Restorative Justice In Communities

In her legacy book, Teaching Peace, Dr. Beverly Title a founding member of the RJ Council, said, “The restorative process is not a program; it is a set of principles and values. This means it can be applied anywhere...”

Applying the Restorative values of Relationship, Respect, Responsibility, Repair and Reintegration as described in Dr. Title’s  seminal document, The 5Rs of Restorative Justice Practices we can see how this philosophical approach can be a supportive and healing experience for all involved.

There advanced facilitator trainings, networking groups and trained practitioners that can help restore the relationships in your group. Search the RJ Directory for facilitators, trainers and consultants who may be able to help you. 

Family

Family Group Conferencing or Family Group Decision Making- is a family centered process that recognizes the importance of involving family members in family conflict resolution and decision making.

Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) involves family members in decision making about children who need protection or care. They can be initiated by child welfare agencies whenever a critical decision about a child is required. In FGDM processes, a trained coordinator who is independent of the case brings together the family group and members. The processes position the family group to lead decision making and the agency agrees to support family group plans that adequately address the agency’s concerns for child safety, wellbeing, and permanency.

Family Group Conferencing (FGC)  is a structured often facilitated meeting between family members and potentially supportive friends. In the facilitated process they address the harm and decide how best to repair it. Making agreements and systems to hold each other accountable the family system can be strengthened. Neither counseling nor a mediation process, conferencing is a sensitive, straightforward problem-solving method that demonstrates how families can resolve their own problems when provided with a safe way to do so.

Search the RJ Directory for facilitators, trainers and consultants who may be able to help you.

Work places

Work place conflict can be resolved using facilitated restorative practices ranging from restorative chats or dialogues to conferencing or solution circles. Human resources departments and employee assistance programs can find supportive, confidential processes to help them shift from elevated conflict situations and the need for disciplinary action to happy, connected work communities.

When trained facilitators prepare all parties to meet in a safe and equitable environment that allows all voices to be heard the power differential diminishes and humans can work together to repair harm. Search the RJ Directory for facilitators, trainers and consultants who may be able to help you. 

Groups and Organizations

Whether your group is a religious organization, home owner’s association, non-profit board or staff or other group or organization in conflict, restorative practices may have something to offer you in resolving the conflict by looking at;

• What happened?
• Who has been affected and how?
• What needs to be done to make things as right as possible for all?

Engaging trained restorative justice facilitators to prepare people to come together and work through the questions above by speaking their truth and listening deeply to each other’s answers most groups find their way through the conflict to satisfying resolution.

Search the RJ Directory for facilitators, trainers and consultants who may be able to help you.