Mission
The Living Restoratively, Dying Peacefully Project (LRDPP), believes that the path to living and dying peacefully is to restore ourselves by addressing harm, practicing forgiveness, and creating space for healing, reconciliation and transformation.
Vision
In an individually and collectively conflicted world, each and every one of us is wounded. The Living Restoratively, Dying Peacefully Project (LRDPP), explores the many spiritual factors of how internal and external conflict affects individuals and societies. We believe that this framework enables careful examination and understanding of ourselves, as well as offering more holistic ways of loving, being, living, and dying.
To Begin, the LRDPP Will Focus On
1. Research and publish findings on better practices for end of life care for those who've experienced displacement due to conflict.
2. Research and publish findings to identify the special needs of women who've lived through conflict and violence to offer more compassionate end of life care.
3. End of Life Doula Training scholarships for conflict survivors who want to provide end of life support in their regions.
4. Workshops and individualized sessions for anyone who wants to discover and embrace how to live restoratively and die peacefully.
Including opportunities to travel to different regions of the world that offer reverent connections to ourselves and the Earth.
As well as important conversations, advising and action - for end of life care and planning.
Karen envisions LRDPP growing, changing and morphing, as she continues this evolutionary theological, multi-religious and multi-cultural work in peacebuilding, restorative practices, and end of life care.
Events and News
Events and News
Our first event on April 3, 2024 was full of many questions and insights!
Women Peacebuilders in Action: A Conversation About the Special Needs of Women Who Have Lived Through Conflict
witH LRDPP Secretary and Special Advisor for Women and peacebuilding, Ms. Despina Namwembe
Watch the video here!
Memberships
The LRDPP is ongoing project - We are now registered as a Member of:
About the Founder and Director
~ DR. Karen Leslie Hernandez ~
A proud Chicana and Theologian with nineteen years of multi-religious peacebuilding experience in the US and internationally, Karen's keen interest in and understanding of the importance of trauma informed care, practicing forgiveness, restoration of self, connecting with nature, compassion based approaches to conflict, and dying peacefully - has led to this point in her life of developing LRDPP.
Recently earning her End of Life Doula Certification from the University of Vermont Larner School of Medicine and with travel to over 30 countries, Karen has personally and professionally experienced the understanding of how restoring ourselves, restores our interconnectedness with each other, with Creation, and with the Earth. A boundary-breaker, religiously intelligent, scholar-practitioner with cross-cultural fluency, Karen also graduated with her Doctor of Ministry from Claremont School of Theology '21; Boston University School of Theology with a Master of Sacred Theology '12; Andover Newton Theological School with a Master of Theological Research '07; and from Wellesley College with a BA in Peace and Justice Studies '05.
Karen's interfaith action and advocacy work is layered in nonprofit, higher education, and on the ground training, teaching and facilitation, as well as research and living in India while working with interfaith dialogue and women’s organizations in both Varanasi (‘06) and Mumbai (‘11). She also served on a peacemaking delegation in Israel and the West Bank with Christian (now Community) Peacemaker Teams in 2010. Other areas of expertise include transformative justice, compassionate dialogue, women’s human rights and sacred texts, humanitarian efforts, teaching, writing/scholarship, understanding/addressing cultural context, intercultural dialogue, conflict negotiation, leading educational webinars, and social service efforts - including working in affordable housing, with the unhoused, those with addiction, and in food security.
To connect with Karen for questions or to request a workshop or individualized session, please email her at Karenlesliehernandez@gmail.com
Board of Directors
Dr. Karen Leslie Hernandez, President
Despina Namwembe, Secretary and Special Advisor for Women and Peacebuilding
Despina Namwembe is a social scientist with a major educational focus in peace and conflict studies coordinating the work of over 70 grassroots organizations in the Great Lakes Region of Africa for the United Religions initiative (URI). She is an interfaith peace builder, a gender enthusiast, a human rights advocate, as well as networker - providing linkages for grassroots communities and supporting them with capacity building on topical issues including providing linkages for the grassroots and with policy and partnerships bodies at national, regional and international levels.
Julie Scown Nirula, Treasurer
Julie Scown Nirula is a former educator who is re-entering the workforce now that her children are grown and flown. Having lived in seven different states, she has volunteered in various educational settings, on HOA boards, and with philanthropy organizations. Julie is a graduate of University of California Santa Barbara with a BA in English.
Candy Braillard, Special Advisor for Elderly Care
Candy Braillard was born in San Francisco. In college, she worked toward being a teacher and by happenstance one summer away from university, she landed a job in a childcare center. Thus began the next 40 years of her career. In early 2022, she changed gears and took a job coordinating programs for the local senior center in Washington State. She fills many roles, including social worker, with a fulltime compassionate heart. She is thankful for the wisdom she gleans every day from her elders (who are not that much older than she), that grace her life, fill her heart, and remind her each day, what is truly, deeply important.
Dr. Nida Mirza, Special Advisor for Health and Wellness
Dr. Nida Mirza is a licensed clinical psychologist who works in private practice providing therapy to adults from diverse and marginalized backgrounds. She also provides behavioral health advising and consultation to health tech startups in Silicon Valley. Her interests include telemedicine, multicultural and intersectional approaches to treatment, and mindfulness.
Rev. J. Manny Santiago, Special Advisor for Trust and Equity
Rev. J. Manny Santiago serves as the Chief of Equity and Community Partnerships for the Washington Health Benefit Exchange, the public health insurance marketplace for the Affordable Care Act in the state. In this role, Manny works collaboratively with Washington tribes, health plan navigators, insurance brokers, and health plan carriers to help close the gap on affordable health plan coverage for Washingtonians. Prior to this role he served as the inaugural Executive Director of the Washington State LGBTQ Commission, having been appointed by Governor Jay Inslee to his cabinet in 2019. In this role, he led the work to establish the agency, collaborated with statewide 2SLGBTQIA organizations to expand and strengthen protections, and advised the governor on policy issues related to the community.
