Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Borbala Fellegi, Ph.D. to the Restorative Works podcast. Dr. Fellegi is a criminologist, researcher, mediator, conference and peacemaking facilitator, writer, and assistant professor for the IIRP. She is also the Founder and Executive Director of Four C Research Group and a consultant for the United Nations.

 

Dr. Fellegi’s career started as a probation officer intern at the University of Sociology in Hungary where she became interested in the impact of restorative justice on victims and other parties involved. She is passionate about her work and hopes to spread awareness about restorative justice and its positive impacts.  

 

In this conversation we discuss Dr. Fellegi’s Presidential Paper, Bruising and healing: The dynamics of resolving grievances (2021), where Dr. Fellegi explains the reconciliation spiral and distancing spiral involved in the mediation process of dealing with conflict and reintegration at the community, interpersonal, and criminal level. We shed light on indicators of distance and the indicators of distance reduction between people that lead to healing and reconciliation. 

 

Dr. Fellegi illustrates the power of acknowledgement and acceptance in situations where there is resistance to finding solutions, ultimately recognizing and valuing all participants humanity and lived experience. Tune in to learn more about Dr. Fellegi’s work.