Western Justice Center

05/29/2026

Last chance to join ABCs of Conflict! (westernjustice.org/abcs)

Just a few days left to apply, deadline is June 1st, and only a limited number of seats remain for our annual ABCs of Conflict training! Don’t wait—apply now to secure your spot.

05/15/2026

Great news—there’s still time to apply! (westernjustice.org/abcs)

The deadline for ABCs of Conflict has been extended to June 1st, giving you an extra opportunity to secure your spot. Don’t miss this chance to join fellow educators and changemakers in empowering students to lead transformative change and create more peaceful, connected schools.

05/11/2026

Congratulations to Dawn Haghighi, member of Western Justice Center's Board of Directors, on her continued impact and recognition as a dynamic global legal leader! Dawn’s strategic insight, international experience, and visionary leadership are invaluable to our organization and the broader legal community.

Western Justice Center is proud to celebrate Dawn’s many accomplishments and her dedication to advancing justice and equity.

Meet ACC Global Board Member, Dawn Haghighi, General Counsel at Murcor Real Estate. Dawn is a dynamic global legal leader bringing strategic insight, international perspective, and a bold vision to ACC’s Global Board of Directors. Throughout her career, Dawn forged a reputation as a strategic and trusted business advisor to boards, CEOs, and executive leadership across public and private companies, nonprofits, and trade associations, driving impact worldwide across industries.

Her expertise for the ACC Global Board is further shaped by her experience as a member of the Board of Directors for Elevate, which delivers expert‑led, AI‑powered solutions for law firms and in-house teams, and as an adjunct law school professor and business school lecturer at Loyola Marymount University and the University of Southern California.

Dawn brings a diverse global perspective to boardroom deliberations, informed by an extensive network built through travel and engagement with people from all backgrounds, including time in Haifa, Israel, and Beijing, China, where she studied Mandarin. Her global engagements include being invited by Judge Dorothy W. Nelson, 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, to join the U.S. Delegation of the Supreme People’s Court of China Mediation and Arbitration Congress in Beijing and Shanghai in 1990, and joining the U.S. Delegation to Doha, Qatar, at the invitation of the Amir to the Enhancing the Middle East’s Economic Future IV Forum.

Her standout achievements:
✨ Chosen for the ACC TED MasterClass
✨ Delivered a TED Talk, “Say Hello to Your Better Self: Going from Ordinary to Extraordinary.”
✨ Selected by 50/50 Women on Boards as part of the Inaugural cohort of 50 Women to Watch in North America for Public Company Board Service.

We’re proud to celebrate Dawn’s leadership, vision, and meaningful contributions to the ACC Global Board of Directors.

04/30/2026

Mark your calendars for an inspiring evening at Western Justice Center’s Empower Gala—Thursday, October 1, 2026. (westernjustice.org/empower)

Join us to support students and educators building a more just future where every student belongs, conflicts are met with compassion, and equity flourishes.

04/23/2026

ABCs of Conflict is back this summer at Western Justice Center! (westernjustice.org/abcs)

Connect with passionate educators and changemakers for a 4-day training to build safer, more inclusive schools through restorative practices and student-led conflict resolution. Empower the next generation of peacebuilders—apply today!

08/12/2024

𝑨𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑷𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒓𝒔?

𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐖𝐉𝐂!

Mediation Mentors 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 as they apply their conflict resolution skills in mock mediation practice sessions. Students range from new conflict resolvers to experienced peer mediators. Whatever their level of knowledge or skill, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭.

Visit 𝐡𝐭𝐭𝐩𝐬://𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞.𝐨𝐫𝐠/𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬-𝐩𝐦𝐢 for more information.

11/29/2023

Instead of inundating your inbox on , we decided to celebrate YOU on Allyship Appreciation Wednesday!

We’re where we are today because of some pretty incredible folks who have been with us through thick and thin, including our:

-Generous donor allies
-Sponsors & Partners
-Board of Directors
-Program Advisory Council
-Leadership Council
-Mediation Mentors
-Volunteers

We are deeply grateful to all who share and act on our values of empathy, empowerment, equity, inclusion and impact.

Thank you for helping us strengthen communities by growing the conflict resolution skills and capacity of youth, educators, schools, and community partners!

11/22/2023

The holidays can be a time of joy for many.

Yet for some, it can feel heavy with the anticipation of conflict with family and friends.

We know it can be stressful, so we’ve put together seven restorative practices to help you navigate conflict during the holidays. 👇

1. Listen to understand, not to respond: When someone feels seen and heard, they're more receptive to hearing alternate points of view.

2. Set boundaries ahead of time: Low on expectations and high on acceptance.

3. Family is whoever you want it to be: Gathering with chosen family instead of the family you’re born into can be deeply meaningful.

4. Lean into discomfort: We can grow personally and in our relationships by trying something different at a pace that feels right for us.

5. Understand the difference between intention and impact: While your intentions are important, the impact of your actions or words often matters most. If you impact someone negatively, take a moment to listen empathetically, rather than defend. See #1.

6. Use “I” statements: Speak for yourself, not for others.

7. Practice self-care: Step away when you need to and support your own mental health & wellness.

❇️ SHARE, LIKE AND SAVE! ❇️

11/17/2023

Last night's United Against Hate event in Pasadena was a success! Thank you to everyone who attended and to our trainers, Linda Bustamante of 211 LA and Lindi Woo from Right to Be, for teaching us exactly what to do when we witness an incident of hate in a public space.

Be sure to check out the article on our event in Pasadena Now for more details: https://lnkd.in/gnfsXpsC

11/09/2023

Rehana works with students and staff at Dream Centers to create safe, inclusive, welcoming sites for vulnerable and targeted student communities by teaching mediation and other skills.

It’s all part of empowering young people to independently sustain a culture of peacebuilding on their campuses.

At a recent training in Inglewood, Rehana and the team welcomed a shy young man who bravely shared his struggle with antiquated ideas about masculinity that he felt were holding him back.

Encouraged by the unique space his fellow students had created, he was surprised - and grateful - for their support and has kept coming back.

"What a gift it is to witness these kinds of transformations," Rehana says. "It really is allyship in action!”