It is with shock and great sadness that we observe a second war in our region that is costing thousands of innocent lives. At the RJ4All International Institute, we denounce the willful killing of innocent men, women and children in Israel, and we are devasted by the bombing of Gaza and cutting off water and electricity to hospitals. We take a bold step forward to issue our statement in the hope that the communities affected by the power-interest battles that led to the Gaza conflict can soon find healing and peace, acknowledging everyone’s suffering.
“Every life matters. I know this personally too well as a child born soon after an inter-community conflict. The forgotten are always the less powerful and the first to pay the price of the powerful decisions. We call on those leading on the attacks to stop, and in return empower the Palestinian and Israeli communities to reconcile. RJ4All will be on their sides to support a peacebuilding process. We also call on world leaders to comfort affected communities and to observe the shared human rights values that remind us the equal value of human life and dignity”
Dr. Gavrielides (RJ4All Founder and Director) said on behalf of RJ4All.
Drawing from the history of restorative justice in post-conflict areas, the evidence confirms nothing but a united effort for a more just and sustainable peace, where the cycle of violence is finally broken, and the possibility of a harmonious coexistence becomes a reality.
We believe in the power of communities to bring about a systemic justice reform infiltrated by restorative justice that seeks to soften unaddressed trauma and pain, address the underlying grievances and pave the way for healing and reconciliation
The disturbing fatality numbers are a tragic testament to the urgent need for a shift towards community driven responses that aim to heal and restore the harm done.
If you want to reach out to us, please contact us via email: s.sideridou@rj4all.org.
Suggested reading
Preventing and Addressing Violent Radicalisation and Extremism Programme (RJ4All) https://www.rj4all.info/RJ-Radicalisation
Banks, C. (n.d.). Protecting the rights of the child: Regulating restorative justice and indigenous practices in Sudan and East Timor. (Northern Arizona University).
Mennen, T. (2008). Adapting restorative justice principles to reform customary courts in dealing with gender-based violence in southern sudan. DPK Consulting , Retrieved from http:// www.webcitation.org/query.php?url+http://southsudanprotectioncluster.org/ressources/ did=6&refdoi=10.1186/1752-1505-7-4
Zehr, H. (2008). Doing justice, healing trauma: The role of restorative justice in peacebuilding. South Asian Journal of Peacebuilding, 1(1), 1-16.
