🌿 Facilitating a Restorative Cafe: Insights and Challenges for Long-Term Partnerships 🌿

We recently facilitated a Restorative Cafe at our Consultation and Awareness Event, and we couldn't be more thrilled with how insightful and enlightening it turned out to be. Led by Rachael, the event was focused on discussing the challenges faced by our project and exploring the potential for forming meaningful, long-term partnerships with various organisations. 🤝

The Audience

One of the most rewarding aspects of the event was the chance to engage in deep consultations with individuals from diverse organisations. Everyone who attended had a foundational understanding of Restorative Justice (RJ), and their insights proved invaluable in shaping our strategic plans and vision for implementing our project into practice. 🌱

What We Learned

1. Knowledge Gaps

One of the key takeaways was the stark disparities in the understanding of Restorative Justice across different organisations. This lack of uniform knowledge can prove to be a significant barrier in the integration of RJ into organizational practices.

2. Buy-In Issues

Coupled with these gaps in understanding, we found that securing buy-in for our project remains a challenge. Many organisations have existing priorities and established operations that our project currently does not align with, influencing resource allocation and training for RJ. 📋

3. Political Climate

Perhaps one of the most significant factors impacting our project is the current political climate. This sensitive backdrop is causing organisations to tread lightly on the topic of Restorative Justice, affecting the level of engagement and commitment we can expect.

Moving Forward

The insights garnered from this event are imperative for us as we navigate the complexities of embedding our project into existing systems. Our eyes are now wide open to the obstacles and opportunities ahead, and we're more committed than ever to make Restorative Justice a practical reality. 🌟

Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to this vital conversation. Your input is essential as we strive to form enduring partnerships that will drive this project forward.