RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
Information and methods for conflict resolution and community justice
What is restorative justice?
- Restorative justice encourages accountability on a community-wide level, guests and party organizers alike.
- Restorative justice is not concerned with rules being broken and the rule-breaker being punished – restorative justice is about repairing relations, conflict resolution and building better communities.
- In a restorative justice conflict resolution process, the aim is to support people in realizing what is happening in the conflict, rather than telling them what is going on.
- It is important that all parties are willingly involved in the process.
- There’s no “judge” in restorative justice, but there can be a facilitator supporting the conflict process.
NEED MORE HELP?
If you’re interested in building resources in your own work team to handle conflicts through non-punitive ways, you can contact Genopret KBH at genopretkbh@riseup.net
If you want to learn more about creating Safer Spaces and working with Awareness READ MORE HERE
Accountability
- Encourages individual and collective responsibility to conflict.
- When harm is done the focus is on context and which conditions in the community enabled or hindered the conflicts.
- Harm is handled locally and the community works towards creating new relational prac-tices and cultivates resources to handle harm.
- Cultivating a culture of accountability is a community-wide responsibility, whilst acknow-ledging that responsibility extends further than just the individual events and parties.
Promoter Accountability
What to reflect and act on at the different stages of hosting an event?
BEFORE
- How are guests invited in?
- How is the space described?
- What/who is (not) welcome?
DURING
- Which resources are available during the event? (guidelines, crew, spaces)
- How can guests reach these services?
- What are the practices of handling experiences of harm on the spot?
AFTER
- How will promoters receive and handle experiences of harm from the event?
- How can guests reach these services?
- What are the possible consequences of doing harm?
- How can people be reintegrated into the community after a conflict?
How to approach a conflict
Always listen to all involved parties and acknowledge you don’t know all aspects of the conflict. Embrace the complexities of their experiences. Conflicts are not black/white.
In regards to the person who’s experienced harm
It is important that they have influence on the conflict process and to acknowledge their experience.
Suggestion for questions to ask
- What happened?
- How did that affect you?
- Who are the other people directly involved?
- What do you need now?
- What do you wish to happen from here on?
In regards to the person being pointed out as having harmed
It is important that they feel accepted for who they are but not for their behavior. That the community shows trust in their ability to change. No demonization!
Suggestion for questions to ask
- What happened?
- What were you thinking at the time?
- What have you thought since?
- Who has been affected by what you have done, and in what way?
- What do you think you need to make things right? And what do you need in order to do that?
Consequence & zero tolerance
Zero tolerance isn’t necessarily kicking someone out or canceling people.
Zero tolerance = not accepting certain behavior.
Ask people to accept the consequences of their actions – don’t cancel!