Donde Come Uno, Comen Dos
As part of our diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and anti-racism work, Finance and Administrative Services (FAS) has partnered with the Office of Restorative Justice Practices to offer specialized training. Restorative justice emphasizes bringing together everyone affected by wrongdoing to address needs and responsibilities and to heal the harm to relationships and community. It also is a proactive relational strategy to create a culture of connectivity where all members of a community thrive and feel valued (Fania Davis, The Little Book on Race and Restorative Justice). At a recent FAS Managers’ Town Hall, Associate Director Juri Sanchez shared more about restorative justice and a saying from her grandmother that symbolizes her work (see the presentation at the end of the story). We asked her to share more of her story.
Tell us about your role in the Office of Restorative Justice Practices.
The simplest way to describe my role in restorative justice practices at UCSF is that I focus on building and strengthening communities of care, trust and respect. I co-design spaces with people so that each of us can feel a sense of belonging while being our authentic selves. We focus on community building and repairing relationships. When a conflict happens, we guide people on how to respond more restoratively. It’s important to address incidents of relational harm.
How did you get involved in restorative justice?
I’ve always been a person who cares about justice. I’m an advocate. I needed to find a space to do that work. In graduate school, I came across the concept of restorative justice through the juvenile justice system. I did research abroad in Chile and I realized that these practices were being utilized as an alternative resolution. I became interested in understanding proactive tools to ensure that we're providing our community with the resources and support they need to be able to succeed. That’s when I came across the three-tiered model we use here at UCSF and the importance of building community.
You recently shared a saying from your grandmother that symbolized interconnectedness, “Donde come uno, comen dos.” Can you tell us more about it?
“Donde come uno, comen dos” means where one eats, there is enough for two. It connects me to my family, who is from El Salvador. I'm the first generation born here. It makes me think of the collective, the whole community. I grew up watching my family supporting our family members, friends, and friends of friends from El Salvador settle and get acclimated as they arrived in the Bay Area. My family taught me the importance of collective care and reciprocity through their direct actions of sharing their time and resources to ensure the whole community can thrive. I’m humbled and thankful to have found a career where I get to create spaces where people can gather, connect, share resources and forge meaningful relationships.
The other part of the saying is how my grandma (Mamita — see her photo below) would always make sure to have food ready and serve anyone visited. She showed her love through food. My family continues to practice that. Sometimes our family doesn't verbally express how much they care for one another, but we show it with our actions. There is often talk about the importance of respect and belonging, and caring, but what actions are we taking?
