About the “Whanganui: Towards a Restorative City-Honoa Ki A Rongo Ki Whanganui” vision
Whanganui is the first city in New Zealand to work towards a Restorative City: “Creating the environment for all Whanganui people to thrive and succeed together through respectful relationships.”
A Restorative City is where the population:
- Enjoy a safe, calm environment
- Value relationships based on equal respect, concern, care and dignity
- Enjoy positive cultural identity
- Understand both the negative impact and positive impact of our behaviour
- Take responsibility for our actions and repair harm we may have caused others
- Have our voices heard and are tolerant of differing views
A Restorative City can be measured by:
- Reduced child abuse, domestic violence and other criminal activities
- Reduced absenteeism / stand downs and increased academic achievement in schools
- Reduced absenteeism / bullying and sabotage in workplaces and increased productivity
- Increased satisfaction when interacting with government and non-government agencies
- Increased feeling of safety in homes and walking the streets
- Increased sense of community belonging
International Learning Community
The Whanganui Restorative Practices Trust is a founding member of the International Learning Community (ILC) established in 2014. Other members are from Wellington, Canberra in Australia, Vermont in the USA, Halifax in Nova Scotia and Leeds and Hull in the UK.
The ILC provides an opportunity to further members’ mutual engagement and learning of restorative practice in a variety of contexts and cultures.