Little Book of Listening

A practical guide to listening well in restorative justice programs and any relationship.

The Little Book of Listening is an introduction to and practical guide for listening as an emergent strategy for creating a transformed world. It presents radical listening as an essential macro-skill, one that is essential in forming “right relationships” with ourselves and others that are the necessary prerequisite to all lasting forms of social change.

This is a collaborative book, constructed from the contributions of twenty-six listeners from a wide variety of backgrounds who have shared their strategies, experiences, inspiration, and hopes for a transformed world through listening justly and equitably. One of the primary goals of the book is to offer practical tools for readers to develop the skills to listen to themselves and others more effectively, drawing attention to the barriers and filters that so often distract us from listening. Another goal is to inspire readers through the personal stories of how just listening has impacted the authors and invite readers to adopt these approaches themselves. Finally, we aim for this text to be a resource for practitioners in the fields of justicebuilding and peacebuilding.

Conversations are how humans explore new ideas and reach new understandings: paradigms shift and the world is changed by our communication with each other. Whatever processes are used, it is imperative that facilitators and participants listen deeply, humbly, and attentively, without ego or agenda, to themselves and to one another. 

Sharon Browning coordinates JUST Listening, a collaborative social enterprise fostering personal and social change and transformation through the practice and teaching of mindful, equitable, and just communication skills. The work of JUST Listening is twofold: the facilitation of training workshops, retreats, and "difficult" conversations, focusing primarily on those working with marginalized individuals and groups, and the training for and supervision of listening projects in which volunteers listen justly to people on the social margins. She is an attorney, teacher, trained spiritual guide, motivator, mother, and grandmother. For more information see www.justlistening.net.
 
Donna Duffey has been an activist and advocate for the rights of individuals with disabilities for 28 years, since her daughter was born with Down Syndrome and autism. Donna cared for Madison at home until she was placed in residential care and continues to oversee her care. In 2013, Donna became a Listener in the Just Listening Program, listening at the Catholic Worker Clinic, St. Francis Inn, Thea’s Women Center, and Prevention Point, all located in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. Donna also is a member of the Core Team Listening project at SCI Graterford/now Phoenix. She delights in caring for and participating in the activities of her twelve grandchildren. Donna is an avid student of contemplative practice and is a graduate of the Living School at the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque. Donna loves the work of listening justly and looks forward to future endeavors to expand the work to other venues.
 
Fred Magondu has been a member of the JUST Listening (JL) Core Team since 2017, shaping the direction of the work, creating workshops, and facilitating numerous others. During his incarceration, Fred was also involved with other social justice organizations, (including Let's Circle Up, Alternatives to Violence, Community Forgiveness & Restoration and Practical Discipleship) which sought to empower prisoners and community members to identify and surface responses and solutions to the issues they are facing. Fred has written essays and articles which have been published in various newsletters and online. He is a father of four teenage children. Fred’s favorite part about being a member of the JL leadership team is the community spirit and collaborative, creative methodology used to chart the way forward. Drawing from his own experience, Fred is committed to helping others rise above their past mistakes through listening justly, empowerment, affirmation, and recognition of the inherent dignity of all people. He now lives in Kenya where he is currently working on continuing his social justice work, including establishing JUST Listening Africa (JULIA), which aims to introduce listening justly in Kenyan prisons, and in the community.
 
John A. Moore designs and facilitates workshops for several organizations within SCI-Phoenix: Alternative to Violence; JUST Listening; and Let’s Circle Up, a restorative justice education program. Mr. Moore has worked in the Law Library at SCI-Graterford and -Phoenix for 18 years, researching and litigating his own wrongful conviction and helping countless other incarcerated people fight their own cases. While incarcerated, he as engaged in trainings ranging from culinary arts/restaurant trades, business administration, personal training, among many others. He also completed a yoga instructor training with Yoga Transformation Yoga Project in 2020. He is committed to a life of service and considers just listening to be fundamental to all of humanity.
 
Patricia A. Way is an Assistant Professor of Justice Studies and Coordinator of the Restorative Justice Program at Chestnut Hill College. Tricia earned her PhD at Temple University, where she also completed the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Training Institute in 2010. She has taught several Inside-Out courses in local men's state prisons and the federal detention center in Philadelphia, each with a focus on the intersections of gender and the criminal law creation, enforcement, adjudication, and sanctioning systems in the US (with a focus on Pennsylvania). Tricia places restorative justice philosophies and practices at the center of her teaching and completed the Certification in Restorative Justice Leadership and Facilitation from the University of San Diego in 2022. Her current research, service, and community collaborations currently focus on overturning wrongful convictions in Philadelphia (and beyond).
 

"The ten foundational values of listening and the transformational stories that bring them to life in this book are essential for restorative justice practitioners and anyone wanting to deepen their justice efforts. I have experienced a profound shift in my own practice!" —Justine Andreu Darling, Ph.D.