Let's fortify our social fabric

Chester Borrows Photo/File

In the past few weeks through my column, press releases and visits, I have concentrated effort on stocktaking and showcasing businesses, schools and agencies in the Whanganui electorate.

The strength of the economy is primary production, manufacturing, particularly in the pastorally aligned sector, and also the energy sector in the north. As much as people would love the electorate to be a tourist destination, people tend to pass through as they always have done and our challenge is to make them want to stop over long enough to whet their appetite to return.

The primary and secondary education sector is strong with not just good schools, but excellent schools across the range of decile and public and private provision. There is an over-capacity problem, but schools do work together to ensure that subjects are available where without this co-operation, students would miss out.

Schools also recognise the threat to youth who are not involved in employment, education or training remaining in a cycle of low-paid work and unemployment through their entire working lives if not cajoled, challenged and encouraged to gain skills and remain and return to education in order to get jobs, keep jobs and get better jobs.

But the fabric of a community is not all about dollars. The social fabric is about relationships and how we deal with the scraps and scrapes of work, living, families, and neighbours. The social structure of the region can gain strength through building on an initiative that was piloted in Whanganui in the mid-1990s and now spreads around the country, leading a worldwide trend - Restorative Justice, or by its modern name, Restorative Practice.

The approach is well used across the electorate and Whanganui is part of an international collaboration with Hull, Leeds, and Halifax (Nova Scotia), with others wanting to come on board. It involves parties "conferencing" or talking through those issues people argue out through courts, complaint hearings, or tribunals. It recognises that benefit can come from hearing two sides of a story, even if there are laws infringed.

It means that complaints and issues are dealt with quickly, compensation is paid more speedily, money is not spent needlessly in litigation and resolutions are more enduring because people understand what lies behind behaviours, right and wrong.

It is not about holding hands and singing songs, it is about affecting an adult approach to real problems in the workplace, schools, on the streets, in homes, and in dealing with government and council agencies.

On March 28-29 there is a Restorative Cities Conference at Heritage House in Whanganui. It outlines the approach and gives the experiences of other cities that have seen huge enhancement in school achievement, workplace productivity, greater performance in government agencies and less violence in communities using a restorative approach.

Inquiries can be made to Restorative Practices Whanganui, 063433648 or admin@restorativepracticeswhanganui.co.nz.