NEWS SOURCE TOPIC: Community justice in Northern Ireland
CONTACT:
Harry Mika
Professor of Sociology
Central Michigan University
Phone: (517) 774-2654
E-mail: [email protected]
Mediator and restorative justice expert Harry Mika, back in the United States after a six-month research sabbatical in Northern Ireland, can talk about the role of local, community-based justice organizations involved in Northern Ireland's peace process and the role of mediation, or third-party involvement, in responding to violent group conflict.
In Northern Ireland, communities in some Loyalist and Republican areas do not rely on police professionals for justice but on local, paramilitary organizations that have used beatings, shootings and other forms of violence to punish individuals accused of crimes and anti-social behavior. This form of community policing often relies upon "punishment violence." According to Mika: "Many believe that the conflict in Northern Ireland cannot be resolved without replacing this form of policing. One of the preconditions of the peace talks and agreement is the ending of punishment violence."
Mika can trace the development of emerging community justice programs designed as options to "punishment violence" in Northern Ireland. The models are non-violent, engage community participation and support, are dedicated to due process and consistency, often involve ex-combatants or individuals formerly active in paramilitary organizations, and limit the role of the state.
Mika, a faculty member in Central Michigan University's Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work, is a practicing mediator, researcher and consultant who can speak to issues of community neighborhood violence, dispute resolution initiatives and alternative justice programs.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY PUBLIC RELATIONS
CONTACT:
Mike Silverthorn
Director of public relations & marketing for health, humanities and sciences
(517) 774-3197
E-mail: [email protected]
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