Restorative justice can be understood as an ethical and cultural paradigm that addresses not only interpersonal conflicts but, above all, injustices in their multiple forms, including systemic and structural ones. At its core lies the recognition of harm and the commitment to address it through dialogical and transformative processes, capable of alleviating consequences and opening new possibilities for justice.
This paradigm rests on a solid value framework—dignity, responsibility and accountability, solidarity, and non-domination—that guides practices and distinguishes them from a mere set of tools. Restorative practices embody a relational ethic that restores voice and power to individuals and communities, making justice a process of shared truth-seeking through dialogue. The contribution aims to show how restorative justice offers an ethic capable of moving beyond punitive logic, instead fostering a generative responsibility grounded in listening, mutual recognition, and the co-construction of shared solutions. Special attention will be given to the value of "non-domination" (Braithwaite) and to the conception of responsibility as an ecological and relational process (De Leo), which highlight the paradigmatic difference from the ethics of retributive justice. These perspectives also show strong affinities with psychological ethics and practice, united by the commitment to human dignity, the building of healthy relationships, and the promotion of well-being. Finally, some implications for contemporary culture will be discussed: How can restorative ethics guide institutions, communities, and professional practices toward more inclusive and just models? What challenges emerge in translating restorative values into norms, policies, and organizations? Starting from these questions, the presentation will propose restorative justice as an ethical horizon able to transform not only responses to harm but also our very idea of democratic coexistence.