EFRJ Newsflash December 2014

We hope you enjoy the current Christmas edition. If you have any comments or any news you would like us to share, please let us know.
If you want to let others know about this newsflash, please forward to a friend or colleague and invite them to sign up on the EFRJ website!
If you missed the previous editions, click here!

Circle Forward. Building a Restorative School Community(Boyes-Watson & Pranis, 2014) is a resource guide helpful for implementing restorative circles in school settings. The guide targets teachers, administrators, students and parents on how to organize, plan, and lead restorative circles in schools. 

On 15 January 2015 at 15.30 an original meeting will take place in a coffee bar in Bari (Italy) with the aim of reflecting on the meaning and practices of mediation to repair the damages of crimes. The meeting "Una tregua possibile" will be in between a cultural event and an educational training: the real story of the face-to-face meeting between the victim and the offender after a tragedy will be told by using images, words, music. The expressive power of arts will be used by the local organization CRISI to raise awareness on their "Mediterranean Model" of doing mediation. 

The intensive course Foundation Skills will take place in Belfast (Northern Ireland) on 26-30 January 2015. The course aims at training the skills of RJ practitioners in preparing the parties affected by an offense and facilitating the RJ process which may help them to restore the damage suffered. The course is organised by Ulster University, where one of the EFRJ Board Members, Tim Chapman, is a lecturer.

Starting in 2015, IIRP Europe will held biannual conferences, alternating the years with the conferences of the EFRJ. The next one will take place in Budapest (Hungary) on 10-12 June 2015. The IIRP Europe Conference entitled "From Dream to Reality: Dawning of a New Social Science" will be a truly participatory experience. Aside from the featured presentations in the morning plenary sessions, IIRP conferences are created by participants who submit proposals for breakout sessions. Submit a proposal to present before 31 January: share your experiences and knowledge to help illustrate what works, what doesn't, how and why, in the field of restorative practices. Accepted presenters will be notified by February 27 and they will receive a reduced registration rate.

IIRP will also continue to organise its annual world conferences in the US: the next one will take place in Bethlehem (Pennsylvania, US) on 26-28 October 2015. 

The Community of Restorative Researchers will hold its inaugural event at the University of Leeds (UK) on July 7th, 2015. The CRR is an international, interdisciplinary research network which brings together researchers, practitioners and policymakers with the aim of exchanging information, increasing collaboration, disseminating research findings and influencing the implementation of RJ practices across Europe and beyond. The Community's activities can be followed on social media (LinkedIn and Facebook). Contact Ian Marder for more information.