Upon embarking on the journey of becoming a restorative neighborhood, meaning a neighborhood where we aim to strengthen and restore relationships, it’s good to know what you’re up against – so to speak. Ideally, you already have a good view on the dynamics in the area...
The results of our neighborhood assessment may steer us in different directions now. We would like to refer back to the Prevention Pyramid (part 1, chapter 5). An integral restorative approach focuses on building and restoring relationships. We don’t just want to put...
Before we organize any neighborhood event, we need to know all about circles! The circle is the most basic restorative practice and will form the basic structure for every neighborhood gathering. Here we explain why this is so important and how to facilitate a proper...
Now comes the truly exciting stuff! We have invited our neighbors for a gathering to discuss how we can make our neighborhood ever more harmonious. How can we create a spirit of connection and support? How can we strengthen our relationships and find deeper ways to...
In the spirit of restorative practices, form a steering group of stakeholders made up of residents and professionals involved in neighborhood life (social landlords, neighborhood workers, police mediators, city representatives) to: collectively establish rules of life...
In the form of a working group or a neighborhood meeting, the aim is to support residents in developing, drafting and sharing the principles of collective life in the neighborhood. The result of this process can, for example, take the form of a “Manifesto for a...
Everything begins with listening! If you want to truly understand your neighbor, stop talking and start listening. With that comes the art of asking the right questions at the right moment. The right question is engaging, powerful and focuses on opportunities,...
The problem-solving meeting is a solution-focused conversation that is used when tension is building around a certain issue, and intervention is needed in order to prevent escalation. All participants will have the opportunity to share how they are affected by the...
In some cases, it may be a good idea to set up a support circle in your neighborhood. The support circle is a restorative conversation format where everyone involved is given the opportunity to express how they have been affected by an (often serious) event. In the...
The concept of a restorative dialogue is favored when two people are involved in the problem and its resolution. This is the case of the restorative process involving two neighbors in conflict. We talk of a Restorative Circle when more than two parties are involved....
A Restorative Conference is a specific form of the restorative circle, which is only used in cases involving serious (criminal or non-criminal) incidents. The tone is more formal, and the process is more structured. The process follows a more fixed script (see below)....