about the forum

Swiss RJ Forum

The Swiss RJ Forum is an independent association dedicated to the dissemination of information, development and implementation of restorative justice, as well as the training of RJ practitioners. 

We are a member of the European Forum for Restorative Justice (EFRJ) and our organisation offers a variety of restorative processes including direct victim-offender dialogues. 

The Swiss RJ Forum has 100+ members to date in the German, Italian and French speaking parts of Switzerland. Since its foundation in 2017 we have delivered 20+ programmes and at present we are running restorative programmes in numerous prisons across Switzerland. 

Much of our work is done on a voluntary basis and all services are offered  free of charge to victims, offenders and their relatives. 

What is restorative justice?

Restorative Justice focuses on

recovery
reparation
restoration

Restorative justice has a broad field of application. It consists of a series of processes aimed at addressing conflicts and crime within a wide range of settings. These could include criminal law and prison as well as other areas of civil and administrative law, school and education, healthcare, peacebuilding, and community building.

For the time being, the Swiss RJ Forum is concentrating on processes involving people who are directly or indirectly affected by crimes. If you are interested in other areas of restorative justice, please visit Join an interest group.

Whilst our work presented on this website currently focuses on criminal justice proceedings, we remain open to further developments in the future.

The Forum’s vision

Our vision for RJ in Switzerland

We envision a society:

  • where restorative justice is embedded into the criminal justice system by law
  • where restorative justice is available and recommended as a viable option to anyone affected by harm

  • where restorative justice is delivered in all cases by certified, trauma-informed facilitators who work according to the practice standards of the European Forum for Restorative Justice

  • where restorative justice is actively and substantially supported by the whole of society, including public, private and associative institutions, providing human resources, time as well as material and financial support
  • and where restorative justice practices become a part of the social fabric be it an educational, medical or business-related organisation.

the forum’s mission

Our work in Switzerland

  • Dissemination of information on RJ

The Swiss RJ Forum disseminates information on restorative justice to various groups including the general public and professionals within public institutions; in particular within the criminal justice system, among victim services or in academic and learning settings.

  • Development and implementation of RJ

Our organisation facilitates a range of different dialogues. These include victim-offender dialogues, restorative conferences, restorative dialogues in groups and circles involving those directly affected and their supporters where appropriate.

  • Training of RJ practitioners

The Swiss RJ Forum offers both online and face-to-face courses, most of which are delivered by international restorative justice experts and close partners of the Swiss RJ Forum, including the European Forum for Restorative Justice.

  • Organizing RJ-related events

Throughout the year, the Swiss RJ Forum offers a variety of events. These include the annual General Assembly, the celebration of International RJ Week, regional events in Ticino, and events organised by our interest groups.

We are also looking forward to organising more local events once our new regional groups in the German- and French-speaking parts of Switzerland are set up. To learn more about the setting up of the new regional groups, please click here.