Generosity, a utopia? Compromise in times of loss, August 26-28, 2026 | Leuphana University, Restorative Justice and Generosity

Bild: Leuphana

I am very pleased to be part of this year's Utopia Conference at Leuphana University Lüneburg: Generosity, a utopia? | Onward to the Utopia Conference 2026 to be. From August 26 to 28, people from science, practice, politics, art and civil society will meet there to explore what a generous society could look like, especially in a time characterized in many places by hardening, polarization and logics of retribution . Leuphana University

I will be facilitating a discussion on the topic of "Restorative Justice and Generosity." That these two concepts belong together might seem unusual at first glance. For me, however, they are closely intertwined. Restorative justice is often associated with processes such as victim-offender mediation or mediation. In reality, it encompasses much more. My experience of conducting restorative circle dialogues in prisons, based on my "Survivor-Oriented Work in Prisons (BoAS)" concept, has led me to explore how we want to respond to injustices suffered. Do we reduce people solely to their worst offense, or do we create spaces where responsibility is taken, harm is acknowledged, and new ways of interacting become possible? For me, generosity in no way means relativizing injustice or abandoning boundaries. On the contrary. It begins where we are willing to tolerate the complexity of human behavior. Where we remain curious instead of jumping to conclusions. Where we have the courage to listen, even when the other person irritates or challenges us.

In my work in the prison system and in restorative justice, I repeatedly witness how profoundly encounters can change when people feel safe enough to speak honestly about responsibility, guilt, pain, and hope. Such spaces don't arise by chance. They require time, trust, and careful planning. And they require a willingness not to define the other person by a single role, neither as perpetrator nor as victim. What else is needed for these restorative spaces of encounter? I will write about that in more detail soon!

I want to engage in conversation with the participants, listen, sit back, and talk about long journeys. I'm interested in the role generosity can play in conflicts without becoming naive. How we can strengthen responsibility without shaming. How social cohesion can arise when we don't primarily ask for revenge, but rather what people need for healing, reconciliation, and change to even become possible.

I envision spaces for reflection where diverse experiences and perspectives coexist. Spaces where questions are more important than quick answers (perhaps there are no answers yet, and we grow into them – to paraphrase Rilke?) and where we can explore together the power that restorative justice can unleash for a democratic, humane, and sustainable society.

Perhaps generosity begins precisely where we are willing to trust people more than their past and to value relationships more than labels. I am very much looking forward to inspiring encounters, new ideas, and our exchange in Lüneburg.

Anyone who is interested in participating in the Utopia Conference can find further information and the program here: Utopia Conference 2026 of Leuphana University

Bild: Leuphana