Dreaming of a New Reality for Troubled Youth in Hungary

Source: (2002) Paper presented at “Dreaming of a New Reality,” the Third International Conference on Conferencing,
Circles and other Restorative Practices, August 8-10, 2002, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Vidia Negrea, a psychologist, reflects on personal and professional experiences in Romania, Hungary, and the United States to paint a vision of a restorative approach to troubled youth in Hungary. A Hungarian growing up in Romania, Negrea eventually moved to Hungary and became a psychologist working with delinquent youth. To solve difficult problems concerning such youth, Negrea and others began to experiment with certain restorative approaches and practices. Consequent to contact with Real Justice of the U.S., Negrea undertook an internship with the Community Service Foundation and Buxton Academy in the U.S., and later pioneered a Community Service Foundation in Hungary.