The Circle Process

Circles are based on the tradition of talking circles, common among indigenous peoples of North America, and modern peacemaking and consensus-building processes. Circles bring us together to share who we are beyond our appearances. They are places of listening - of hearing what it is like to be someone else. They are also places for being heard - for expressing what is on our minds and hearts and having others receive it.

Circles provide a process for bringing people together to build community and to work through conflict or difference. The Circle Process is a way of getting the most complete picture people can give of themselves, each other, and the issue(s) at hand, in order to enable them to move together in a positive way.

The circle process is being used for decision-making, problem-solving, and conflict resolution in neighborhoods, the workplace, schools, families, the criminal justice system and not-for-profit organizations.

Circles ask:

• How can we move toward healing?
• What can be done to repair the immediate harm to prevent further harm?
• What wounds and circumstances - past and present - prevent us from having healthy relationships, both with ourselves and others?
• What steps can we take to understand these wounds and to aid healing?

Circles may be implemented for any number of applications. Circles can be used almost anywhere there is conflict,trauma or a need for community-building. A paradigm shift in how we respond to crime and/or conflict, circles operate from a few fundamental premises about human beings and our human condition:

• Circles build on the premise that every human being wants to be connected to others in a good way. We do not thrive in isolation.
• Circles operate from the premise that everybody shares core values that indicate what connecting in a good way means.
• Circles assume that being connected in a good way and acting from our values are not always easy to do, especially when conflicts arise.
• Circles presume that, given a safe space, we can rediscover our core values, and, as we do, we also uncover our deep-seated desire to be positively connected.