In this episode of the Peacebuilder Podcast, host Diego Crespo sits down with Maria Arias, an Argentinian lawyer, researcher, and peacebuilder, currently conducting her practicum in South Africa.
Maria shares her work at the intersection of human rights, restorative justice, and gender, focusing on amplifying women’s voices and addressing gender-based violence. Drawing from her research in Argentina, including her book on women’s autonomy in criminal processes, she highlights the importance of listening to survivors and creating alternative, more human-centered justice pathways.
The conversation follows her journey from Argentina to Mexico, where she was first introduced to restorative justice, and eventually to the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding (CJP), where courses like STAR and peacebuilding formation shaped both her personal healing and professional path.
Now in South Africa, Maria is applying these learnings in practice, conducting research with women, facilitating peacebuilding circles with youth, and creating safe spaces for dialogue and healing.
Throughout the episode, she reflects on the importance of collective healing, the role of justice systems in empowering women’s voices, and her broader goal of fostering global conversations around gender, trauma, and peacebuilding.