Ippei Okazaki's picture
Practitioner: 
Ippei Okazaki
Focus: 
Restorative Practice
Restorative Justice
Organisation: 
One Pacific Dispute Resolution

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About the Practitioner

Field of Interest: 

Ippei is the grandson of a Hiroshima survivor and has a diverse professional and personal background, having worked as a bush pilot and in tourism management in the Northern Territory prior to becoming a mediator, peace builder, and restorative justice facilitator.

Ippei is considered a leading practitioner in cross-cultural practices, with a deep cultural understanding of the role of elders, existing kinship protocols, and community dynamics. He effectively integrates all available services to provide ongoing support and promote peace. His very approachable style greatly assists in his work.

Much of Ippei's work has been in remote Indigenous communities in Arnhem Land, Central Australia, and the Tiwi Islands. He has been involved in successful restorative programs that promote the peaceful reintegration of violent offenders back into their communities. Additionally, he serves as an independent facilitator for direct personal responses involving survivors of institutional abuse in the Australian Defence Force and Child Protection agencies.

 

Motivation: 

Due to his heritage, 80 years ago, Ippei would have been "on the other side of the trenches" during WWII, coming from Japanese descent. Having lived in Darwin for over 20 years, the importance of promoting peace and reconciliation resonates strongly with him.

Ippei is inspired by many of the cultural elders he works with, especially as most are helping the community through very serious, traumatic circumstances. His work around trauma and community support also led him to assist communities in recovering from the devastating Black Summer Bushfires of 2019-2020 and the River Murray Floods through community engagement projects.

Brings to the Discussion: 

In discussions about Restorative Practice, I bring a strong focus on the critical need for more community-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) facilitators.

These facilitators need not only training but to be properly resourced to effectively serve their communities on an ongoing basis. Additionally, it's essential to provide more opportunities for these practitioners to connect, share knowledge, and enhance their practices. By fostering these connections, I believe we can promote a deeper understanding and more effective implementation of restorative practices within ATSI communities.

Additional Information: 

Ippei believes it is important to be invited to be part of any process and that involvement must be with informed consent. He emphasises that the process he designs are always co-designed and, most importantly, cause no further harm to participants. He believes that intentions and actions must be honorable, approachable, and confidential, aiming to assist victims, offenders, and support people in a meaningful and respectful manner.

Organisation

Organisational Structure: 
  • Registered Business
Organisational Role(s): 
  • Founder
  • Principal Consultant
Jurisdiction: 
  • Children's Court
  • Community based
  • Federal Court
  • Juvenile Justice
  • Local police
  • Magistrates Court
  • Public prison system
  • Referrals from the justice system
Services Offered: 
  • ATSI health and well being
  • Coaching
  • Community Development/Education 
  • Consultancy
  • Corrections and prisons
  • Criminal Justice
  • Culture change
  • Education - RTO
  • Employment programs
  • Facilitation
  • Faith Based Restorative Work
  • Family group conferencing
  • Gendered violence
  • Leadership development
  • Management Training
  • Peer support services
  • Policy development
  • Program development
  • Reflective practice
  • Research
  • Responding to child sexual abuse
  • Responding to sexual assault/harm
  • Restorative Circles
  • Restorative Conferencing
  • Restorative Practice meetings
  • School - K-12
  • School prep-6
  • Schools 7-12
  • Sexual assault
  • Team Building
  • Training
  • Family Feuds
  • Workplace Conferencing
  • Workplace Training

Practitioner Location and Reach

Location: 
Goodwood, SA, 5034
Area Covered: 
State -SA
Territory -NT

Practitioner Internet Presence