‘Justice’ has no meaning unless it relates to the human heart, the community, the daily-life realities (conditions and causes) of conflict. We all feel the absence of Justice in the conventional system when its dogma is not related to human facts as they are experienced.
The powers that be tell us – ‘the system works’ . . . and it does. It works as it was designed to work; and the current design is inadequate yielding poor results.
But, we are not helpless victims of our current system. We are complicit by unquestioning cooperation. There is nothing in our legal system that has not originated in the human mind. Change your mind. Change the system.
Justice is not blind – stumbling and lacking the full picture. If an outcome leads to greater conflict or divisiveness, it is not Justice. Justice leads to wholeness.
There are ways – other than the existing system – to engage conflict, ways that restore wholeness to communities and to the lives of those who are most directly affected. We can take responsibility for addressing the causes and conditions that give rise to conflict.
Resources and more:
Dominic Barter – Restorative Circles (video) Introduction
NY Times article about Restorative Justice in Florida
Introduction to “Integrative Law” movement – at CuttingEdgeLaw
Speak Your Mind