Keynotes 
Through the Glass: One Woman’s Pursuit of Justice, Forgiveness and Healing
In this intimate and gripping journey into prisons, courtrooms and the human heart, Shannon Moroney reveals the far-reaching impact of her ex-husband’s crimes and the agonizing choices faced by the loved ones of offenders. In so doing, she addresses the implicit dangers of a correctional system and a society that prioritizes punishment over rehabilitation, and victimhood over recovery. Maroney candidly shares the agony and helplessness she felt toward her husband’s assault victims and articulates her painful transition from being a respected professional, homeowner and active community member one day, to being the wife of a sex offender the next. Shannon Moroney advocates for the recognition, voice and support for all people harmed by crime: direct victims of offences and those collaterally harmed, like the family of the offender. She challenges readers and audiences to understand the “ripple-effect of crime” in a nuanced way. Shannon shares the possibilities for restorative justice to address the needs of victims and hold offenders to account in a meaningful way, beyond mere punishment. She frequently addresses prison inmates with the aim of building empathy, while advocating that governments work to address the root causes of crime, poverty, lack of education, child abuse, trauma and mental illness. Shannon speaks to the healing possibility of forgiveness, sharing her own experience of “forgiving the person, but not the crimes.” She is a member of the International Forgiveness Project.
Writing What Hurts: Recounting without Reliving
Geared toward seasoned and novice writers as well as literature lovers, this presentation offers wisdom and advice on caring for oneself and one’s manuscript while writing about trauma and difficult times. Shannon shares her own writing journey and discusses the private and public experience of opening her heart and memory, and provides the audience with practical tools for their own writing. Whether the goal is to publish, to document a journey, or to find personal healing, participants will come away with tools and resources to guide the process. Recounting doesn’t have to mean reliving.
Resilience Inside Out: How People and Communities Can Overcome Trauma and Build Peace
Is resilience something you're born with or something you can develop? What makes a person, community or society elastic and able to overcome life's challenges, big and small? Sharing her own personal journey to recover from the trauma of her husband's violent crimes, and her extensive knowledge of the peace building process worldwide, Shannon Moroney engages the audience in a bigger understanding of what "being elastic" is all about and offers practical advice for building resilience in yourself and your family, workplace, school, community and society.
The F Word: Exploring Forgiveness
Part of being human is getting hurt. Sometimes we hurt others; sometimes others hurt us. We even hurt ourselves. Holding onto this hurt and allowing it to dictate the course of our lives can have negative long-term consequences. Forgiveness can change the shape of our journeys. It can release anger, fear, judgement and resentment, and open the door to peace and a positive future. The "F" Word is an experiential workshop conducted in a circle format to enable all participants to share equally in an exploration of what forgiveness may or may not represent for them. A series of exercises and storytelling offers a rich and thoughtful perspective designed to connect the individual to his or her own story. This workshop can be adapted to groups of different sizes and compositions, from youth to divorcees to mental health professionals to prison inmates. An expanded version is also available for day and weekend retreats. Participants are invited to explore some common misconceptions about forgiveness, the benefits and potential drawbacks of forgiveness, the role of apology, self-forgiveness and situations without the potential for dialogue or remorse.
