Communications and Public Relations

ANNA'S BIO

Anna Buchanan is a retired public relations and marketing consultant with several PR firms in Toronto and Australia. She has been the Co-Chair of The Toronto Botanical Garden’s largest fundraising event and organizer of the CRC Regent Park Drop-in Centre Lunch Program. She has a degree in journalism and public relations from Ryerson University.

Michael Ceccarelli

Development Committee

MICHAEL'S BIO

Michael Ceccarelli is Executive Vice President of the Client Team at Waratah Capital Advisors. Michael is responsible for the management of high net worth individuals, foundation and institutional client accounts. Michael holds his Chartered Investment Manager designation and is registered as an Advising and Dealing Representative.

Stephanie DiGiuseppe

Program Committee, Advocacy, Communications

STEPHANIE'S BIO

Stephanie DiGiuseppe is a partner at Ruby Shiller Enenajor DiGiuseppe, Barristers. Her practice focuses on criminal, constitutional, and regulatory law, including professional discipline. She occasionally represents clients in select civil matters.

Andrew Freedman

Board Treasurer

ANDREW'S BIO

Andrew Freedman works in the financial dispute/litigation support field, has been the Treasurer on the Board of Peacebuilders Canada since its incorporation as a charity in 2006, and is an avid supporter of Peacebuilders.

Geoffrey Goad

Development Committee

GEOFFREY'S BIO

Geoffrey Goad is a career investment professional at Leede Jones Gable Inc. Geoffrey is passionate about Peacebuilders and its restorative approach to challenging adolescent behaviour and conflict.

Eva Marszewski

Program Committee, Development Committee, Advocacy

EVA'S BIO

Eva E. Marszewski, O.Ont., L.S.M. is the Founder of Peacebuilders International (Canada), a Director on the Board and an Ashoka Fellow. A member of the Law Society of Ontario, formerly a litigator, arbitrator and mediator, the first non-practising lawyer to become a recipient of the Law Society Medal, the recipient of the York University Bryden Life-time Achievement Award, Eva is focused on connecting the dots between the Toronto work of Peacebuilders with the Smart Justice Network of Canada and globally with the work of Catalyst 2030 to ensure meaningful progress by 2030 towards the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

Keneca Pingue-Giles

Secretary

KENECA'S BIO

Keneca is an associate at Blakes. Keneca’s practice covers a broad range of corporate and commercial matters, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations and commercial transactions.

Keneca serves as Peacebuilders’ Secretary.

Amy Stoyan

Board Co-Chair

AMY'S BIO

Amy Stoyan is Manager, Legal Counsel at Loblaw Companies Limited and previously worked at a large corporate law firm, with a background in corporate and commercial law, mergers and acquisitions, and financings. Amy serves as Peacebuilders’ Secretary, and is a former elementary school teacher with a passion for the intersection of law and education.

Gowtham Vijayakumaran

Program Committee, Advocacy

GOWTHAM'S BIO

Gowtham Vijayakumaran is a child protection worker with the region of Halton. He is also a psychotherapist and has his own private practice called Humble Counselling. Gowtham has been working with children, adolescents and families for over a decade managing crisis, implementing policy, developing programs and providing hope. He has extensive experience working with people from diverse backgrounds in various settings including high conflict, behavioural, loss and crisis situations. His practice is informed by his work in the communities, criminal justice system, in-patient hospital, school board and child protection settings.

Mark Wright

Board Co-Chair

MARK'S BIO

Mark Wright owns Prisma Light Ltd, a media company founded in 1983 that produces factual programming for television, social media, conferences and a wide variety of other applications. Clients include multinational corporations, government and non-governmental agencies, broadcasters and not-for-profits organizations.

Annual Reports

Peacebuilders annual reports include an overview of our programs and activities for the year and financial statements.

2020-2021

2018-2019

2017

2015-2016