A restorative approach and its application have been researched to benefit especially the well-being of young people and children and improve their prospects, whether they are active parties of the conflict, or vicariously affected by the conflict situation. The conflict management and mediation skills learned early on carry throughout life. The skills are transferred in the form of social capital to the immediate community and society more broadly.

Restorative justice principles support the realization of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Finland is the first country in the world to have its national action program in line with UN Agenda 2250 Youth, peace, and security. The resolution and Finland’s action plan recognize the active role of young people in preventing and resolving conflicts, building peace, and preventing extremism in their communities. The needs, skills, and perspectives of young people to be taken into account in all phases of decision-making and conflict resolutions processes.

FFM has been training mediation in schools, vocational schools and learning communities via the VERSO program since 2001. Teaching and practicing peer-mediation in schools is a natural, comprehensive, and effective way to promote mediation in the everyday life of children and young people. The VERSO programme has developed also a model for primary education, focusing on children of 4-6 years old.

Community conflicts have often multiple causes. Social tensions tend to hamper communication and complicate people’s lives both at the individual and community levels. These tensions become reflected as experiences of insecurity and fear. The goal of mediation is to repair relations between the parties and help them find a joint, sustainable solution that improves the well-being and safety of the community

FFM has accumulated experience in neighborhood and community mediation via the Community and Mediation Center, which currently works under FFM.

The community mediation model developed by the Community and Mediation Center received national and international attention: in 2018, the mediation model won the European Crime Prevention Competition organized by ECPA.