Building Peace: The use of Restorative Justice to resolve interfaith conflict
This interfaith project will explore how Restorative Justice can be used to forge new ways to resolve community conflicts and address faith-based hate crime in Solihull and Glasgow.
Over the past decade, annual hate crime figures have almost quadrupled. Faith-based hate, the second highest reported hate crime type after race, is part of this growth. While some of this increase may reflect a higher level of reporting, each incident of faith hate is a cause of significant distress for those experiencing it. Instant global communication, which brings so many positives, also alerts our communities in the UK to conflicts happening in other parts of the world. Spikes in incidents of antisemitism and islamophobia in the UK are linked to conflict in the Middle East. Unfortunately, we see this playing out again in response to the current situation in Gaza and Israel. Previously, in Leicester, conflict between faith communities reflected events between Hindus and Muslims in India. Given these national and global trends, it is critical that we find innovative ways to strengthen community cohesion.
In partnership with the The Faith & Belief Forum and Interfaith Glasgow, we will be creating a network of Restorative Justice practitioners within the interfaith sector who will promote the wider use of Restorative Justice in addressing faith-based conflict in Glasgow and Solihull.
This project has been made possible by a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund.
Aims
Throughout this project, Why me? and our partner organisations aim to:
- Create a network of Restorative Justice practitioners within the interfaith sector.
- Promote the use of Restorative Justice in addressing faith-based conflict and hate crime at the regional and national level.
What are we doing?
- We will deliver training in restorative approaches to 12 selected community stakeholders in Solihull and Glasgow and identify three case studies of faith-based conflict and hate crime in each location.
- We will co-design and implement Restorative Justice processes with community stakeholders to address the conflict and gather learning.
- We will co-author a report to disseminate learning from the project and, with our partners, launch a pledge for decision-makers to demonstrate a commitment to incorporating restorative approaches when addressing faith-based conflict and hate crime.
Why are we doing it?
Police forces across the UK have recorded a concerning rise in antisemitism, islamophobia and other forms of faith-based hate crime. At the same time, conflict in the Middle East is further exacerbating polarisation here in the UK. We want to provide an innovative solution to a growing problem that is currently dominated by punitive responses.
Keep up with our interfaith project by reading our latest blogs!
- Interfaith Restorative Justice
- Interfaith project kicks off in Glasgow
- Restorative Justice and Religion
For more information or to discuss the project, please contact mark.hamill@why-me.org. To stay up to date with the latest updates, sign up to our newsletter.
