News from

  • 25th Anniversary Publication celebrating 25 years of VERSO Program

    ByJanne Johansson

    The VERSO Programme is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, the founder and long-standing Programme Director of the VERSO Programme, Maija Gellin, has written and compiled an anniversary publication in English about the programme's history and results. The publication brings together significant history regarding the programme, as well as key results and findings from its 25 years of operation. There is a great deal of interest worldwide in the work done by the VERSO Programme, and descriptions of its activities and results have long been…

  • Mediation Living Room on Wednesday 2.9.2026 from 16.00 to 17.30 

    ByNina Huhtinen

    Our background organisation, the Finnish Forum for Mediation (Suomen sovittelufoorumi ry), is hosting its Mediation Living Room (Sovittelun olohuone) again this week! The next time we will meet in the Living Room is on Wednesday 2nd September from 16:00 to 17:30. On that occasion, we will be talking about artificial intelligence: techno-philosopher and chairperson of the Association of Mediation Journalists Sopiva (Sovittelujournalistien yhdistys Sopiva ry) Jarno Alastalo will come to talk about how the proliferation of AI affects human relationships and living together. Jarno will also consider more broadly how we can influence the direction in which AI is taking us...

  • The VERSO week is coming again from 31 August to 4 September!

    ByNina Huhtinen

    In the first week of September, we will once again celebrate the nationwide VERSO week! Our social media channels will be filled with tips for carrying out the themed week, and you can take a sneak peek at the timetable above beforehand! However, the most important thing is how you choose to implement the themed week yourselves, and VERSO week is a fantastic opportunity to share information and activate activities by, for example, making use of the enthusiasm of smart pre-schoolers or VERSO pupils! If you don't have time to join in this week, any other week is just as good!…

  • RÖNSY 2026 event page

    ByNina Huhtinen

    The VERSO programme's nationwide webinar RÖNSY is back! The 2026 RÖNSY celebrates the 25-year story of the VERSO programme and you are warmly welcome to join the celebration! Being held for the eighth time, the event offers topical expert presentations on Thu 19 Nov from 12 noon to 4 pm as part of both Children's Rights Week (https://lapsenoikeuksienviikko.fi) and International Restorative Justice Week (RJ Week). The theme of the anniversary RÖNSY webinar is 25 years – 25 perspectives, and a rich array of peer wisdom is promised...

  • Open & free guardian webinar to all Thu 24 Sep at 17:30–19 – sign up now!

    ByNina Huhtinen

    We organise annual guardian webinars that are open to everyone interested and free of charge. The next session is on Thu 24 Sep from 17:30 to 19:00! You can join by registering via this link. The registration form also opens via the QR code. A recording of the session will also be sent afterwards to those who have registered. The participation link and instructions for setting up the Teams remote connection will be sent to your email a few days before the session. The lead trainers for the session are Tiina Nurmi and Piipi Hiltunen, and we will also hear presentations from practitioners in the field...

  • The Annual Review for 2025 of the VERSO programme has been published

    ByJanne Johansson

    The collection of research information and data is an important part of the operations and development of the VERSO Programme. This time, we have published a more concise and readable review of the VERSO Programme's year 2025 within a single cover. The annual review clearly highlights the key perspectives and operational figures from the viewpoints of early childhood educators, children in daycare centres, as well as school pupils and staff. Read the annual review here. Statistical and annual reports from the years 2017-2024 can be found on the same page. This annual review…

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    Open RESTO – Restorative and Conciliatory Community Training in spring 2027 in Helsinki

    ByNina Huhtinen

    The Restorative and Reconciliatory Community (more commonly known as RESTO training) provides participants with the knowledge and skills to implement a restorative approach and mediation in their own work and in different conflict situations. The training is practical and collaborative. The training will provide the necessary material for practical work, which each participant can use in their own community as they wish. The content of the training sessions will focus on the insights, experiences and discussions of the participants, so that each group can...

  • RÖNSY 19.11.2026: Save the date!

    ByNina Huhtinen

    The VERSO programme's nationwide and free webinar RÖNSY is back! The event, now in its eighth year, offers current expert talks and will once again be held as part of both Children's Rights Week (https://lapsenoikeuksienviikko.fi) and International Restorative Justice Week (RJ Week). We invite professionals, decision-makers, and students who have participated in our training sessions, and invitations will be sent out in early autumn. Those who register will also receive a webinar recording. In celebration of our 25th anniversary, a special celebratory programme featuring expertise from the field is promised, and…

  • June Mediation Living Room Wed 3.6. at 4–5.30 pm: Connections between the body and mind in mediation – Mind-Body Bridging

    ByNina Huhtinen

    Welcome to the Finnish Mediation Forum's final Spring Mediation Living Room on Wednesday, 3rd June, from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM! Our topic is the connection between body and mind: we'll discuss how mediators can benefit from recognising and managing an overstimulated mind-body system. The presentation will be given by Keijo Halinen (MBB® Master Trainer, https://smbb.fi/) from the Finnish Mind-Body Bridging Association. Keijo will explain: ”Mediation is based on voluntariness, and MBB® (Mind-Body Bridging®) supports the achievement of calmness and peace of mind, enabling..."