Peru

Three weeks after I was in Maranhão the same international network for the well-being of children and youth hosted the First World Congress on Restorative Juvenile Justice in Lima, Peru. I was invited to present at the event, which featured over 1000 participants from 62 countries. Together with several colleagues from Brazil - including Judges Egberto Penido and Eduardo Melo, and Monica Mumme, who made keynote adresses - our projects were highlighted as examples of the vigorous spread of the restorative ethos.

It was nourishing and enlightening to meet up with folks such as Ted Wachtel, from the IIRP, and Lode Walgrave and Ivo Aertsen, from Leuven University. Their support, company and experience is increasingly valuable to me. 

It was also the first time in over 2 years that a large number of the fast growing Brazilian RJ community were together in one place - and despite the international nature of the event, I spoke more Portuguese than Spanish or English while there. (Though this maybe in part because I don't speak Spanish). 

The wealth of development in RJ during this decade is one of the most hopeful signs of a sea change in human society that I'm aware of. Projects of every size and from a vast array of cultural perspectives are in expansion, and creating concrete examples of an ancient / new view of conflict, crime and healing.

At the same time the presiding tendency within most in this movement is to seek to preserve many of the aspects of less restorative approaches, which can promote a view of those involved in conflict as fixed in static roles with predefined experiences and wants.

I find sharing the possibilities that Restorative Circles opens up in such a context both challenging and very meaningful. I'm aware of how little I know, and how few opportunities I've had to connect with those working in other countries. At the same time I am so excited by the innovations RC can offer in the field of restorative practices and to the development of needs-based (rather than label- or role-based) systemic change. 

I felt very satisfied at being a small voice for such an approach at such a large event. The feedback the organisers received was enough to initiate dialogue on how to bring RCs to Peru in the near future.

An interview I did for the University that hosted us is available, in Spanish, online. In the future I will think twice before doing whatever a photographer asks.