European Forum for Restorative Justice (EFRJ)

❝…and I think a lot about what forgiveness is. Because there is a space, an in-between, between forgiveness and hatred. That can be a space of peace.❞ [Sophie Pirson, mother of survivor of the 2016 Brussels terror attacks] ❝In one way we are far away. And in another way we are very very close.❞ [Fatima Ezzarhouni, mother whose son left for Syria to join the jihadist movement and died there.] 🙌🏼 Fatima and Sophie are both members of the group “Retissons du lien” composed of victims and survivors of the 2016 attacks as well as parents of radicalised young people. Last week we listened to their moving testimonies after the screening of the documentary “Au delà de nos larmes”, which presents the work done in this extraordinary group.  🙌🏼 Thanks for the film directors, Françoise Wallemacq et Chergui Kharroubi for joining the discussion, and sharing their perspectives!  🙌🏼 Thanks for Katrien Lauwaert (moderator forum voor herstelrecht en bemiddeling) for moderating the talk with such care, insight & seamlessly switching between French, Dutch and English!  👉🏽 We were delighted to be hosted by Cinema ZED in Leuven for this event!  🎥 The EFRJ plans further screenings of the film soon, stay tuned!    #REstART #terrorism #radicalisation #polarisation #victims #survivors #parents #restorativejustice

❗Don’t miss the early bird discount and sign up now for the 3rd Winter Academy! You can get the discount for 2 more days (until the 15th of December 2024)! 

✍️ Our director Edit Törzs, signed the renewed Memorandum of Understanding this Wednesday with the representatives of the two other organisation in the Criminal Justice Platform Europe collaboration, CEP Probation & EuroPris - The European Organisation of Prison and Correctional Services. 🤝The renewed memorandum expresses our commitment to continue the more than a decade long fruitful collaboration! 👉 The Criminal Justice Platform Europe meeting took place in the Hague (Netherlands), and addressed the topic of the 2025 CJPE Summer Course (in Barcelona) among other issues. #restorativejustice #probation #prisons

🙌🏽 We had a lot of fun last trying out the recently launched restorative games at the Leuven Restorative City Café!  👉🏽 The four different games were developed by Greek, Estonian, Romanian and Dutch children and young people in the Child Advisory Boards of the i-Restore 2.0 project as a creative tool to learn and raise awareness about restorative justice, restorative approaches to conflicts and children’s rights.  🙋🏾 The different games are suitable for various age groups and some of them are ideal for adult learning contexts as well.  ☝🏾 The games are available in different languages (English, Dutch, Estonian, Greek and Romanian) and can be downloaded from our website!  #iRestore #restorativejustice #games #childrensrights

🎥 Join us in Leuven next Thursday for a screening of the powerful documentary "Au-delà de nos larmes"  👉 The film follows the group Retissons du lien, a collective individuals who have different lived experiences of the terrorist attacks in Brussels in 2016. Despite their different backgrounds - as victims, parents of the jihadist group, and frontline workers (social work, legal aid services, education, etc.) - on the day of the attacks they all lost something, or someone. ☝️ The screening will be followed by a discussion (in Dutch/ French/ English) with the protagonists of the documentary: Fatima and Sophie, two mothers members of the group "Retissons du Lien”. Katrien Lauwaert will be the moderator of the talk. She is the Coordinator of the Flemish restorative justice service moderator forum voor herstelrecht en bemiddeling, a professor of restorative justice at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) and member of the international group “The Encounter of the Encounters". Tickets are available on the Cinema ZED website, with a limited number of free tickets for those in financial need. ➡️ December 12th, 2024 at Cinema ZED, Leuven. 👉 More information about the event via the link in the comments!  https://lnkd.in/gk8ij6SN #restorativejustice #terrorism #Brussels2016 #REstART #EFRJ2024 #film #documentary #Retissonsdulien

📣☝️ Benefit from the early bird discount and sign up with reduced prices to cutting edge restorative training courses of the 3rd EFRJ Winter Academy. You can choose to learn about one the following subjects:  ➡️ How restorative justice is possible when the person responsible for the harm is imprisoned? (course facilitated by Dr Bart Claes and Roberto Moreno) ➡️ What are the most essential restorative training skills? (course facilitated by Gael Cochrane and Tom Mellor) 🌎 The Winter Academies are always the best opportunities to learn about innovative practices from the most exciting international experts and to come together from all over the world in a stimulating learning community.  ❗ The early bird registration period ends on the 15th of December 2024!  ➡️ 3rd EFRJ Winter Academy, 3-7 February 2025, Leuven (Belgium) 🖇️ Learn more and sign up via the link in the comments!  #restorativejustice #prisons #detention #victims #offenders #prisoners #community #training #skills #EFRJ2025 #WinterAcademy

📚 Join our taster workshop on storytelling and restorative justice next week!  🙋♀️ At our last conference in Tallinn participants have enjoyed fascinating tales told by Hannah Moore as an introduction to each of the plenary sessions. Hannah is a storyteller, and a restorative justice facilitator. Following her training in restorative justice, she studied at the School of Storytelling (UK) where she is teaching now. This free workshop gives a taster to her stories and techniques. If you enjoy it, you may sign up for the extended workshop in January!  👉 11th December, 10 — 11:30 am CET, online, registration is free.  🖇️ Link in the comments!  #storytelling #tale #restorativejustice 

🙋 This is the moment to get involved in the specialised work done in the committees and working groups of the European Forum for Restorative Justice! 🙌 Through your active contribution you can support the development of restorative justice and the work of the EFRJ!  From January 2025 new and renewed committees and working groups will start to work on applications of restorative justice and restorative practices, make progress in the field, and to support the strategic work of the EFRJ. You can apply to join and contribute to the work of the following groups in the coming two years:  📍Values & Standards Committee 📍Communications Committee 📍Training Committee 📍Policy Committee 🔵 Fundraising Committee 🔵 Imprisonment and Restorative Justice Working Group 🔵 Transitional Justice and Restorative Justice Working Group 🔵 Restorative Justice and the Law Working Group 🔵 Institutions, Organisations and Restorative Justice Working Group 🔵 Gender-Based Violence and Restorative Justice Working Group 🔵 Restorative Cities Working Group 🔵 Restorative Schools Working Group 🔵 Environmental Restorative Justice Working Group Read the details of the call and and apply via the link in the comments!  Application deadline: 8th of January 2025!  #EFRJ2025 #EFRJ2026

☝🏾The course “Imprisonment and Restorative Justice” enables professionals to work restoratively with the prisoner, his/her social network (like family, partner, children), the victim, and local community. It will pay specific attention to the relationship between desistance from crime, restorative justice and imprisonment. It aims to focus on the lived experience of imprisonment and the participation of prisoners in restorative practices. It is informed by research and practice in the experience of prisoners of participating in restorative justice.  🙌🏽 The course is delivered by leading experts in innovative practices related to prisons and restorative justice: Dr Bart Claes and Roberto Moreno. Bart and Roberto bring not just their unique expertise to the training room, but their stimulating style of teaching that helps participants to get inspired by provocative ideas and learn together in a fun and experiential way.  Participation equips professionals working in/with prisons or restorative justice with new insight and skills and help them respond to challenges they face in their work.  🖇️ 3rd EFRJ Winter Academy, Leuven (Belgium), 3-7 February 2025.  👉🏽 Check the links in the comments to learn more about the course, the event & to sign up! #prisons #detention #imprisonment #restorativejustice #prisoners #victims #reintegration #community #training

❓What if information on restorative justice reaching children was supported by communication materials produced by children for other children? 📣 If you are in Leuven next Tuesday join us to discover the i-RESTORE 2.0 project's child-led games on restorative justice in the upcoming Leuven Restorative Café: "From children, for children. Learning about restorative justice through games". 👉 During this LRC-café we will present (and play!) a series of games co-designed by children with the aim of introducing the concepts and benefits of restorative justice to their peers. 🙋 For whom? Aimed at being a supportive tool to approach restorative justice concepts to children and young people, these games (available in English and Dutch) may be specially interesting for those who work with children and youth in educational, social, and justice settings, as well as for parents and caregivers. This event is hosted by Leuven Restorative City in collaboration with the European Forum for Restorative Justice. 🗓️ Tuesday, 10th December 2024 🕖 19.00h 📍 STUK, Naamsestraat 96, 3000 Leuven (room: Workspace, floor -1) 👉 Participation is free, but registration is required: https://lnkd.in/eZSNxEuN #restorativejustice #games #LRCcafe #LeuvenRestorativeCity #iRESTORE