I started as Programme Manager of the VERSO programme at the beginning of 2025. This is a historic moment for the programme, as its founder, developer and researcher Maija Gellin is leaving after a pioneering career of almost 25 years. She will now continue to work on restorative approaches and mediation in a different role - in her well-deserved retirement.
At this point, one could say that ”there are big boots to fill”. In reality, no one can fill Maija's boots. No one has ever had a job like this before. Maija has created a completely new model for the field of education, offering children and young people and the professionals working with them human presence and growth tools for everyday situations.
This model supports the learning and practice of these skills together with the whole community, valuing all community members and their abilities. It highlights conflict as a tool for community well-being and enables these situations to be handled positively and learned from through mediation. Unique. In addition to the model, Maija has also been able to build a strong restorative work culture within the programme.
Of course, this kind of work is not an individual effort. Over the years, it has been done by a growing number of dedicated and passionate people. Many have travelled part of the way along this path, sharing their expertise, leaving their own unique and valuable mark on the history of VERSO. It is this long history that makes VERSO such a special place to work.
The current VERSO staff are part of this whole, built and honed over the years. Today, we are an exceptionally experienced and skilled team: we have a combined experience of more than 73 years working on the VERSO programme! Our main unifying factor is a strong desire to promote children's rights and to support the valuable work being done in the field of education and training.
The key players in the VERSO programme are the people on the ground. The children, young people and adults who together, in many different ways, promote good everyday encounters and build a restorative culture and mediation in early childhood education and care and in schools. It is a privilege to work with you and to build a better world.
I think that the role of the programme manager - in addition to the practical management - is to ensure that the restorative working culture built up and nurtured over the years in the programme is maintained. This culture is based on allowing everyone's potential to emerge in a respectful and appreciative community, both in good times and in the midst of conflict. It is precisely this culture that the VERSO programme aims to reinforce in the units we train. We will continue to persevere and develop this work with the same enthusiasm and dedication that the programme has shown for 25 years. That's what we do!
Janne Johansson
Programme Manager, VERSO programme