Restorative Justice in Local Communities Around the World

In this special episode of Restorative Works!, host Claire de Mezerville López (International Institute for Restorative Practices) welcomes Paolo Baffero, Ph.D., and is joined by co-host, Laura Hein, Policy Officer at the European Forum for Restorative Justice, to celebrate Restorative Justice Week. This episode is part of a special series, "Restorative Justice in Local Communities Around the World," created in partnership with the EFRJ.

Join us as Dr Baffero shares his insights from observing the Aymara people’s justice practices in Bolivia, offering a unique lens into how indigenous communities prioritise communal well-being and equilibrium over retribution. He explains how the Aymara justice system addresses conflicts by focusing on reintegration and community balance, rather than individual blame and punishment. Dr Baffero highlights the key differences between indigenous justice and Western restorative justice models, emphasising the need to address deeper structural issues that underpin conflicts.

Dr Baffero reflects on the challenges and opportunities that arise when indigenous practices intersect with constitutional frameworks that often limit their autonomy. He advocates for a more inclusive justice system that respects indigenous cultures and worldviews, while also proposing that Western justice systems could learn from indigenous approaches to conflict resolution.

Dr. Paolo Baffero is a criminology researcher at the University of South Wales. His work focuses on indigenous justice systems, contemporary colonial dynamics in legally pluralistic countries, and the advocacy of marginalised groups. He has collaborated with the Welsh Government, the Bolivian Ministry of Justice, and various UK and international organisations, working with marginalized populations. His recent publications and research underscore his dedication to advancing socio-criminological knowledge and promoting social justice.

Laura Hein is Policy Officer at the EFRJ. She contributes to the development of the organisation’s policy strategy, implementation policy, and advocacy work at both European and international level. Laura is a doctoral candidate and teaching assistant at KU Leuven University - Leuven Institute for Criminology, Belgium, in the field of transitional justice and political crimes. Her doctoral research focuses on the role of diaspora in transitional justice processes, focusing on Argentina as a case study. Her main areas of research interests are the links between transitional justice and forced displacement, the role of memory and acknowledgement of exiles’ experiences, and restorative justices approaches in transitional justice settings. 

Tune in to this episode to explore how indigenous justice practices can reshape our understanding of conflict resolution and restorative justice.

In this special episode of Restorative Works!, host Claire de Mezerville López welcomes Nirson Medeiros da Silva Neto, Ph.D., and is joined by co-host, Brunilda Pali, Chair of the board at the European Forum for Restorative Justice (EFRJ), to celebrate Restorative Justice Week. This episode is part of a special series, "Restorative Justice in Local Communities Around the World," created in partnership with the EFRJ.

Join us as Dr Neto shares a powerful story from the Quilombola community of Murumuru, where an innovative restorative justice approach helped resolve a conflict over the gathering of açaí berries. The conflict, which involved both Indigenous and Quilombola communities, was tied to unsustainable harvesting practices that threatened local ecosystems and livelihoods. Through dialogue and collaboration, the communities built an inter-ethnic agreement that preserved both the environment and the cultural and economic needs of those involved. Dr Neto also discusses how these interventions are part of a broader "social environmental" approach to restorative justice, which considers the impact of environmental degradation on vulnerable communities. This is groundbreaking work in uniting multiple communities across various cultures to meet an agreement on environmental restorative justice.

Dr Neto is an associate professor at two federal universities in the Brazilian Amazon region. He is a faculty member of the College of Law, the Master's Program in Law and Development of the Amazon, and the Master's Program of Society Sciences. He was a research scholar at Governors State University in Chicago's Southland between 2021-2022. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Social and Labor Psychology at the University of São Paulo from 2016-2018. He holds a Ph.D. in Social Sciences in Anthropology, and a master's degree in law, with an emphasis on human rights from the Federal University of Pará. He is a facilitator, instructor, and consultant in restorative justice. He has experience in the areas of law, anthropology, and social psychology, with emphasis on the following topics: restorative justice, conflict resolution, human rights, indigenous peoples, quilombolas and traditional communities, socio-environmental, ethnic-racial, and land conflicts in the Brazilian Amazon.

Dr Pali is assistant professor of Conflict Dynamics and Governance at the Department of Political Science at the University of Amsterdam and Chair of the EFRJ. She researches, teaches and publishes on gender and feminism, restorative, environmental and social justice, cultural and critical criminology, and arts and justice. 

Tune in to explore how restorative practices are transforming lives in the Amazon, and how interventions born from community needs can drive lasting social change.

In this special episode of Restorative Works!, host Claire de Mezerville López welcomes Leah Koumentaki, Ph.D., and is joined by co-host Federico Reggio, Ph. D., member of the European Forum for Restorative Justice, to celebrate Restorative Justice Week. This episode is part of a special series, "Restorative Justice in Local Communities Around the World," created in partnership with the EFRJ.

Join us as we explore Dr. Koumentaki’s research and the unique and enduring restorative justice practice known as "Sasmos."  Dr. Koumentaki delves into the heart of this vernacular restorative process, revealing how it continues to serve as a community-driven alternative to the Greek judicial system. Through the lens of Cretan cultural values like solidarity, respect, and belonging, Sasmos offers a powerful model for addressing harm and wrongdoing, while prioritising reconciliation and the reintegration of individuals into their communities.

Dr. Koumentaki’s decolonial and critical approach to research challenges traditional Eurocentric frameworks and emphasises the importance of ethnography in restorative justice practices. By weaving together tradition and innovation, Dr. Koumentaki’s work offers valuable insights into how ancient justice systems can inform modern restorative practices.

Dr. Koumentaki successfully completed her doctoral studies in Criminology at the University of Essex in 2022. She conducted the first comprehensive and systematic research on the Cretan Sasmos, which she concluded is a vernacular restorative justice process. Dr. Koumentaki’s work highlights how Sasmos is closely related to the tradition of justice in Crete while, until today, is employed into highland communities of the island, predominately in lieu of the operation of the Greek judicial authorities. Prior to her doctoral studies, Dr. Koumentaki co-ordinated research projects on restorative justice and other topics related to criminology. During her doctoral research she was involved in teaching as an assistant lecturer in Criminology and Sociology, both at University of Essex and Royal Holloway University of London. She currently works as a lecturer in Criminology at University of Keele. Her research interests focus on social harm, criminality, punishment and justice from a decolonial, critical, and zymological strand of view.

Dr. Reggio is an associate professor of philosophy of law and public ethics at the University of Padova. He serves as Senior Researcher at the University of Padua, Professor of Philosophy of Law, and Scientific Director of the Winter School Transforming 21st Century Conflicts. He chairs the Scientific Committee of the EFRJ and is the Scientific Director of the Mediares Journal.

Tune in to learn more about Sasmos, the future of restorative justice, and the importance of preserving indigenous knowledge and traditions in our pursuit of fairness and equity.