All Island Retorative Justice Conference set in motion

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Restorative Justice practice is happening the length and breadth on the island of Ireland. Be it in criminal justice, probation, the care sector, community projects, schools, courts and prisons, restorative techniques are being employed across a huge swath of society. That's the message I took from the meeting held in Ballybot House Newry.

The meeting, organized by the Restorative Justice Forum N.I. was aimed at investigating what was happening across the island in restorative justice and to see how practitioners felt about the possibility of an all island conference on RJ.

There was a good vibe in the room around the idea as presented by the Forums event subgroup.
As with all RJ gatherings a similar set of themes emerges, relationships, inclusivity, sharing and building seem to resonate and settle to be the foundations of a way forward. This is key when like-minded people start to plan an event that aims to promote and develop restorative practice across the island.

It was also refreshing to be in a room where people were speaking positively of their experience of restorative practice, there was no one to convince of the value of RJ as a model of good working practice. This was most refreshing as we went straight to business, discussion followed by agreement followed by discussion and further agreement. Believe me that’s how it went, a good day’s work done and by the end of the session a very clear picture was emerging of what the event will look like.
So now for the hard work, the conference content, the meat in the proverbial sandwich. There was however some good suggestions on this and even more so on the idea of joint presenters highlighting the difference in RJ practices across the island. This may be done in a north/south basis that will really throw up the gaps and difference.

There was also much discussion on what and who should our target audience be? Again we felt we should look to invite practitioners who will have a wealth of knowledge but also legislator’s who at the end of the day help to create the legal framework in which RJ is located within a variety of fields. I think it crucial that we seek to influence those people who can with our experience put RJ up the agenda thus ensuring that we really are starting to build.

A key discussion was the choice of a keynote speaker. No agreement on this one yet although some very solid suggestions in the hat both from an international view through to more home-grown talent.
This was another theme from today’s event, the theme that said that we are well-developed in our knowledge and skill base in using RJ practice. This demonstrates an underlying confidence in what and how we have been doing things and this augur’s well for the future.

Finishing up we have committed to the event, some of the agenda, the venue and future meetings to plan the event further still. I can hardly wait for the event itself; it will make a change to be staying on home soil for an RJ conference, that’s a change in itself.