Project Number: 2020-1-IT02-KA204-080081
HUMANISTIC
APPROACH TO RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
The humanistic approach places the person and his/her deepest values at the centre, those that are reached and wounded by the conflict, and acts so that these values emerge and are also known and recognized by the other people involved in the conflict.
The fundamental trait of the humanistic approach is given by the fact that it is neither directive nor negotiating nor characterized by a standardized procedure: it does not necessarily tend towards a “resolution”.
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Mediation thus becomes a space to welcome disorder, a place where it is possible to express personal differences and recognize those of others. Mediation welcomes disorder. It’s a time, a place, where we can express our differences and acknowledge those of others.
It is an encounter in which we discover that our conflicts are not necessarily destructive, but can also be generators of a new relationship.
Jacqueline Morineau
She has published, among other things, The spirit of mediation (transl. It, Franco Angeli, 2000); The mediator of the soul (trad. It., Servitium, 2010); La mèdiation humaniste. Un autre regard sur l’avenir (Èrés, 2016).
The humanistic approach to mediation developed in parallel to Bush and Folger’s transformative mediation in the 1990s. While fully harmonizing with transformative mediation, humanistic mediation emphasizes a greater departure from skill-based techniques and gives less attention to problem-solving. By highlighting the humanizing capacities of mediators, parties, and communication processes, the humanistic approach deepens a dialogue process as it fosters good mediator presence and the uninterrupted flow of “heart language” between parties.
