Newsflash / October 2024 / I

October 2024 / I

What’s On During #RJWeek’24!

Get ready for this year's Restorative Justice Week (#RJWeek24) which is taking place on the 17^th – 23^rd November. The theme for this year is: “The promise of restorative justice in a polarising world”

The EFRJ will be promoting all #RJWeek events, and you can already find details of some of the planned events all over the world on our interactive map. This map will be updated as we receive new information. Are you planning an event for #RJWeek24? Submit your event via this form so we can help promote it!

#RJWeek Carillon Concert - Song Requests Open!

Do you have a song you’ve always wanted to hear played on bells? Do your favourite songs have any ‘restorative’ elements to them? For this year’s Restorative Justice Week, the EFRJ is organising a special Carillon concert to be performed by Luc Rombouts, the official Carillonneur of Leuven. We are inviting you to have your say on the musical programme by submitting any songs that fit the theme for Luc to perform! Submissions will close on the 5^th of November. The concert will be held on the 20^th of November from 1-2pm CET in the center of Leuven (Belgium) and will be live streamed.

Contribute to the #RJWeek Preparations!

The EFRJ is looking for collaborators to help with designing campaign materials and/or translating them into other languages. Anyone with relevant skills who would like to contribute to the design of campaign materials, translation, or other outreach activities for #RJWeek24 is invited to contact EFRJ’s Training and Communication Officer Bálint Juhász.

#RJWeek International Collaboration

To discuss opportunities for international collaboration and coordination for #RJWeek24, the EFRJ organised two meetings with restorative justice organisations from across the globe. To kickstart global collaboration for #RJWeek in 2025, we are inviting our international partner organisations to save the date for a closed planning meeting on the 10^th of December 2024.

Last Call for Working Group Topics!

The deadline for submitting topic proposals for the next working groups of the EFRJ is fast approaching on the 12^thof October. If you have a great idea, don’t miss your chance to contribute to the development of restorative justice and the EFRJ and submit your topic now!

The working groups of the EFRJ focus on specific areas of application in restorative justice, aiming to explore new ideas and create practical and innovative approaches. Our current Committees and Working Groups are approaching the end of their 2-year mandates and we invite our members to help us form the EFRJ’s next working groups.

Once topic proposals have been reviewed and short-listed, a call will be opened in November for recruitment to the new Working Groups and Committees. The deadline for this second stage is the 31^st of December.

Last Chance to Join the EFRJ as an Intern in Spring 2025!

The internship program of the EFRJ is a fantastic opportunity to gain hands-on experience in one of the largest and most prominent network organisations in Europe, learn and develop skills and knowledge in the field of Restorative Justice, work with a dynamic team, build a network of professionals from across Europe, and contribute meaningfully to our mission. The deadline to apply for internships at the EFRJ Secretariat in Leuven, Belgium in Spring 2025 is approaching soon on the 15^th of October.

The exact period of the internship can be discussed with the shortlisted candidates during the selection process. To learn more about the internship program and apply, visit our website. For any questions, please email EFRJ’s Training and Communication Officer Bálint Juhász.

Inscrivez-vous Maintenant pour la Formation d’Introduction

Les inscriptions sont ouvertes pour le cours de formation en ligne « Introduction à la justice restaurative », organisée par l'EFRJ. Le webinar se déroule du mardi 12 novembre 2024 à 16h00 au vendredi 15 novembre à 19h30 (CET).

Ce cours invite les participants à découvrir les bases de la justice restaurative, son objectif, ses principes clés, ses modèles, son applicabilité et les instruments juridiques qui la régissent. Il est particulièrement recommandé aux décideurs politiques, aux médiateurs, aux intervenants de terrain (travailleurs sociaux, enseignants, psychologues, policiers, procureurs, juges, agents pénitentiaires...), ainsi qu’aux professionnels ou aux bénévoles qui souhaitent s’impliquer dans la justice restaurative.

La formation est dispensée en français par Noémie Micoulet et Géraldine Bodart. Les inscriptions seront clôturées le lundi 11 novembre à 23h59 CET. Les frais d'inscription anticipée sont disponibles jusqu'au dimanche 20 octobre.

Survey on Hate Crime and Systemic Violence

Are you a professional who has experience working with hate crime and systemic violence in the context of restorative justice? The EFRJ Working Group on Hate, Polarisation and Violent Extremism wants to hear from you! The Working Group is collecting responses to map the knowledge, skills, and needs of restorative justice practitioners in the context of hate crime and systemic violence. Your contribution will be used to design important activities and materials for the EFRJ, such as training programmes and thematic papers.

The deadline to respond is the 13^th of October. It will take about 15-20 minutes to complete the survey, and all responses will be kept confidential. You can find the survey here.

Deadline Extended: Call to Host EFRJ Events in 2026-2027

Could you imagine an EFRJ event in your home country? If this idea puts a smile on your face, this is your moment to apply as a host!

As a European organisation, the EFRJ aims to bring restorative justice discourse to as many places in the continent as possible to inspire growth, innovation, and engagement. The EFRJ collaborates with its members to create events that are not only meaningful for our network, but for the local community too, showcasing the diverse regions our members are from. After several successful conferences, seminars, and summer schools hosted by our members across Europe, the EFRJ is looking for local co-organisers to host events in 2026-2027. Previous hosts, like the Estonian Ministry of Justice (Tallinn 2024) and the University of Sassari (Sassari 2022), have found it a rewarding experience and are available for any guidance.

The extended call for hosts ends on 15^th October 2024. In case of acceptance of candidature as hosting organisation, your contribution will be negotiated on an individual basis with the EFRJ Secretariat and Board. For any questions, please contact Emanuela Biffi.

From Survivors to Survivors: Launch Event

Over the past few years, the EFRJ Working Group on Gender-Based Violence have collected testimonies from people who have experienced sexual violence and were offered, and sometimes even participated in a restorative justice process. Eight of these testimonies have been published in ‘From Survivors to Survivors: Conversations on restorative justice in cases of sexual violence’.

As most of the testimonies included are from women, reflecting international statistics on sexual offences, the publication will be officially launched on the 25^th of November: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

The publication will be presented by the editors, as well as some of the authors and other guests, who will discuss its challenges and opportunities.

The 90-minute webinar will start at 4 pm CET. Registration is free but required.

II Journada Para El Desarollo de la Justicia Restaurativa en América Latina

Una de las redes regionales con las que cooperamos, el Foro Latinoamericano de Justicia Restaurativa, celebrará su 2ª conferencia del 11 al 13 de noviembre de 2024 en Floranópolis, Brasil, titulada II jornada para el desarrollo de la justicia restaurativa en América Latina. El tema de esta edición es: "Justicia restaurativa en contextos de desigualdades sociales y desastres ambientales".

Los fondos recaudados con las inscripciones se destinarán a apoyar a las poblaciones afectadas por las inundaciones ocurridas en mayo en Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, y los presentadores del evento (varios de los cuales son miembros de la EFRJ) participan a su propio costo en un espíritu de solidaridad.

El evento será en portugués y español. Para más información y para inscribirse, visite el sitio web.

Moment of Inspiration

For thousands of years, Australia’s First Nations Peoples have used ‘yarning circles’ as a way to share stories, resolve conflicts, and build understanding. Today, this ancient restorative practice is being used at primary schools around Australia to teach younger generations about reconciliation and understanding. At the University of Canberra, yarning circles are being taught as part of the law and justice and allied health and counselling curriculums to guide the next generation of practitioners in facilitating culturally sensitive restorative practices.

Yarning circles also play a larger role in the justice system in the Australian Capital Territory’s Galambany Court. The Aboriginal word ‘Galambany’ means “We all, including you” and the court prioritises listening to the voice of all those involved in a conflict by including the local community and victims in the sentencing of First Nations offenders.

[Image credit: Artwork by Uncle Paul Constable Calcott (Wiradjuri), sourced from Arts Centre Melbourne, "First Nations Deaf and Disabled Artists Yarning Circle," 2024. Link.]

In our newsflashes we share the most interesting and relevant updated about our work and collect information from our members and other individuals and/or organisations working in related fields. Information includes news, local activities, international events, publications, inspiring talks or projects, and much more, taking place in Europe and beyond. Please contact us if you have any comments or any news you would like us to share in our future editions. You can enjoy the previous editions of the EFRJ Newsflashes here. Feel free to forward them to friends or colleagues and invite them to sign up on the EFRJ website!

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