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Authors

Asvini Uthayakumaran

Asvini is the 2023/2024 public justice intern at Citizens for Public Justice. She works on national advocacy around migrant and refugee rights in Canada. She is the daughter of Tamil refugees and much of her activism is inspired by her parents' experiences. 

Dorothy Vaandering

Dorothy Vaandering is an associate professor at Memorial University in Newfoundland. She researches the implementation and sustainability of restorative justice in education; teaches social studies, social justice and restorative justice courses to teachers and pre-service teachers; and is involved in various service organizations including a provincial restorative justice consortium and Pathways, a new organization that supports survivors of clergy and religious abuse. Her two sons and husband keep her smiling, as does hiking on the amazing East Coast Trail. 

John-Harmen Valk

John-Harmen Valk is a Canadian pursuing doctoral studies at the University of St Andrews in Scotland.

Jill Van Beek

Jill Van Beek is Director of Operations for the Association for a More Just Society-U.S.

Jack Van de Hoef

Jack Van de Hoef is the pastor at Bethel Christian Reformed Church in Brockville, Ontario. 

Steve van de Hoef

Steve van de Hoef lives with his wife and two daughters in Belleville, ON. He works as a full time dad and part time Justice and Faith Project Coordinator for the CRC. Steve formerly worked with the CRC's Aboriginal Ministry, Office of Social Justice and Centre for Public Dialogue as Justice and Reconciliation Mobilizer.

Liza van de Hoef

Liza van de Hoef lives in Belleville, ON with her husband Steve and their two young children. Liza works as a midwife. 

Kris Van Engen

Kris Van Engen is the Congregational Justice Mobilizer for the Office of Social Justice and World Renew. He equips people as they act on Jesus' instructions to be peacemakers, to do justice, and to prevent the root causes of poverty and hunger. Kris previously worked for 10 years as a pastor and church ministries director. He and his wife Lisa have two children, Ellie and Josiah.

Debbie van Hoeve

Debbie van Hoeve represents the Regional Synod of Canada (Reformed Church in America), which is an active partner of the Centre for Public Dialogue. Hearing the social justice call, Debbie volunteers with her husband, Ben, intentionally in one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Canada at the Helping Hands Street Mission in Hamilton, Ontario, God continues to demonstrate to them his love to a marginalized society. Debbie and Ben are parents to four adult children. They live and work together in their family’s housing business. They are active in study and fellowship at Westdale Reformed Church in Hamilton. You can contact her at debvh11@gmail.com.

Megan Van Kooten

Megan Van Kooten is a recent graduate of Calvin College with a degree in Social Work and now works in foster care. While studying at Calvin, she also interned with the Office of Social Justice and worked on restorative justice. 

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