In the field of restorative justice, we often face challenges that test the limits of our practice. But what happens when we apply restorative principles to some of the most deeply entrenched and polarizing conflicts of our time? The Encounter of the Encounters initiative provides a groundbreaking answer to this question, offering valuable insights for experienced practitioners in our field.
This year, The Encounter of the Encounters received the 2024 laureate of the European Restorative Justice Award in Tallinn for its significant contribution to restorative justice, particularly through dialogues on political violence and terrorism since its inception in San Sebastian in 2019.
A Journey of Courage and Reconciliation
Inspired during an EFRJ 2018 Criminal Justice Summer Course, the Encounter of the Encounters has grown into a transformative project. It brings together victims, former combatants, and facilitators from regions scarred by political violence and terrorism. Spanning conflicts in Italy, the Basque Country, Northern Ireland, and the Israeli-Palestinian region, this initiative demonstrates the power of restorative justice to heal wounds that have festered for decades.
The project’s inception can be credited to Claudia Mazzucato, Guido Bertagna, and Gemma Varona, who envisioned cross-border restorative dialogues. They later expanded the team to include Tim Chapman, bringing expertise from Northern Ireland, and Robi Damelin from the Parents Circle – Family Forum, adding perspectives from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Methodological Innovations
What sets the Encounter of the Encounters apart is its innovative approach to facilitation and dialogue. Two aspects, in particular, offer fresh perspectives for our practice:
- Art as a Restorative Tool: Artist and facilitator Clair Aldington integrated artistic methodologies into the dialogue process. Her creation of 24 handmade artworks, each telling a part of the participants’ stories, became a powerful medium for continued dialogue, especially during the pandemic when in-person meetings were impossible.
- Young Interpreters as Facilitators: The initiative took a unique approach to interpretation, integrating young interpreters fully into the restorative process. These interpreters were tasked not just with linguistic translation, but with conveying the emotions and depth of participants’ reflections, becoming active facilitators in their own right.
From Private Dialogues to Public Engagement
Perhaps the most striking aspect of the Encounter of the Encounters is its evolution from closed-door meetings to public restorative dialogues. The culmination of this journey was a series of events in Milan in 2022, where participants shared their experiences with audiences of up to 300 people.
These public events included testimonies from young people who had grown up labeled as “kids of terrorists,” bereaved mothers from Palestine and Israel sitting side by side, and former adversaries sharing their journeys towards reconciliation. This public dimension adds a new layer to our understanding of restorative justice, showing how private healing can contribute to broader societal reconciliation.
Lessons for Practitioners
As experienced restorative justice practitioners, what can we learn from this initiative?
- Expanding the Circle: The Encounter of the Encounters demonstrates the power of including all voices in the restorative process. From young people representing future generations to support staff like interpreters and technicians, everyone was invited to engage in the dialogue.
- Long-term Engagement: This initiative shows the value of sustained, long-term engagement. The relationships and understanding developed over years of meetings created a foundation for profound healing and reconciliation.
- Representational Participation: The dialogues do not need to include all direct participants of a conflict to be restorative. Members of various groups can represent their community in a wider dialogue.
- Embracing Creativity: The use of art as a facilitation tool reminds us of the power of creative approaches in our work. How might we incorporate similar elements to deepen the impact of our restorative processes?
- Intergenerational Healing: By including participants across generations, the initiative highlights the potential for restorative justice to address the long-term, intergenerational impacts of conflict.
Challenges and Reflections
It’s important to note that this work is not without its challenges. As the organizers acknowledge, “some truths are difficult to hear and they may even hurt, giving life to new tensions and polarization.” Yet, they argue, these difficult truths are “at the basis of coexistence.”
This reminds us that restorative justice in cases of severe harm and deep-seated conflict is not about erasing differences or achieving perfect harmony. Instead, it’s about creating spaces where people can “live with” (con-vivere) the “difficult other,” finding ways to coexist despite painful histories.
Looking Forward
The Encounter of the Encounters continues to evolve, with ongoing meetings and public events. As practitioners, we should watch this space closely. The methodologies developed here have the potential to inform our work in various contexts, from community conflicts to national reconciliation processes.
Moreover, this initiative raises important questions for our field. How can we create more opportunities for long-term, cross-border restorative dialogues? How might we better integrate public engagement into our practice without compromising the safety and confidentiality of participants?
Takeaways: Reimagining Restorative Challenges in Other Places
As restorative justice practitioners, we might ask ourselves: What conflicts in our communities or countries could benefit from this kind of expanded, large-scale approach? How might we imagine large-scale catalytic gatherings in our restorative future? Building on this model, practitioners might consider larger-scale applications to address deeply entrenched societal conflicts over a 3-5 year period.
In Australia or Canada, a reconciliation journey between Indigenous peoples and settler communities could align with Indigenous traditions. Gatherings might include truth-telling commissions, cultural exchanges, and collaborative initiatives. This sustained engagement could allow for the careful work of addressing historical injustices and building a shared future.
Consider a large-scale approach to addressing racial injustice in the United States. Bi-annual gatherings could bring together civil rights activists, law enforcement representatives, policymakers, and community leaders from diverse backgrounds. These engagements could facilitate collaborative policy drafting, community art projects, and the gradual building of trust and understanding across racial divides.
Schools could benefit from this approach, bringing together students, educators, and parents from diverse backgrounds to address major incidents or inequities. Annual student-led conferences, teacher exchange programs between diverse schools, and collaborative curriculum development could gradually transform educational landscapes.
While ambitious, such large-scale initiatives offer a better narrative for significant change in addressing society’s persistent conflicts. Like Encounter of the Encounters, they would require a critical mass of restorative facilitators, well-prepared participants, and time.
The Encounter of the Encounters enlarges our restorative mindset by addressing even the most entrenched political conflicts. By expanding the circle of participants and observers, embracing creativity, and bridging private and public spheres, it charts a course for a new level of restorative initiatives.
