Earth Keeping and Justice
Keynote Reflection: Earth keeping and Justice Conference at Camp Fowler
I recently had the honor of presenting a keynote at the Earth keeping and Justice Conference at Camp Fowler. It was a meaningful experience for me, and I’m incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to share some of my current reflections on conflict and community building. In particular, I explored how conflict is not only inevitable but essential to creating meaningful change in our communities.
At the heart of my presentation were parallels I’ve observed between different justice paradigms—punitive, restorative, and transformative—and agricultural systems—degenerative, sustainable, and regenerative. These seemingly disparate models share deep connections, offering us profound insights into how we approach community, justice, and care for the Earth.
Justice Paradigms and Agricultural Systems
In punitive justice systems, the focus is on punishment—an attempt to correct or control harmful behavior through deterrence or retribution. This mirrors the degenerative model of agriculture, which is extractive and depletes the land, focused only on short-term yield without concern for long-term health or sustainability.
Restorative justice, on the other hand, seeks to heal harm by prioritizing the needs of those affected. It asks what can be done to repair relationships and restore balance. This aligns with sustainable agriculture, which aims to maintain a balance in ecosystems, ensuring that resources are used wisely so they can be preserved for future generations.
Transformative justice, however, goes further—it not only seeks to repair but to radically shift the structures and conditions that cause harm in the first place. It asks: How can we create systems where harm is less likely to occur at all? Similarly, regenerative agriculture doesn’t just aim to sustain—it actively seeks to improve the health of the land, restoring it to a more resilient and fertile state.
Reimagining the World in Small Spaces
As community leaders in these intimate spaces, we have the responsibility and opportunity to reimagine how the world might address large-scale issues. Summer camps allow us to experiment with justice and care in a way that is immediate and impactful. In this setting, we can plant the seeds of not only sustainable but regenerative approaches to both human relationships and our relationship with the Earth.
When we approach conflict with curiosity rather than fear, and when we align ourselves with models that focus on restoration and regeneration, we open the door to profound change. And it’s in these small spaces, with the next generation of leaders, that we can begin to build a more just, more resilient world—one conflict, one conversation, one community at a time.
I left Camp Fowler feeling energized and hopeful. The conversations sparked during the conference reaffirmed my belief that the work we do in these small spaces is foundational to addressing the larger challenges of our time. I look forward to continuing this work, alongside so many dedicated community leaders and changemakers, and to seeing how we can collectively build a future rooted in empathy, justice, and regeneration.
Laura Kriegel, MSW is the founder and Executive Director of Stomping Ground. Laura embodies what it is like to lead a team and business while still nourishing your inner child. She loves painting, being silly, and walking Wendy around the perimeter of camp every day.
Connect with laura : Laura@campstompingground.org