Europe is faced with increased phenomena of violent radicalisation, extremism and nationalism. The dominant approach to prevention is encapsulated in the Risk Need Responsivity (RNR) model. Developed in the 1980s by Andrews, Bonta and Hope (1990), RNR’s focus is on managing offender as risks. There is scientific evidence that the RNR model is not as effective as originally thought. According to Maruna (2006) and Gavrielides (2013; 2015; 2019), concentrating on criminogenic needs to reduce risk factors are not sufficient conditions. McAdams (1994; 2006), Gavrielides (2017;2018;2019) argue in favour of approaches which assert that integration, resilience and relatedness for offenders and those at risk are crucial in encouraging desistance from violence and radicalisation. Restorative Dialogue Against Violent Radicalisation (RDaVR) has been put together to provide an alternative approach to preventing violent radicalisation and extremism based on dialogue and restorative justice. It will use the power of adult education and the restorative justice principle of power sharing to bring together 7 organisations from the UK, Turkey, Ireland, Romania, Italy and Spain to form a strategic partnership, who will support the development, piloting and transfer of an innovative model for the capacity building of criminal justice professionals and volunteers (e.g. prison officers, probation staff, police and community based practitioners) working with offenders, ex-offenders or individuals who are at risk of being groomed into violent radicalisation and/ or group offending. RDaVR will exchange its results at national and European levels, helping in this way to achieve the objectives of Erasmus+, the 2015 ‘Paris Declaration’, the EU strategy for combating radicalisation, and the Erasmus+ Inclusion and Diversity Strategy. In particular, RDaVR aims to address the following Erasmus+ priorities: HORIZONTAL: "Supporting individuals in acquiring and developing basic skills and key competences" The project primarily aims to support adults in acquiring and developing key competences (such as the dialogue method of restorative justice) with the ultimate objective of helping them to perform their work with those involved or at risk of violent radicalisation and group violence. The strategic partnership has been formed in a way that includes experts in all fields (i.e.. restorative justice, training, e-learning, adult education and training) that are necessary to create, pilot and disseminate innovative tools that will support adult learners not only in the participating countries, but across Erasmus+. These results will also include inbuilt assessment tools creating for the first time educational and training material that are CPD accredited and which will help prevent violent radicalisation, group violence and marginalisation through a positive approach vs the current RNR model that has been adopted by most public services in the EU. ADULT EDUCATION: "Extending and developing the competences of educators and other personnel who support adult learners" Restorative justice is not in opposition to current criminal justice practices, but complementary. It has proven to provide the justice system with alternative approaches that when implemented properly can increase victim satisfaction, reduce re-offending and increase community cohesion. That is why we strongly believe that the project will extend the existing competences of personnel who support criminal justice professionals and volunteers to develop competences that will allow them to work better and more effectively with their target groups. Our adult educational programme will be provided both through face-to-face workshops as well as online allowing for Erasmus+ wide impact. However, before doing so, the project has planned fieldwork through IO1 that will assess their prior knowledge and skills in order to build on their needs assessment. This fieldwork phase will also engage with our target groups and thus involve them in all stages motivating them to learn. The CPD certification will also act as an additional incentive. The transformation of the programme into a CPD accredited e-course will also help improve teaching methods for these groups as well as creative modern tools through effective use of innovative solutions and digital technologies. ADULT EDUCATION: Improving and extending the supply of high quality learning opportunities This priority will be achieved by making available flexible learning opportunities to adults in the participating countries and across Erasmus". These opportunities will be adapted to their learning needs following a needs assessment through IO1 and the project's User Scrutiny Panel. We will develop training material that will be translated and used at the local level, but also transferred into an e-course that can be taken flexibly and in their own time. Its CPD certification will also validate this informal learning.
RDaVR's original objective was to provide an alternative approach to preventing violent radicalisation in Europe based on restorative dialogue. To this, it aimed at up-skilling professionals and other adult learners through a series of actions. We are pleased to report that the project successfully managed to support the development, piloting and transfer of an innovative model for the capacity building of criminal justice and other professionals and volunteers (e.g. prison officers, probation staff, police and community based practitioners) working with offenders, ex-offenders or individuals who are at risk of being groomed into violent radicalisation. RDaVR focused on supporting individuals in acquiring and developing basic skills and key competences with the ultimate objective of helping them to perform their work with those at risk of violent radicalisation and group violence. Moreover, the project aimed to extend the competences of educators who support adult learners, given that restorative justice has proven to provide the justice system with alternative approaches that when implemented properly can increase victim satisfaction, reduce re-offending and increase community cohesion. The project could extend the existing competences of personnel who support criminal justice professionals and volunteers to develop competences that will allow them to work better and more effectively with their target groups. Finally, RDaVR aimed to improve and extend the supply of high-quality learning opportunities and contribute to knowledge sharing between practitioners in the field and shared training opportunities. We would achieve this by making available flexible learning opportunities to adults in the participating countries and across Erasmus. Overall, we wanted to increase awareness of the phenomenon of violent radicalisation among key actors, develop effective communication skills and improve relationships with final beneficiaries, whole spreading the word of effectiveness of using restorative dialogue in preventing violent radicalisation.
The Restorative Dialogue Against Violent Radicalisation (RDaVR) project was created in response to the increased phenomena of violent radicalisation, extremism and nationalism in Europe. Responding to the KA2 priorities in relation to this need, RDaVR acknowledged that radicalisation is “a complex process that can result from multiple influences and experiences the settings and contexts of an individual’s life” (Ellis et al, 2022, p. 1321). The dominant negative approach to this phenomenon has proved ineffective. McAdams and Gavrielides argue in favour of approaches which assert that integration, resilience and relatedness for those at risk are crucial in encouraging desistance from radicalisation. Therefore, as part of RJ4All's wider programme on Preventing & Addressing Violent Radicalisation and Extremism, RDaVR was put together to provide this alternative positive approach via introducing restorative dialogue as working tool for criminal justice and community-based professionals to break the circle of violence. RDaVR approach, which proved to be effective through the piloting of several multi-year programmes, refuses to deal with people as “risks” but rather concentrates on providing ways to reach the primary goods without resorting to violence. Despite efforts by the EC and other regional bodies and stakeholders, there is still a need to provide tailored training to practitioners working with individuals at risk of radicalisation. At this critical point for Europe, RJ4All brought together this partnership and aimed to develop, pilot and disseminate an innovative model that will improve the knowledge of professionals working with those at risk. This report demonstrates that RDaVR exchanged its results at national and European levels, helping in this way to achieve the objectives of Erasmus+, the 2015 ‘Paris Declaration’, the EU strategy for combating radicalisation, and the Erasmus+ Inclusion and Diversity Strategy.