![Group photo with the Chairs of Working Groups and Committees in Pamplona 2023](/sites/default/files/styles/background_image_lg/public/2024-08/group-photo-r-wgs-comms-in-pamplona-2023.jpg?h=7f3fd236&itok=3p_iZ2ek)
Since its origins in the late 1990s, the European Forum for Restorative Justice (EFRJ) relies on the commitment of its members to support certain core activities of the organisation. At first, starting from 2000, individual members gathered together in “Committees” to support the long-lasting objectives of the organisation (such as communications, or practice and training, or research). Only in early 2019, members proposed to work in teams on specific areas of application for restorative justice (such as restorative cities or violent extremism) and the first thematic “Working Groups” were established.
Almost 25 years later, in the Summer of 2024, we count on almost 120 members involved in 4 Committees and 6 Working Groups. This means that about 25% of our members (individual pioneers, or staff members in one of our 91 organisational members) contribute voluntarily in at least one of our Committees (Editorial Committee; Training Committee; Values and Standards Committee; Research Committee) or Working Groups (Working Groups on Restorative Cities; Violent Extremism; Restorative Schools; Restorative Environmental Justice; Gender-Based Violence; Institutions).
Thanks to these active members, the EFRJ Secretariat (composed of 5 part-time employees) and Board (9 members) can better execute a series of activities to further advance the restorative justice field, and it is in regular contact with its membership to identify new areas of development. The cooperation between the EFRJ core team and its members is a valuable source of inspiration and connection that allows the EFRJ to be considered the main international network organisation in Europe and that ensures that its main objective is moved forward (i.e. to promote access to high quality restorative justice for all).