The Kinship Gap?: Family Group Decision Making and Family Group Conferencing—Bridging the Gap.

Source: (2005) Paper presented at “The Next Step: Building Restorative Communities”, IIRP 7th International Conference on Conferencing, Circles and other Restorative Practices, 9-11 November, Manchester, England, UK. Downloaded 9 December 2005.

Family group decision making is one of many tools being used in our community to help to close the ‘Kinship Gap’. Some of the others are ‘Team Decision Making’, ‘Family to Family’ and ‘Point of Engagement’. The processes we use are just tools, but what is most important is the attitude of the public agencies to utilize these tools. Without the willingness to put these processes into action the ‘Kinship Gap’ will grow wider. We must recognize the need to know that we are all connected and that we are all valuable and we all have the same origins. This concept must be taught if we are to return to the village from whence we originated—not in the sense of going backward, but we must adjust our attitudes towards one another and embrace the simple things in life. We must not only strive for that which is physically difficult and for the treasures that are outside of ourselves; we must look within, for there is a greater treasure inside of us. (excerpt)