Professor Theo Gavrielides’s Power, Race, and Justice named winner of the Social Change category in Book of the Year at the 2026 International Book Awards
Restorative Justice for All International Institute (RJ4All) is proud to announce that Power, Race, and Justice: The Restorative Dialogue We Will Not Have, written by RJ4All Founder and Director Prof. Theo Gavrielides and published by Routledge, has been recognised as the winner of the Social Change category at the 2026 International Book Awards. The book was also named a finalist in the Current Events category.
The award recognises a decade of research by Professor Theo Gavrielides into the relationship between power, race and justice, and the role restorative justice can play in addressing systemic inequality.
“It is the work of ten years and a struggle between my human and scientific self. I challenge justice and equality through the lens of power. Never fear to question reality.”Professor Theo Gavrielides – Founder and Director of RJ4All
“We are delighted to see this important study receive the recognition so rightly deserved by both the subject matter and the author. Congratulations to Professor Gavrielides on this outstanding achievement.” Alison Kirk – Senior Commissioning Editor, Routledge, Taylor & Francis
Structured around the four concepts of power, race, justice and restorative justice, the book uses empirical new data and normative analysis to reconstruct the way we prevent power abuse and harm at the inter-personal, inter-community and international levels. This book offers new lenses, which allow us to view power, race and justice in a modern reality where communities have been silenced, but through restorative justice are gaining voice.
The book is enriched with case studies written by survivors, practitioners, and those with direct experiences of power abuse and inequality. Through robust research methodologies, Prof Theo Gavrielides’s new monograph reveals new forms of slavery, while creating a new, philosophical framework for restorative punishment through the acknowledgement of pain and the use of catharsis for internal transformation and individual empowerment.
This latest honour adds to a series of accolades for the book, which was named a finalist for the American Society of Criminology’s Division of International Criminology (ASC-DIC) Outstanding Book Award in 2023.
This award marks another milestone in a body of work that has consistently pushed the boundaries of restorative justice values and reflects the growing international recognition of RJ4All’s mission to challenge power abuse and inequality through restorative justice practice. Prof. Gavrielides’s book stands as both a rigorous academic contribution and a call to action for practitioners, policymakers and communities alike. The book is aligned with RJ4All Publications‘ vision of making restorative justice research accessible to practitioners and the public including harmed parties, and reinforces RJ4All’s ongoing commitment to strengthening the evidence base for restorative justice and expanding its practice worldwide.
Restorative Justice For All (RJ4All) and the University of the Free State (UFS) are pleased to announce the appointment of Prof. Theo Gavrielides, RJ4All’s Founder and Director, as Visiting Professor in the Department of Criminology
