Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Gemma Varona, Ph.D., to the Restorative Works! Podcast. Dr. Varona joins us and discusses her decades of experience researching the evolving boundaries of restorative justice, challenging the traditional limits imposed by legal frameworks. She shares her journey from academia to hands-on work with survivors of terrorism, sexual abuse, and large-scale corporate and environmental harm. She explains why punitive measures often fail to address the root causes of harm and how restorative justice offers an individualized, relational approach that centers victims' needs while fostering true accountability. Listen as Dr. Varona delves into the role of dialogue in breaking cycles of violence, the importance of institutional courage, and the urgent need for a shift in global justice systems. As countries move toward more punitive approaches, this conversation serves as a powerful reminder that restorative justice is both an act of resistance and a path to transformation. Dr. Varona is a professor of Victimology and Criminal Policy at the University of the Basque Country and a senior researcher at the Basque Institute of Criminology (Donostia/San Sebastian, Spain). In 1998 she was honored with the Junior Scholar Competition Award of the International Society of Criminology for her research on restorative justice. From 2014-17 she worked as co-director of the Master in Victimology at that University. She served as a member of the executive committee of the World Society of Victimology and now holds the position of president. She has authored books on migration and human rights, restorative justice, juries and the construction of juridical truth, women’s local safety audits, victims of terrorism, victims of sexual abuse, and evaluation of public policies.   Tune in to learn more about Dr. Varona’s work and perspective on the importance of restorative justice across contexts. Hear more from Dr. Varona at the 2025 World Conference!