Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Dr. Ardavan Eizadirad to the Restorative Works! Podcast.  Ardavan discusses the impact of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the context of restorative practices. He shares that the ways individuals’ environment, socioeconomic circumstances, demographics in a community, and overall situation can impact their mindset and influence behavior. In this context, using restorative practices to reduce harm requires us to consider all aspects of an individual. When harm occurs, rather than looking directly to a merely punitive response, he teaches his students to shift to a restorative lens. In order to fully utilize the power of restorative practices, participants in a community must be vulnerable with each other. Bringing this vulnerability into a classroom or community can be difficult, especially when it runs against the established culture of a school, system, or institution. However, cultivating a space of inclusion and belonging is essential for creating systemic change and building community. Dr. Ardavan Eizadirad is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at Wilfrid Laurier University. He is also a community activist and Executive Director of non-profit organization Youth Association for Academics, Athletics, and Character Education (YAAACE) in the Jane and Finch community in Toronto, Canada. In addition, he is the founder and Director of EDIcation Consulting offering equity, diversity, and inclusion training to organizations and has written and co-edited several books about equity in education. Tune in to hear more about Ardavan’s perspective on creating systemic change with restorative practices, tips for educators bringing this work into the classroom, and more!