May 3, 2002

Contact: Stephen M. Apatow
Director of Research & Development
Humanitarian Resource Institute Legal Resource Center/International Peace Center
Eastern USA: (203) 668-0282  Western USA: (775) 884-4680
Legal Resource Center: http://www.humanitarian.net/law
International Peace Center: http://www.humanitarian.net/peace
Email: s.m.apatow@humanitarian.net

INTERFAITH PEACE DECLARATION FOCUSES ATTENTION ON RESTORATIVE JUSTICE AS A GLOBAL SOCIAL AND POLITICAL OBJECTIVE

The progress of support for the International Interfaith Peace Declaration (http://www.humanitarian.net/peace/declaration.html) has resulted in attention to restorative justice as a basis for sustainable peace negotiations.   Restorative justice involves applications of conflict resolution and policies for peace that include healing, mediation, compassion, forgiveness, mercy and  reconciliation, as well as punishment when and where appropriate. Restorative justice seeks to enhance the systems that are in place to deal with interpersonal and intergroup conflict.

Restorative justice asks the following questions:

Who is the actual victim of a violation of law or injustice?
What is the true scope of responsibility for an action?
Can a people who have been harmed and oppressed demonstrate forgiveness, mercy and reconciliation?
Can we change people by deliberately inflicting suffering or distress upon them?
Can we change people through fear, anxiety and apprehension?
Or will people change if they have a reason to hope for a better life?

To determine how the law should be applied most fairly, restorative justice focuses on the needs of the victim, the offender, and the community, taking social, economic, and political factors into consideration. In learning from the past, it tries to build a foundation for the future that challenges humanity to examine the root causes of violence and injustice in order that these cycles might be broken.

In an environment where systemic hate has contributed to the escalation of terrorist events such as September 11 and peace negotiations in the Middle East have deteriorated to diplomacy by force, it is evident that there exists but a small window for the development and implementation of a strategic plan that can result in sustainable peace.  The cost for disregard of these complex issues are embodied in the potential use of weapons of mass destruction by an aggressor and a nuclear retaliatory response that would spiral the international community into a crisis of unprecedented historical proportions.

To provide greater accessibility to educational and academic resources on restorative justice, an international communication initiative that includes the development of an online resource center, will be networked to leaders of the major faith groups, non governmental, intergovernmental and diplomatic contacts in each United Nations member country.  The initiative will utilize the communication network developed by Humanitarian Resource Institute, in accordance with Article 7 of the International Interfaith Peace Declaration.

For additional information on Restorative Justice, including government documents, intergovernmental documents, leading edge programs, full-text documents and articles archive, visit the Humanitarian Resource Institute Legal Resource Center Restorative Justice web site:

Url: http://www.humanitarian.net/law/restorativejustice