Using Restorative Methods during Conflicts of War

Abstract

The methods of restorative justice are used to repair the harm caused during crimes and to resolve conflicts with the active involvement of both victims and perpetrators. Restorative methods have also been applied to armed conflicts, either in cases where the goal is to settle a long-standing conflict, or where the aim is to mitigate the consequences and damages of a war that has already ended. The purpose of this study is to examine, by presenting some good practices, what restorative methods could be used to handle the conflicts of the ongoing Russian–Ukrainian war, by analysing some military conflicts that have occurred in history during which restorative methods were used, such as the conflicts in Papua New Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa or Northern Ireland.