MDR Student Edwin Weaver’s Advocacy Featured on Voice America Radio

On June 7, Edwin Weaver, current MDR student at the Straus Institute, was featured on Voice America Radio's "Resiliency Within," program, which is hosted by Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW. The episode titled, "Stopping Gun Violence - Reimagining a Restorative Justice System," highlighted Weaver's work as Executive Director of Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley, an organization he started to partner with community members and achieve resilience against substance abuse and reductions in community violence.

Using a restorative justice approach, Weaver's efforts have led to reduced school suspension and curtailed recidivism rates. Students who undergo the restorative justice process often do not engage in fights and instead are able to focus on learning; however, a sense of safety is essential to enable students to participate in his program. Weaver began to utilize a community resiliency model, conducting workshops throughout Santa Barbara County. He discusses his inspiring work in the program, which may be accessed on Voice America.