RJC Turns 25: Celebrating a milestone

The Restorative Justice Centre (RJC) is celebrating 25 years of advancing restorative justice in South Africa. For a quarter of a century, the RJC has contributed as a wave in the ocean of the restorative justice movement, supporting transformation, healing, and dialogue across communities. As part of this milestone, members of the public are invited to share their journeys with restorative justice by answering a few questions here or submitting a short video or audio about the impact of restorative justice in their lives or work. Submissions will continue to be accepted until 20 October 2025.

A special celebration event will be held under the theme: The promise of restorative justice in a polarizing world – reflections on South Africa’s journey 30 years and beyond. The event will reflect on South Africa’s transformative journey, the enduring promise of restorative justice, and the path forward in a world marked by growing divides. The programme will feature a keynote address by Prof. Ann Skelton (University of Pretoria Faculty of Law and past Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child), alongside a panel of distinguished experts from academia and practice.

This milestone offers an opportunity to celebrate 25 years of restorative justice, to reflect on its impact in South Africa, and to consider the future of this vital work in a polarising world.

Date: 27 October 2025

Time: 13:00 to 15:30

Venue: Merensky Library Auditorium, University of Pretoria, Hatfield campus

RSVP by 22 October 2025

The Alan J. Flisher Memorial Lecture is held annually to honor the legacy of Prof Flisher, a pioneer in public mental health in South Africa and a world-renowned scientist, mentor, and mental health professional. This year will welcome Prof Catherine Ward as the speaker.

Prof Ward, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Cape Town, focuses on violence prevention through the lens of children’s development. Her work emphasises evidence-based approaches that protect children, support their development, and reduce the likelihood of aggressive behaviour.

In her lecture, titled “Parenting, mental health, going to scale, and learning from things gone wrong,” Prof Ward will discuss the development of the Parenting for Lifelong Health programmes for Young Children and for Parents and Teens. She will share insights from studies that aimed to scale these programmes, highlighting both successes and lessons learned.

Date: 4 November 2025

Time: 12:30-13:30 (Hybrid event)

One year after the landmark 2024 Global Ministerial Conference, pledge-makers, partners, and allies are invited to an official online anniversary event. This celebration aims to recognize progress, amplify the voices of children, and look ahead. Participants will have the opportunity to engage during this significant occasion to:

- Honor the progress made by governments
- Center the perspectives of children, young people, and survivors
- Announce the host and date of the Second Ministerial Conference

SVRI Forum 2026: Help shape the dialogic and plenary session 

The SVRI Forum 2026 is currently shaping its program and invites your input to guide the development of plenary and dialogic sessions. This is an opportunity for the Violence Prevention Forum (VPF) network to influence the themes and discussions that will be featured at the event.

Your participation will help ensure that the forum addresses the most pressing issues in violence prevention, including topics like backlash against gender equality, technology-facilitated gender-based violence, climate change, and innovations in prevention and response.

Closing date: 30 November 2025

SVRI Forum 2026 Call for applications: Communications & PR consultant

The Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) is inviting applications for a Communications and Public Relations Consultancy to support the SVRI Forum 2026, taking place from 5–9 October 2026 at the Centara Grand Hotel and Convention Centre in Bangkok.

The consultant will design and implement a communications and PR strategy to raise the Forum’s profile, strengthen engagement with global audiences, and highlight the event’s role as a leading space for evidence-driven dialogue on violence prevention.

The ideal consultant or team will have experience in strategic communications, media engagement, content creation, and public relations within gender-based violence, global health, or human rights fields. This role offers the opportunity to help shape how research, voices, and solutions from across the globe are shared and celebrated at the world’s largest gathering on violence prevention.

Closing date: 30 October 2025, 

Time: 17:00 SAST

As digital technologies become an integral part of children's lives, they also expose them to new risks, including online grooming, sexual extortion, and exposure to inappropriate content. Recognising this, UNICEF has partnered with the University of Oxford and the University of Cape Town to develop and integrate content on online sexual violence prevention into digital and blended parenting programmes. The aim is to equip parents and caregivers with the knowledge and tools to protect their children from technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse.

The report highlights that while there is a growing body of practice-informed resources, there is a lack of rigorously evaluated interventions targeting parents. Only a few programmes have been systematically evaluated for their effectiveness in changing parental behaviours and capabilities related to preventing online child sexual abuse. Despite this, stakeholder consultations indicate an urgent need for information and guidance that empowers parents to play a supportive role in preventing and responding to online risks.

In response, UNICEF has identified several promising directions for future intervention development. These include integrating online safety content into broader parenting programmes, developing digital literacy resources, and fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration to create a supportive environment for parents. The report emphasizes the importance of a coordinated, multisectoral approach to tackle technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse effectively.

By strengthening parenting programmes and providing parents with the necessary resources, UNICEF aims to create a safer digital environment for children. This initiative underscores the critical role of parents in guiding their children through the complexities of the digital world, ensuring their safety and well-being in an increasingly connected society.

A recent study in Wales explored programmes engaging men and boys in preventing violence. Trauma-informed, strengths-based, and culturally relevant approaches were found to be most effective, with staff empathy and participant involvement key to success. However, coordination, evaluation, and long-term investment remain limited.

The research highlights that men and boys can play a positive role in preventing violence, but interventions must address both individual behaviour and broader social and structural factors. Programmes tackling gender-based violence, domestic abuse, and other forms of aggression show the need for inclusive, culturally relevant, and supportive approaches.

The study concludes that lasting impact requires public health leadership to adopt a whole-system, gender-transformative approach, coordinating evidence-informed programmes to address the structural drivers of violence and create sustainable change.