Embassy of Safety

Those who commit crimes will be punished. It’s been that way since time immemorial and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future. Is that actually true? No. Societies have employed alternatives to punishment throughout the ages. So-called ‘sanctuaries’, for example, facilitated reconciliation between parties by enforcing rules that protected the offenders and victims alike. Slowly but surely, these historical ideas are making a comeback. For example, community service is now a way for offenders to repay their debt to society. And restorative justice is emerging as a serious alternative to punishment. This process takes into consideration the perspective of the offender and the victim. In fact, reconciliation makes a great deal of sense because after a crime the parties involved want to move on, which is hard to do if they’re still in conflict.

Making (amends)

Yet, the process of correcting mistakes and making amends is still the exception to the rule in the Netherlands. And that’s a shame because it works. It’s beneficial not only for those involved but also for society as a whole. Those who understand how their actions have impacted others and have managed to reconcile with them are far less likely to be repeat offenders. That’s why we’re searching for additional ways of making amends.

Maakkracht (the power of making)

In recent years, it has become apparent that the professionals in the ‘security chain’ are not always up to the task at hand. Finding enough security professionals is also difficult. Subversive crime is encroaching more and more into all of our daily lives. By contrast, our governmental systems are sometimes so rigid that innocent citizens become victims of state interventions. Isn’t it time to examine our existing approaches critically and ask ourselves what we hope to achieve with them? Are we really doing ‘the right thing’?

For the partners of this Embassy, ​​it could not be clearer: tackling crime has grown increasingly complex; therefore, we cannot carry on as we always have. More than ever, we need new ways of working. That’s why we’re searching for additional ways of making amends. 

And for that, the Embassy of Safety is relying upon the power of makers. Our ambition, in direct co-creation with society, is to effect positive changes to help transform complex safety issues. We’ve radically reversed the traditional approach to problem-solving: begin not with the solution, but with the drive of the human being. When people undertake an activity on their own, without knowing where it will lead, this not only provokes change but also sparks the process of learning by doing. That’s the power of making. And we’re all, each and every one of us, a maker.

This narrative is written in collaboration with The Makers Collective of Justice and Security.

Also have a look at what we did in...

Social designer Tabo Goudswaard is committed to making the repertoire of creative makers play a larger role in the way we shape society.

Tabo leads Studio Goudswaard. He designs new ways of dealing with social issues. In doing so, he seeks to connect to people’s everyday behaviour and designs new concrete action perspectives with and for those involved.

In addition to being the Creative Lead of the Embassy of Safety, he is co-founder of the Sociaal Creatieve Raad, a lobby group for new values and imagination. It is a council of fifty representatives of various social networks who join forces with artists and designers to shape our future.

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Updates

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Editiorial

Embassy of Safety at DDW23

Editiorial

‘Cheating’ with the Makers Collective – Exploring the unknown

News

Building a context for makership

Editiorial

Criminal assets: how do you return confiscated assets to society?

Editiorial

Building synergistic collaborations

Editiorial

2022 Retrospective: Embassy of Safety

Editiorial

Safety: trust in the makers

Editiorial

WDE Spotlight: Yuri Veerman

Video

Curator Tour: Trust the maker in you at Embassy of Safety

News

Embassy Labs at DDW22

Editiorial

Relying on the power of creation for a safe society

News

These are the Labs of the Embassy of Safety

Editiorial

WDE Spotlight: The Night Club

News

Probation Service Netherlands seeks social designer for permanent position

Video

Watch the WDE Talk: How can design and policy come together in the safety domain?

Editiorial

Retrospective 2021: Embassy of Safety

Editiorial

WDE Spotlight: What The Studio

Video

Curator Tour: Tabo Goudswaard shows surprising safety

News

Surprising safety told by ex-juvenile criminal and cyber agent Roozy

News

Embassy of Safety at DDW

Editiorial

Surprising safety at the Embassy of Safety

Dutch Design Week
News

This is what the Embassies will present at Dutch Design Week

WDE Talk
Video

Watch the WDE Talk: How do we design a safe and inclusive society?

Embassy of Mobility
News

What if Lab and World Design Embassies join forces with Embassy Labs

News

Designing with inmates

News

In conversation with the Social Design Police

Retrospective 2019: Embassy of Safety

Partners of Embassy of Safety

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