The UCLan Peace and Justice Studies Network

Centre for Criminal Justice Research and Partnerships

The Network aims to provide a forum for individuals and groups, both within and externally to engage with the study of promoting peace and justice, in all its manifestations. It will engage with ‘hate crime’, and other criminal, discriminatory, or adverse behaviour, but its aim is the promotion of peace and justice.

Overview

The Network has been made possible by Higher Education Innovation Funding within UCLan’s School of Law and Social Science. In part, the funding is to enable and promote knowledge transfer between the University and communities.

The aim is to create an environment that attracts and engages with excellent theoretical and ‘real life’ applications of research and practice from academics and practitioners. Recent collaborations, for example, have seen research staff evaluate Restorative Justice and ‘hate crime’ projects within the North West.

Aims

The Network aims to be interdisciplinary. It offers not only evaluation of existing programmes to promote peace and justice, but also research into potential new programmes. It engages, for example, with the factors leading to anti-social but also discriminatory behaviour in many contexts, and their wide effects: The Network is linked to our Criminal Justice Partnership, and the researchers within this.

UCLan activities – internal and external

Mediation

The Centre for mediation provides civil and commercial mediation services to UCLan students and staff, as alumni and those external to UCLan.

The practice of mediation is rapidly gaining in popularity, due to it's low cost and confidential nature, among other aspects. The University of Central Lancashire is fully invested in the practice of mediation, with it's well-renowned Mediation Clinic, and offers professional training and accreditation.

"The trainers had excellent communication skills, were enthusiastic and inspirational. "

Michael Redfern, QC

Impact

The practice of mediation has over recent years has gained rapidly in popularity, due to its low cost and confidential nature, among other aspects. The University of Central Lancashire is fully invested in the practice of mediation, with our well-renowned Mediation Clinic, and our professional training and accreditation.

Debating differences

The ‘Debating Differences’ scheme runs in partnership between HMP Kirkham and UCLan. The focus of this innovative scheme is to bring together those of differing circumstances to learn from each other, improve social skills and debate current issues in a structured setting. The debate location is the visitors room of HMP Kirkham and all involved in the scheme are volunteers.

Each week involves a different thought provoking and current topic for debate, eg.,‘Does the internet do more harm than good?’- Students and prisoners are given preparation work to complete surrounding the main points of the topic a week prior.

Members

The Peace and Justice Studies network is currently a virtual network which was launched in July 2018.

It is intended that it will become a real network of people interested in the promotion of peace and justice.

Membership benefits

  • Face-to-face and virtual network opportunities, conferences, seminars, workshops, CPD, research, publicity for your innovative work, and the sharing of ‘best practice’.
  • Ambassador and media roles.
  • Social media exposure (e.g., Twitter, ResearchGate, etc.) via UCLan and Criminal Justice Partnership, and other network members.
peace and justice conference members

Past conferences and events

On Friday 28 June 2019 the Media Factory we saw the highly successful second annual conference. It was the Peace and Justice Studies Network: Identity, Community Cohesion and Conflict: What Now? Convened and hosted by the network lead, Dr.Kim McGuire.