Greetings, eForum members, from day two of "Restoring Community in a Disconnected World, Part 2" in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA. Hundreds of restorative practitioners, researchers, policy-makers and advocates from around the world have come together for three days to share their knowledge and achievements and to find support and advice from others doing similar work.

The IIRP is providing daily eForum reports for those who aren't able to travel to Bethlehem to attend the conference. We will also be videotaping all of the plenary sessions and hope to provide video links to them in the coming months.

After the morning welcome by IIRP president Ted Wachtel, Howard Zehr, restorative justice pioneer, professor of Restorative Justice, Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA, and author of The Little Book of Restorative Justice, spoke about the notion of restorative justice (RJ) as a calling. He said that we must, however, balance our idealism and enthusiasm for RJ by taking care of ourselves and each other to avoid burnout. We must also, he said, engage the community in building RJ into a true social movement. In addition, he emphasized that humility, respect, ambiguity and mystery, which allow space for the unexpected and for differing visions and perceptions to be expressed, are crucial for RJ. Click here to read Zehr’s paper: Restorative Justice? What’s That?

Bob Costello, IIRP training and consulting director, introduced the second plenary speaker, Estelle Macdonald, headteacher, Collingwood Primary School, Hull, UK, and director, Hull Centre for Restorative Practice. She talked about her journey with restorative practices, beginning with their successful implementation at Collingwood Primary School, spreading to other schools in the surrounding Riverside neighborhood, then to the entire city of Hull, which is on track to become the world’s first “restorative city,” where everyone who works with children and youth will employ restorative practices. Click here to read Macdonald’s paper: My Restorative Journey and the Story of Hull, UK.

To conclude the plenary session, Nigel Richardson, director of Children and Young People's Services at Hull City Council, said a few words about the citywide implementation of restorative practices throughout all agencies and services serving children and youth in Hull.

Conference participants then split up to attend the numerous “breakout sessions” being offered by their colleagues.

Links to some breakout session papers will be available a few weeks after the conference.