Brief

This conference will explore innovative approaches to violence interruption through the lens of cultural diversity and relational dynamics. Topics will include the role of cultural identity in conflict resolution, the impact of community-based interventions, and the power of cross-cultural collaboration in creating safer societies and transforming conflict into connection. We aim to bring together researchers, practitioners, and community leaders from around the world under the same values and evidence-led practices that deviate from the institutional, traditional ways of doing justice.

Description of Day 1's Topic

This day’s themes will offer a multidimensional framework to examine the interplay between institutional dysfunction, power dynamics, and the challenges of violence interruption in communities.

1. Institutional (dys)functioning as a catalyst for violence: Exploring how systemic inefficiencies (bureaucracy, technocracy, delays, militarisation of policing, etc.), corruption, and inequities contribute to and maintain different forms of violence in communities, and lead them to find non-statutory ways to manage wrongdoing and violence.
2. Accountability and legitimacy in institutional violence management mechanisms: Addressing the lack of accountability, transparency and integrity in police, judiciary, and other state institutions. Examining the relationship between state power, law enforcement, and community trust (erosion of public trust in institutions and its effect on cooperation in violence interruption efforts).
3. Intersecting specific forms of state oppression and overuse of repression: Understanding how criminalisation and repressive/punitive strategies contribute or exacerbate vulnerabilities for marginalized groups. Criminalisation of specific communities, populations and counterproductive criminal policies.
4. State dysfunctions for violence interruption in new societal challenges: Examining how the criminalisation of dissent and the deployment of state power in environmental conflicts generate new forms of violence and harm affecting humans and non-human life alike; exploring how the alliance between the state and capitalist enterprises produces violence that threatens both human life and environmental continuity.

Description of Day 2's Topic

This day will delve into the intricate relationships between cultural and social norms, community-based values and emotional dynamics, and the way they frame violence understanding, prevention and governance.

1. Cultural and community understandings of violence: norms, values and emotional dynamics : Exploring the role of emotions (honor, harm, shame and anger) in perpetuating cycles of violence. Sense of belonging, trust, group dynamics, and collective responsibility in violence mitigation and conflict de-escalation.
2. Linguistics, corpora analysis, semantic, and discursive dimensions of violence: Considering how language and linguistic choices constructs, conveys and prevents violence and violent dynamics (through semantics, metaphor, framing, and silence); Examining how words, cultural idioms, narratives, and communicative practices shape perceptions of harm, responsibility, and reconciliation.
3. Marginalisation, Inclusiveness and Empowerment in Community: Examining the intersection of cultural and social norms, gender roles, class, religion, migration and political history in understanding violence.
4. The role of youth in violence prevention and management: Engaging youth in preserving cultural values while understanding and preventing violence, addressing trauma (poverty, neurodiversity exclusion, slavery, colonialism, war, etc.) in intergenerational dialogue and rebuilding generational gaps.

Description of Day 3's Topic

This day will examine the interplay between customs, cultural traditions and community-based, creative practices. Discussions will emphasize lessons learned from diverse cultural and social contexts and explore how localized approaches can inspire and influence institutional change.

1. Indigenous justice systems, community-based policing and conflict resolution: Examining the role of local norms and indigenous practices in managing violence and wrongdoings, lessons from traditions of a restorative justice philosophy in diverse cultural contexts.
2. Community-based policing and cultural sensitivity: Exploring culturally sensitive approaches to policing and social control, community-led safety initiatives, the role of artistic expressions, rituals and traditions in community governance and cohesiveness.
3. Challenges and limitations of cultural-based governance models: Questioning the potential for community-based, informal practices to address inequalities or exclusion. The challenge of incorporating community-based knowledge in institutional reaction to violence and strategies for an effective collaboration with authorities.