Antonio Buonatesta

- Born in Belgium in 1956 with Italian origin.

- 1981: Master in Psychology at the University of Leuven /Louvain-la-Neuve, and since then nearly all my career has been carried out in the restorative justice field.

Experience on national level:

In 1984: founder of one of the first agencies in the French speaking Region of Belgium, set up to promote restorative programmes for juvenile offenders (Centre GACEP, Charleroi). I ran this agency for twenty years, which gave me the opportunity to experience quite early restorative mediations in serious crimes.

In 1998, on the ground of this experience and in the framework of a national project initiated earlier in Flanders, I was assigned by the Belgian ministry of Justice to lead the French speaking wing of this project, aimed at experiencing Restorative justice in all types of crime in the adult criminal justice system. For this purpose, I set up the NGO ‘MEDIANTE’, an umbrella agency to operate and deliver restorative justice in each French speaking judicial district along with its Flemish counterpart, Moderator.

Between 2003 and 2005, I took part with our Flemish colleagues in the task group set up by the Justice department to define the basic principles on the law enacted in 2005 and providing the availability of mediation at any stage of the criminal procedure for any type of crime. At the same period, I was also involved in the political discussions to promote a restorative approach in the juvenile justice system.

Through this multi-sided professional path, I could develop skills on the methodological level (restorative processes in serious crimes), on the policy level (consultation with judicial, political authorities) including the management of a regional NGO. I also had the opportunity to use this expertise in training activities addressed to a varied audience (magistrates, mediators, ...).

Experience on international level:

Founding member of the EFRJ, I took part in all conferences of the Forum since the start with more particular investments in some of them on specific topics (Restorative justice in prisons, serious crimes, desistance…).

Talks in several countries (Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Finland, Canada, Morocco.) but mainly in Italy and France at a time when these countries were less connected with the development of Restorative justice in Northern Europe. In a way, due to my bi-cultural personal profile, I acted as a gateway between the Latin and Anglo-Saxon world.

Participation in several European projects allowing to get a global vision of considering Restorative justice in different countries (Northern Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Germany, France) with a special attention to the current Erasmus+ project addressing an important issue as the link between Restorative justice and victim support policies.

Member of the Standards & Values Committee of the EFRJ.

Core member of the Belgian steering group in the European Restorative Justice Strategies for Change project.

Registered trainer of the EFRJ offering the possibility to deliver training in French and in Italian.

My long-standing involvement in the activities of the EFRJ demonstrates my willingness to share my experience at the international stage.

Until now I was not able to take the step for applying to be member of the Board because of the hard daily commitment of managing an agency as MEDIANTE.

Currently I have a part time job at MEDIANTE to ensure the transition in the demanding management of such an agency before retiring.

I am willing to dedicate my ‘two levels’ skills (methodology and policy/management) to the needs of the Forum with the practical advantage of the proximity to the head quarter in Leuven.

It gives me great pleasure to propose Antonio Buonatesta as member of the Executive Board of the European Forum for Restorative Justice. Antonio Buonatesta is one of the founding fathers of restorative justice in Belgium. He founded the NGO ‘MEDIANTE’ that currently is the umbrella agency of restorative justice services in each French speaking judicial district in Belgium as its Flemish counterpart, the NGO Moderator. Antonio is a very skilled and experienced victim-offender mediator that has the restorative justice values in his heart. These restorative values are not only a driver to promote restorative justice in practices in Belgium but are also implemented in the Belgian legislation on victim-offender mediation in 2005. Antonio was a driving force in developing this legislation in close relationship with the Flemish counterpart Moderator. Over the last 20 years, Antonio was general director of the NGO MEDIANTE responsible for the HR, financial and project-based deliverables of this organisation. This expertise is also of a huge importance for the European Forum for Restorative Justice that depends on an European operating grant that needs to be managed (also administratively, technically & financially). Moreover, Antonio is one of the founding members of the EFRJ, introduced & promoted restorative justice in several European countries, participated in several European projects, delivers trainings for the EFRJ and is, in short, one of the building stones of restorative justice in Belgium and Europe. In my position as a Board member, member of the Executive Committee and treasurer of the EFRJ over the last 4 years, I can see how his restorative justice values & experience, his excellent organisational ability, his relational skills in supporting people and groups and his efforts in building and developing restorative justice in Europe, will support the EFRJ in the upcoming years. Antonio is a very warm person, empathic, professional, an inspiring listener that support others to grow professionally and personally. For these reasons alone, I believe that Antonio Buonatesta will make the EFRJ grow as a broad European organisation and the heart of the organisation, the secretariat, stronger in the upcoming years.

The French Institute for Restorative Justice, which I have the pleasure of chairing, is pleased to support Antonio Buonatesta's candidacy for the Forum's Board. His entire career attests to his immense experience in the field of restorative justice. He is a pioneer in the French-speaking Region of Belgium and founding member of the EFRJ. He is a practitioner, with recognised expertise, both in Belgium and internationally, particularly in Europe. He is a real support for the development of restorative justice due also to his experience at a policy level. This is, for proof, the case in France since he is also a member of the Scientific Council of the French Institute for restorative Justice. For all these reasons and because he is also a polyglot and globetrotter, we are convinced that he will be a very solid asset for the forum.

Email: antonio.buonatesta@mediante.be

Organisation, job title: MEDIANTE, founder, former director, currently management advisor