Promoting previously unthinkable ways
Jan 24, 2011
from the paper by Derek Wilson:
Building a more restorative culture in society is to: build a new practice that works critically and reflectively within existing traditions and institutions; enable people to transgress traditional boundaries and meet; support existing organisations re-envision their role in the light of a new and agreed political dispensation; and set free initiatives that are transformative because of their inclusive structures or the focus of their work.
....An initial question before reading this is “what are we restoring to?”
A Starting Point?
People have a deep sense of fairness that gets lost in rivalrous and destructive relationships. The restorative task then is about creating atmospheres and structures where people experience being restored in a more human manner, regaining a sense of fairness, listening to and treating one another fairly.
A Vision Point?
Work with children and young people through community organisations, informal youth work agencies, faith communities and schools can be promoted and supported within this wider vision.
Seeing people as assets not problems, especially in working with children, young people and families who are fearful, vulnerable and / or poor is a key restorative change in the mental models we bring to such work.
A Structural Point?
Restorative actions are about promoting transformative learning relationships and securing structures, policies and cultures that enable such relationships to be supported and carried into daily life and practice.
These actions are part of governance within organisations, management and leadership cultures as well as direct programmatic work.
A Relational Point?
This is not just an agenda for work with young people, this has to be a societal reconstructive agenda with the institutions of politics, public policy and civil society leading on this.
Document Actions
