Restorative Now has joined with a collective of restorative practitioners, researchers and activists in education to address these needs in education settings. RESTORE is a response to the challenges facing schools in the time of Covid19, and addresses the application and implementation of Restorative Practice schools at this time.

The time of (inter)national crisis requires dialogue and responsiveness to one another’s needs. Restorative practice offers an active space in civil society to help people and communities hear and heal.

The imperative to promote the application of Restorative Practice in schools, is now more urgent than ever. As school communities navigate the requirements of transitioning back with requirements of ongoing social distancing, we are aware that for positive and healthy relationship reconnection to occur, this requires engagement with individuals’ shared personal experiences of lock-down and the ongoing impact they carry. RESTORE offers a framework for sitting with, and responding to, our human frailty and vulnerability, and our resultant venting behaviours.

The community of a school is a labyrinth of relationships and requires this measure of responsivity and recognition, because it is the quality of relationships that keeps the school community safe and nurturing, thus enabling it to harness the excellence in teaching and learning. The restorative approach in schools is needs-led and values-based. It highlights the importance of relationships for emotional wellbeing and resolving relationship stress, preventing harm and building resilient communities. The approach works by building a consistent and congruent approach to the building, maintaining and repairing of relationships. The approach allows decisions to be made with reference to five core Restorative Principles:

Now in the time of Covid, the specific application of Restorative Practice to potentially fractured communities is even more pertinent. It is essential that there be a forum for dialogue. The absence of such a forum promotes othering and polarisation.

An excellent talk and conversation on this last event in the series of 10 Conversations on Forgiveness.

Richard McCann, who’s mother was the first victim of the Yorkshire Ripper, spoke powerfully of his life journey in dealing with the enormous impact of this event, along with other challenges, which took place throughout his childhood. He emphasised the peace which came with arriving at a place of forgiveness.

“Some people, who knew my mum, are still bent on revenge but that’s not how I feel. In 2010 I was invited to a lecture on Forgiveness given by Desmond Tutu, which turned out to be a life-changing experience. I have always known I could never turn back the clock, but hearing Desmond Tutu’s words showed me I had the capacity to change the situation by changing how I felt about what had occurred.

I am no longer carrying around remorse or bitterness; Desmond Tutu’s words about forgiveness helped me forgive the person who killed my mother. At the same time forgiveness fluctuates in my experience; it’s not a decision you come to. I don’t believe forgiveness is a one off act; it’s rather something that enters and leaves our consciousness like the tide and it requires working through continually.”

http://www.richardmccann.co.uk/

Richard McCann has gone on to become an inspiring motivational speaker especially in prisons, and at the Monday night event a film was shown of his work and some responses from prisoners.

The forgiveness Project have now edited footage from the earlier 9 conversations, and they can be viewed on their link, as attached.

http://theforgivenessproject.com/events/past-events/

Such inspiring people, changing lives.