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Tashmica Torok joins David Ryan Barcega Castro-Harris to talk about joy as an organizing strategy, why we should plan for care over chaos, and her decades long efforts to end child sexual abuse.

In this conversation, Tashmica shares how joy and community care have sustained her activism, what it takes to build hope in the midst of grief and injustice, and why treating children as full human beings is essential to preventing violence. 

She reflects on stepping away from nonprofit leadership, the lessons she’s carrying forward through Aletheia Coaching & Consulting, and the many roles people can play in creating safer, more connected communities.

Topics we cover:

• Joy as a survival skill and organizing strategy
• Planning for care instead of chaos
• Lessons from a decade leading The Firecracker Foundation
• Survivor-led approaches to healing and prevention
• Building resilient, abolitionist communities

Learn more:
Follow Tashmica Torok →  https://tashmicatorok.com/

Hear our conversation Tuesday August 12 https://tjparenting.substack.com/

Follow Amplify RJ & David → http://amplifyrj.com/links

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What happens when you speak out for justice and its costs you everything?

In this raw and intimate conversation, Michelle MiJung Kim (author of The Wake Up and host of I Feel That Way Too) joins us to explore the aftermath of speaking up for Palestine in a world that often punishes courage.

We explore:

• Losing clients and credibility after speaking up for Palestine
• Grieving the collapse of a once-successful career and public identity
• Shame, silence, and the tension between self-love and social impact
• Navigating burnout, belonging, and friendship ruptures in justice spaces
• Rebuilding worthiness outside of productivity and applause

Whether you’ve ever felt lost, unworthy, or unsure how to show up, you’re not alone. This conversation is for you.

Listen to Michelle’s podcast: I Feel That Way Too –https://www.ifeelthatwaytoo.com/
Read The Wake Up: https://www.michellemijungkim.com/book
Connect with Amplify RJ: https://amplifyrj.com/links

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A new dad joked that parenting has been “pretty easy,” and the comedian clapped back—calling him a scumbag for leaving the mom at home. The internet celebrated it as a powerful “callout.”

But was it really accountability?

In this episode of Restorative Justice Breakdown, I sit down with Kori (the dad and owner of https://hiveclimbing.com/winnipeg/ in the viral clip) and Kerri (his wife, and a feminist reproductive health professional) to explore:

• What actually happened at the comedy show (beyond the clip)
• The pressures dads face to either perform or disappear
• The real (invisible) labor of early parenting and recovery
• Why people projected rage onto Corey and called it “justice”
• How we confuse venting with accountability, and symbolism with real people

Kerri shares her experience as a new mom, what their parenting dynamic actually looks like, and how context, privilege, and nuance matter when we talk about partnership and caregiving. Kori opens up about how it felt to be publicly roasted and misrepresented online, despite being an engaged and supportive father.

This isn’t about canceling the comedian. It’s about examining how we project our pain, turn strangers into symbols, and mistake viral content for justice.

Connect with Amplify RJ: https://amplifyrj.com/links

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Ruth Ifakemi Jeannoel returns to share the intimate journey behind her new book, Restorative Justice Practices: Circlekeeping for Community Healing. This conversation is rooted in grief, ancestry, and the deep practice of restorative justice as both strategy and spiritual path. We explore what it means to be a practitioner, a mother, an organizer, and a descendant—especially in times of personal and collective loss. This episode is for anyone navigating grief, building community, or holding space for transformation.

About Ruth
Ruth Ifakemi Jeannoel is a cultural organizer, circlekeeper, spiritual practitioner, and mother. She is the founder of Fanm Saj, where she uplifts healing justice and ancestral practices to build collective power in Black and brown communities. Her new book is an offering of tools, stories, and spiritual grounding for anyone practicing or curious about restorative justice and circlekeeping.

 Grab the Book
Restorative Justice Practices: Circlekeeping for Community Healing: https://www.ruthjeannoel.com/product-page/restorative-justice-practices-circle-keeping-for-community-healing

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Can a youth basketball team be a site of healing, justice, and joy?
In this episode, David is joined by youth sports expert, educator, and restorative justice practitioner Carolyn Sideco for a conversation about the role of youth sports in shaping identity, belonging, and community.

As David begins coaching young kids, he asks:

• How can I prioritize equity and development over winning?
• How can I create a team culture rooted in kapwa and in lak’ech values?
• What do coaches and parents need to understand about their impact on kids?

Carolyn brings her deep experience to share wisdom, strategy, and encouragement for parents, coaches, and anyone involved in youth sports. From Positive Coaching Alliance to redefining competition, this conversation is both practical and visionary.

Whether you're a coach, sports parent, or someone who cares about raising just, connected young people, this episode is for you.

Coaching Kapwa: https://www.coachingkapwa.com/

Positive Coaching Alliance: https://positivecoach.org/

Amplify RJ: https://amplifyrj.com/links

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This conversation with Carolyn Sideco will be released in two parts this week. 

In part 1, we catch up on life, identity, and community. Carolyn is a youth sports professional, grandmother, and founder of Coaching Kapwa, bringing a restorative, justice-driven lens to athletics. But beyond sports, we dive into her journey embracing elderhood, building Filipino community in New Orleans, and wrestling with identity as diasporic people. We talk about the long, often hidden history of Filipinos in Louisiana, what it means to balance personal needs with service to community, and how to stay grounded in our relationships during overwhelming times.

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This episode is specifically for the white folks who listen to this podcast, and especially white women, because Hillary has written a powerful invitation to her own community to step into deep, ongoing reparative work.

We talk about what it means to be in right relationship, with the land, with ancestors, with communities of color, and how her journey of waking up to the truths of colonization, white supremacy, and historical harm has transformed her life. Hillary shares personal stories, dreams, tears, and the practices that helped her move from guilt to grounded action.

This isn’t a guilt trip, it’s a call to courage. If you’re ready (or even just curious) about what it means to be a better relative in these times, this one’s for you.

Tap in. Reflect. And take action.

Black, Indigenous, and people of color, you’re of course welcome to listen, but feel free to skip this one if your energy’s needed elsewhere.

Grab Hillary’s book + check out resources at goodrelative.com

Guide to Making a Personal Reparations Plan

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In this episode, I’m joined by the newest Amplify RJ intern, Kylie Chen to check in about how we're navigating the heaviness of ICE raids happening in my city, to the overwhelm of polycrisis, to the exhaustion of being a young parent trying to balance it all, and how we both wrestle with showing up for justice in ways that are sustainable. 

We talk about building community where you are, the nonlinear journey of figuring out your role, the tension between needing to survive and wanting to do liberation work full-time, and the imperfect path I’ve taken trying to balance all of that myself.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, disconnected, unsure of your place, or wondered how the hell to keep going, I hope this conversation lets you know, you’re not alone.

Also, real talk if you appreciate this work and want it to continue, join our community, take a course, or bring me in to work with your school or organization. That’s how I feed my family and keep this work going.

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What can a Star Wars show teach us about organizing, resistance, and healing? In this episode of the Amplify RJ Podcast, I sit down with strategist, therapist, and writer Gabes Torres to talk about Andor—yes, that Star Wars show—and what it reveals about real-life revolution.

We dive into how Andor de-romanticizes rebellion and reflects the complex realities of movement work: the banality of evil, conflict in organizing, disposability culture, and the painful but necessary tension between rest and resistance. Gabes shares insights from their piece on the show, their organizing and healing work in the Global South, and the ways marine mammals and myth can inform our strategy.

Whether or not you’ve seen the show, this conversation is about so much more than the galaxy far, far away—it’s about our world and how we build toward collective liberation with nuance, integrity, and care.

0:00 – Intro: What is Andor + Character Breakdown 
5:20 – Meet Gabes Torres: Healer, Strategist, Rebel  
9:42 – How Andor De-Romanticizes Revolution  
14:20 – Disney, Propaganda & Revolutionary Storytelling  
19:35 – The Banality of Evil in a Boardroom  
25:00 – Real-World Parallels: Propaganda, Gaza, Gorman & Genocide  
26:45 – Parenting, Powerlessness & Purpose  
29:21 – Consciousness Building as Resistance  
32:20 – Gabes on Luthen, Clea & Strategy in Movement  
36:42 – Bix, Trauma & Knowing When to Step Back  
40:28 – Organizing Through Burnout & Wavering Commitment  
44:30 – Humananizing vs. Ruthless Sacrifice
47:40 – Disposability Culture in Movements  
49:10 – Disagreeing Is Not a Failure of Solidarity  
52:00 – Addressing Conflict & Building in Organizing  
56:20 –  Is there Shared Vision for Our Resistance?  
1:00:23 – Activist Ecosystems, Movement Mentorship from Marine Mammals  
1:07:30 – Upside Down Triangle: Rethinking Power  
1:08:50 – Support Gabes & Psychosocial Care for Organizers  

Connect with Gabes:

https://gabestorres.com/

https://www.instagram.com/gabestorres/

Read her article: 

https://gabestorres.substack.com/p/andor

Support mental health care for organizers in the Global South 

https://gabestorres.com/support/

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Last week, I spent 24 hours supporting teachers in running restorative justice classroom circles, and the impact was powerful. In this episode, I’m sharing what I witnessed—the challenges, the breakthroughs, and the small but meaningful shifts that happen when teachers commit to building relationships, not just managing behavior.

🔹 How teachers are integrating circles into their classrooms
🔹 The impact on student relationships, behavior & learning
🔹 Why rituals for “softness” matter in schools
🔹 Lessons on patience, trust & shifting school culture

Whether you’re an educator, school leader, or RJ practitioner, this episode will give you practical insights on how to make restorative practices sustainable in classrooms.

🔗 Resources & Next Steps:
✨ Join the free Amplify RJ community & access the other courses & membership resources: https://community.amplifyrj.com/communities/groups/arjcommunity/home?invite=67dc711150ec55e8a8a03a1b
✨ Download my Classroom Connection Prompts (Pay What You Can!): https://amplifyrj.com/questions-for-connected-classrooms
✨ Want training for your school? Let’s talk! Email: [email protected]

📌 If this episode resonates, leave a review & "amplify" by sharing with someone who'd benefit!

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