At GO, we present a thought-provoking event titled IN UN MONDO INTRISO DI CONFLITTUALITÀ, LA SFIDA DI UNA NUOVA IDEA DI GIUSTIZIA (In a World Steeped in Conflict, the Challenge of a New Idea of Justice), inspired by the book Oltre la vendetta. La giustizia riparativa in Italia (Editori Laterza) by Marcello Bortolato and Edoardo Vigna.

The book:

Restorative justice—an approach aimed at healing the rift between those who commit wrongdoing and those who suffer from it—is no longer just a theoretical ideal of legal philosophers; it is now fully established in Italian law. Understanding what it is and how it works is therefore essential.

This system does not seek to replace traditional criminal proceedings but operates as a parallel and fully functional tool. It involves not only the victim and the offender but also judges, mediators, and, in some cases, entire communities affected by the crime—such as neighborhoods, towns, or associations. Instead of relying solely on the "public revenge" of traditional punishment, it offers an alternative: a path toward reconciliation, allowing society as a whole to attempt to mend the fractures that every criminal act creates.

The authors:

Marcello Bortolato, a magistrate since 1990, has presided over the Supervisory Court of Florence since 2017. He was a member of two commissions for prison system reform (2013 and 2017) established by the Ministry of Justice and has authored numerous publications on penitentiary law.

Edoardo Vigna, journalist at Corriere della Sera, is the head editor of the Pianeta 2030 section. Since 2005, he has written the international politics column for 7 magazine. He is also the author of Sette mesi di Berlusconi (with E. Marro, Ediesse 2001), analyzing Silvio Berlusconi’s first government, and Europa. La meglio gioventù (Neri Pozza, 2019).