wherever I go, I take my conflicts with me; and other gifts

If I had to summarise 22 years of learning about co-operation in the face of crime, I'd say that my main shortcoming was not learning about Deep Democracy earlier. If it is practiced well, I don't see it likely that any future Restorative Justice project would fail.

Beyond our habit of burying our conflicts, or just pushing them around

"Deep Democracy & Restorative Justice" workshop planned for July 2012. Subscribe to newsletter to stay informed on this & other related community-building initiatives: SUBSCRIBE to free updates  from Mediation Support Ltd: http://www.mediationsupport.info/subscribenewsletter.html

Invitation sent today to the author of "Find Your Power"

Click on http://agoodweek.info for more of this

Dear Chris

I hope this email reaches you well. Things are well in Hastings and the Mayor is supportive of the lead being set by the 'Hastings & St Leonards - Action for Happiness' group that I lead.
She's coming to my office at 10am for a photo shoot, and I may well ask her if she'll write to you to invite you to deliver something akin to the first Bristol Happiness lecture (that I was proud to have attended).

Yours in peace,
Paul
('Hastings & St Leonards -Action for Happiness' co-ordinator)

also
CEO, Mediation Support Ltd
Southwater Area Community Centre,
2 Stainsby Street,
St Leonards On Sea,
East Sussex,
TN37 6LA

"Those who realize that we are all heading for death will compose their quarrels."The Dhammapada, verse 6.

What does Mediation Support Ltd do:
"We innovate in getting stuck communications unstuck and people taking responsibility in their communities".

A free 'ApologyPlus' service to process your grievances/conflicts is available to all enquirers, and extra service is available for those who were on Hastings Pier on 5th October 2010

Mediation Support Ltd pricing structure

From 2006-2011 the work of all Mediation Support Ltd staff and associates was charged at £30/hour.
From 2011 onwards all work is supplied on the basis that you make a donation according to how satisfied you are with the work done and how you value the time and other resources that Mediation Support Ltd have put in to supporting you. If we agree to take on your concerns, we try our best to find ways to help you meet your needs without compromise.

The summer months

"To boldly generate a more caring & sharing Hastings & St Leonards."-This is now part 1 of the Mediation Support Ltd vision.
A marginal seaside town such as ours will experience the depth of monetary economic difficulty more than less-deprived areas and will hopefully be able to lead the way in valuing the non-monetary economy and inspiring others that the core economy can be better run with little money involved and many other benefits in terms of social capital being built:
******************
The following summary of my offerings to the world in general, and Hastings & St Leonards in particular, comes from:
http://actionforhastingshappiness.blogspot.com/p/those-who-have-made-good-week-happen.html

Paul's pitch 1 - work with me & colleagues on a grievance you have

Please email or phone: (contacts via www.telephonemediation.org.uk). (UK-wide service)

For ALL those who were on Hastings Pier on 5th October 2010 and all those who want to set an example to them, Mediation Support has provided the Sussex People's Justice Service (www.peoplesjustice.org.uk) and the sussex community blogspot. Thus, Mediation Support Ltd is -in a mediation role rather than an evidence-gathering role- compiling part of the required Victim Impact Statement to engage the people on the pier and providing film footage (public and private) for relevant people to see on YouTube.

This is Restorative Justice:
- Repair harm that has been caused
- Restore a sense of dignity, security and justice.
- And reintegrate all into peaceful co-existence.

So, Paul's most passionate pitch is that we co-create restorative circles throughout i
Hastings/St Leonards & show the wider world how vital a "marginal seaside town" can be!!

If this is too big a vision for us to work on together, then let's start with:

http://actionforhastingshappiness.blogspot.com
*****************************************************

"Hastings Justice" Facebook Group

#hastingsjustice Facebook group for those short-changed in terms of #justice in #Hastings & SL: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_217497271600346&ap=1 @HastingsObs @paulcrosland @HPWRT

Tweet

Sometimes the free iPhone from Freelender records films sideways!

To borrow an iPhone better than the one that filmed the clip below, go to www.freelender.org
As the leading UK-based environmental think tank said of the work of Freelending CIC, which I co-direct:
"Local sharing schemes like Landshare, Hospitality Club and Freelender.org mean you don’t need to own your allotment, car or drill, and you can sofa-surf your way around the world." (Forum for the future)

Below, filmed sideways, is a 2011 update in relation to winning the 2010 Social Innovation Camp:

And here is the presentation we made as the 'Safeground team':

(More about this is on www.restorativetechnology.blogspot.com)

"Paul Crosland is CEO of Restorative Technology Ltd and CEO of Mediation Support Ltd; organisations which are re-locating to Hastings in the wake of the fire in order to support the learning that can come from damage to (heritage) property and support the creation of a community where such destruction is less likely in the future.
(The People's Justice service is just one way provided by Mediation Support Ltd to begin this work)

Since 2001 Paul's work has included providing training, conferences, publications and support to mediation services and restorative practitioners and policy advice to government. During his 5 years as Head of Restorative Justice at the national charity for mediation services, Mediation UK, Paul won contracts with the Youth Justice Board and received a personal invitation from the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street to be thanked for his work “on behalf of the victims of crime”. His previous work was as a criminologist and a volunteer neighbour mediator. Paul has trained in workplace mediation and, for a while, specialised as a co-ordinator of prison based restorative justice projects: www.restorativeprisons.org.uk; work which he hopes to return to in the context of Sussex Prisons after 2012. In 2010 Paul was part of the team that won the Social Innovation Camp for the best mobile/web-based idea likely to reduce youth custody and youth offending; work which is now funded by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts and is headed by Paul, as CEO of Restorative Technology Ltd.”

Our (virtuous) intentions in meeting here (virtually)?

The web is a battle ground for me, and I suspect in some way, for you too? Where the conflict is is in relation to what the web is for? My use of it is both about 'What can I grasp?'and 'What can I give?' When I engage with the web with an intention of giving, I experience open, expansive states. This I like much more than when I let the web ensnare my tendencies towards greed, hatred and confusion about what's most important now.

I list on this page only the sites on which I give the most; other uses of the web are confessed in www.theimperfectidealist.blogspot.com; but why would you want to read my confession?
****************************************
"When you can do nothing else, you can always give"
You can start giving:

1. by starting a difficult communication: www.peoplesjustice.org.uk
2. by sharing something you have: www.streetbank.com

 **************************
Comment on the use of technology for healing: www.restorativetechnology.blogspot.com

Be wryly amused about how I even try and bring the healing of 'being with nature'into a blog: www.whatkindofwater.blogspot.com
Be even more amused at Paul following the wry advice of a friend to create a blog of my newesr blogs!: www.paulsnewestblog.blogspot.com; a meta-blog, no less.

Call in at the "generosity Head Quarters" in Hastings (or take the virtual tour):
http://sussexcommunity.blogspot.com/p/mediation-support-ltd-at-southwater.html
Kind Regards
Paul

Thought for the day on Restorative Justice

Here is: Thought for the day on Restorative Justice 

from  “ordained Buddhist”, Vishvapani, from the Triratna Buddhist Community.

(For Your Information I am also working to become an ordained Buddhist within the Triratna Buddhist Community.)

And here are Vishvapani's other Thoughts for the Day

Vishvapani's website: www.vishvapani.org

NB When I last bumped into Vishvapani and asked him for a quick thought for the day, he said this in a deep (feigned Oriental?) voice:

"Body like mountain, Mind like sky, Be Buddha!"

"The Imperfect Idealist" - slight delay in publication

 The Imperfect Idealist series of Books:

1) The Imperfect Idealist & 40 other cases of Restorative Justice
[available on Amazon Kindle 2011, on request. Kindles can be requested via Paul's iShare Kindles blog or www.freelender.org]
2) The Imperfect Idealist gets over his wish to be understood (first)
3) The Imperfect Idealist and the 6 (Im)perfections
4) The Imperfect Idealist and the 3 Jewels (My relationship to the Triratna Buddhist Order)
5) The Imperfect Idealist at 66; looking back at 44 & 22 again.
[due out in the year 2032 in who knows what format.]
6) The Imperfect Idealist; 88 and not out. Howzat!

www.imperfectidealist.blogspot.com