Last updated 25/07/2016
The East meeting the West: Ideas on the development of Restorative Justice
Istanbul, 5 – 7 September 2016
The seminar has been postponed.
NEW DATE and LOCATION will be communicated soon after the Summer
A joint initiative of the European Forum for Restorative Justice and the Asia Pacific Forum for Restorative Justice, with the support of Istanbul Bilgi University
Today, Restorative Justice is a promising movement worldwide. It offers the perspective of a fundamentally new approach to crime and injustices, taking the lifeworld, the needs and the capabilities of people and communities as starting point. Restorative Justice aims at contributing to a more inclusive and more just environment, where also structural causes of inequalities at societal level are addressed. This encompassing approach is a challenge, for which the knowledge, experience and wisdom from different parts of the world are highly needed. There is not just one ideal model of Restorative Justice, and we should learn from each other’s regions, cultures and particularities in order to further develop our ideas on what Restorative Justice can mean as a truly innovative, global response to different types of crimes under very different circumstances. Initiating a dialogue on Restorative Justice ideas and experiences between very different regions will improve not only our understanding of the potential of Restorative Justice and its common elements and values, but will also enhance the quality of our daily work, be it as practitioner, policy maker or researcher active in this field.
Therefore, the European Forum for Restorative Justice and the Asia Pacific Forum for Restorative Justice have taken the initiative to organise an inter-regional seminar to make such an exchange possible. We propose to meet in Istanbul, where we can find each other on the borders of the Bosporus. We aim at bringing together a group of no more than 50 persons (25 from the East, 25 from the West), in order to allow for in-depth discussions at a seminar of three days. Participants come from the field of practice, research or policy making, but should be actively involved as experts in Restorative Justice related matters. Active contribution during the seminar is expected, in the form of a paper presentation or active participation in discussions. The following – non exhaustive – list of topics might be relevant, always against an international background:
- The perception of crime and the experiences of injustices in specific cultural, political and economic contexts;
- The impact of large scale national or dense city populations when developing and implementing Restorative Justice programmes;
- Theoretical (interdisciplinary) approaches and new theoretical insights of Restorative Justice;
- Existing and emerging models in Restorative Justice practice;
- The significance and role of traditional ways in dealing with conflict;
- The role of religion in the development of Restorative Justice;
- The influence of authoritarian state structures and states in transition;
- The position of women in Restorative Justice processes;
- The organisation of Restorative Justice programmes at the local level;
- The role and meaning of community and civil society, and volunteers in developing and applying Restorative Justice;
- Recruitment, accreditation, training and coaching of Restorative Justice practitioners;
- The role of Restorative Justice legislation and policy making at the national, European and international level (do we need international regulation or guidelines?);
- Monitoring, evaluation and research of Restorative Justice practices and their implementation;
- The future of international cooperation;
- …
To participate in the inter-regional seminar, interested persons or organisations should apply by sending an e-mail to one of the contact points mentioned below, enclosing a short c.v. and/or presentation of their organisation, and mentioning whether they would present a paper on a given topic (describe in 15 lines) or just figure as active participant. In Istanbul, we can benefit from the meeting accommodation and practical assistance from Istanbul Bilgi University, but travel, hotel and meals are at the expenses of the participants. Later on, practical information and advice on (non-expensive) hotel accommodation and local transport will be provided.
!!!!! NEW !!!!!
REGISTRATION OPEN:
If you are interested, please send an e-mail with the required information before to one of the following:
- Mirko Miceli at the European Forum for Restorative Justice, at [email protected];
- Jeremy Simons, at [email protected]
Organising committee: Ivo Aertsen and Mirko Miceli (European Forum for RJ), Brian Steels (Asia Pacific Forum for RJ), Asuman Aytekin Inceoglu and Galma Akdeniz (Istanbul Bilgi University).
Find here the .pdf of this announcement and feel free to spread it among your colleagues!
