Justice that Restores

By Carolina Benavides

For those who have claimed that the death penalty should be the punishment used by the State for acts of delinquency, and for those who have been waiting for another option not so ridden with failure and abuse, today in Peru we finally have an alternative that can be found on the opposite side of the spectrum of violence—Restorative Juvenile Justice.

Restorative Juvenile Justice (RJJ) seeks to achieve three goals: to provide compensation for the harm caused to the victim, to socially integrate the youth who committed the crime, and to repair any community relations that were affected by the infraction. This model promotes the active participation of the community in order to assure that the adolescent is supported by social relationships in his development process. In doing this, we can hope to establish a better moral conscious in the judicial environment.

For the first time in our country, we have demonstrated with scientific rigor, through a comparative study of the models of juvenile justice in Peru, that RJJ is an alternative that should be institutionalized on a national level. Not only does this system bring about significant changes in youth and in society as a whole, but it is also less costly than the traditional incarceration method which has been applied indiscriminately in the absence of alternatives.

The findings of the investigation also prove that RJJ is better able to rehabilitate the convicted youth than the incarceration system. With the participants, there is clear evidence of a decline in drug use and violent activity that coincides with an increase in participation in school and employment. Additionally, the RJJ program consists of the support of a multifaceted team of professionals (psychologists, lawyers, social workers, and educators) that work together with the families and community institutions in order to facilitate the reconciliation of the adolescent with his surroundings. RJJ is also the only model of juvenile justice that responds to the needs of the victim through a process of mediation with the accused youth.

In terms of cost, RJJ, in comparison with the Juvenile Center of Diagnostics and Rehabilitation of Lima (known locally as Maranguita), is the more efficient program because it requires only a fifth of the funds per adolescent because of its more simple and flexible structure. The RJJ program also works to reverse the negative social impact of the adolescent’s behavior by forming less violent youths who, through the program, develop more creative and independent characters.

In the face of such compelling evidence, we must ask, what are we waiting for before we invest in the development of this country’s youths, especially those in conflict with social norms?

(Translated from the original Spanish version that appeared in El Comercio)

Five Expectations to Avoid Before Volunteering Abroad

By Alix Farr

Many volunteers have harbored secret dreams of what the headlines will say when they return from their heroic adventures:

“Volunteer saves rural village from mudslide.”

“Philanthropist banishes malaria from Africa.”

“Educated Westerner teaches hundreds of poor children to read.”

And below the front-page title, a black and white photograph that perfectly captures a tired smile, tousled hair, and a few beads of sweat earned valiantly in the battle against all that is wrong in the world.

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I left London in the midst ...

By Ruth Van Dyke

I left London in the midst of a long cold spell and arrived in Lima on February 5th 2009 at the height of summer. I quickly changed my winter coat and boots for shorts and a t-shirt, before making my first trip to Nevo House, a five minute walk from my host family. I marvelled at my transformed world as I walked into the cul-de-sac of brightly painted houses, surrounded by tropical flowers. Hummingbirds darted about and green parrots chattered to each other overhead.

The welcome I received at Nevo House was a constant during my entire stay. I came here regularly for Spanish classes, cultural activities and on weekends to meet up with other volunteers and to use the computer to email family and friends. Most of my time was spent elsewhere in Miraflores with Capital Humano y Social Alternativo (CHSA), an NGO dealing with the trafficking of Peruvians.

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Understanding racism in Perú

By Wilfredo Ardito Vego

Even a short visit to Peru allows a foreigner to realize how unfair the income distribution is. A frequent question that many foreigners ask is why the majority of Peruvians accept the existence of a small, wealthy and selfish minority.

There are historical reasons: the Independence of 1821 left the Creoles, Peruvians descendant from Spaniards, as rulers of the new country. They had no interest in changing the Colonial regime’s social structure, which based on race. Therefore, indigenous and black slaves were not considered citizens. Different governments decided that indigenous communities should not have legal rights and their lands were given to Creole landlords or terratenientes, who had the support of the police or the army, in case of indigenous uprisings.

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