Roberto Moreno Álvarez | Guest: We Can Find A Way

Ombudsman, Facilitator, Basque Country, Spain

Roberto Moreno Alvarez works for the Ombudsman Office for the Basque Country. Until 2019, he coordinated the Victim–Offender Mediation Services, the Victim Support Services and the Probation Services of the Ministry of Justice of the Basque Government.

He has fifteen years’ experience defending prisoners’ rights in prison through various civil movements and NGOs. As an expert, he supported the restorative encounters between members of the ETA Basque separatist group and victims in 2011–2012. He has shared this experience across Europe for over a decade, and since 2019, he has facilitated new international encounters within the Encounter of Encounters project, which received the 2024 Award of the European Forum for Restorative Justice. He served as a Board Member of the European Forum for Restorative Justice from 2014 to 2020.

Oct. 31, 2026

Conflict is weight for new generations Guest: Roberto Moreno

In this storytelling episode, I explore the complex aftermath of Spain's Basque Country and the dissolution of ETA to draw vital lessons for the peace process between Turkey and the PKK. Guided by the unique insights of Roberto Moreno Alvarez—who spent years on the frontlines coordinating mediation services and facilitating the historic 2011–2012 Basque "restorative encounters"—we discuss the uniqueness of the Basque experience in accountability to victims through its own initiative that paved the way for disarmament. We dive into the profound, emotional legacy of voluntary, face-to-face dialogues between former militants and the families of their victims, making a powerful case for why top-down state panels alone are never enough. Ultimately, we show why localized, truth-telling frameworks are the essential ingredient needed to repair deep-seated community trauma—efforts that continue to this day, evolving to include new generations and broader segments of society.

Guest: Roberto Moreno Álvarez

Listen to the Episode