A Conference Facilitator guides parties in complex conflicts as they work to resolve their dispute using Restorative Justice Practices (RJP) Our facilitators do the pre-conference legwork, conduct the structured conversations (or several) and follow up to ensure the agreements have been met.
Pre-conference: First, the Facilitator talks separately to each of the immediate parties to understand the landscape of the conflict. Conferencing focuses on a specific incident even if the incident is merely indicative of other triggering events or problems. This maximizes success when the group gathers to make and keep agreements. Other than clarifying questions, all parties are asked the same set of questions both during the pre-conference and in the group meeting.
Conference: When the Facilitator feels the parties can be safe and productive with one another, the whole group participates in the Conference itself, a meeting whose goal is to write a mutually acceptable set of agreements, signed by all parties. The agreement includes what will happen if it is violated. The Facilitator’s job includes keeping the conversation safe for everyone to speak and dissent.
Follow up: In cases that involve institutions, like schools or businesses, the Facilitator checks back to ensure that the agreements are met. Broken family or interpersonal agreements must go back to conference; the Facilitator is not a family therapist.
Examples of Conference disputes or conflicts:
- Justice alternative, both juvenile and adult
- Family or interpersonal
- Workplace, Human Resources – in any field
- Domestic violence
- Special needs conflict between school and family
- And others.
Please note:
Conferencing only takes place if all parties agree to participating and sticking with the process. Otherwise, it is a set-up for failure. International protocols also require this mutual agreement.
Also:
Not all disputes go to the larger conference meeting. Not uncommonly, disputes are the product of miscommunication that the Facilitator can straighten out, allowing the parties to speak directly to one another without a formal agreement. (They can always pursue writing a formal Conference agreement with the Facilitator if they so choose.)
