In only one instance did the offender deny the charges. Its goal is to restore and sustain both individual and community health. Peacemaking is capable of healing hurts and wounds. It brings peace through good feelings, not through fear. Peacemaking involves deep listening, not defending, arguing, forcing.
Peacemakers seek solutions relevant to each situation.
In our mediation we rely on stories that are part of the religious tradition involved. Each tradition has sacred stories that include a moral and ethical framework for behavior, as well as a calling to compassion and understanding for the vulnerable. We look to those stories to provide guidance in the mediation. Our sessions are not just about societal justice, but sacred justice, which involves speaking from the heart, giving advice and reminding people of their responsibilities to one another in order to help them reconnect with the higher spirits. Mediation can be participated in by as many interested or helpful persons as will maximize the potential for resolution, eg, the victim, family members, therapist, church pastoral agents and leaders.