NCJ Number
223707
Editor(s)
Ivo Aertsen,
Jana Arsovska,
Holger-C. Rohne,
Marta Valinas,
Kris Vanspauwen
Date Published
2008
Length
508 pages
Annotation
Three case studies from Africa, Asia, and Europe are used to explore formal and informal responses to incidents stemming from large-scale violence, with attention to the challenges posed by the various cultural, social, and historical contexts as well as the role that restorative justice can play in these settings.
Abstract
The book is divided into three main parts: an introductory part, three case studies, and a concluding analysis. The two chapters of the introduction describe the aims and methods of the book and reflect upon a broader understanding of the concept of restorative justice, which is linked to the concepts of human dignity, pride, shame, and anger. The second part of the book, which is its main body, contains three sections that deal with three large-scale conflicts: The Kosovo conflict, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Each of the three sections has the same organizational structure. An introduction to the conflict ends with a short presentation of a specific violent incident used as a case study. This is followed by an overview of possible formal and informal approaches and mechanisms as a response to the incident. This is presented by local or regional experts from different perspectives. Each of the three sections ends with an analysis that focuses on restorative justice principles. The third main section of the book contains two chapters that draw conclusions from the main body of the book. The chapters address restorative justice themes in formal and informal responses in the aftermath of conflicts, as well as restorative justice and multilevel diplomacy in divided societies. Chapter notes and references and a subject index