Community%20Peacemaking%20Circles%20for%20Social%20Workers

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Community Peacemaking Circles for Social Workers
CIRCLES
Lee Copenhagen MSW Intern, Gallatin Community
Youth Justice Center, Minnesota Department of
Corrections with the National Institute of
Corrections
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What Are Community Peacemaking Circles?

• A Process for bringing people together as equals
  to talk about the offense
• Provides an atmosphere of respect concern for
  everyone
• Face-to-face encounter to repair harm
• Led by trained Circle Keepers
• Participants decide Circle outcome

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What are Circles? (cont.)

• Voluntary for victim
• Admission of responsibility by offender
• Incident-based, behavior-based
• Looks at underlying causes
• Focuses on empowering participants
• Comes to consensus agreement

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Key Elements of Circles Humanistic Mediation

• Continual Centering of the mediator being fully
  present- separating our stuff from their
  stuff
• Deep compassionate listening
• Importance of storytelling just listen
• Pre-mediation in-person separate meetings
• Connecting with parties, but impartial

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Circles Humanistic Mediation (cont.)

• Creation of safe, if not sacred, space
• Dialog driven- between parties
• Non-directive style of mediation
• Mediator gets out of the way
• Victim continually given choices

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Typical Stages of the Peacekeeping Circle Process

• Acceptance - community affected parties
  determine if circle is appropriate
• Preparation - separate circles for various
  interests are held
• Gathering - All parties brought together
• Follow-up - Regular communication and check-ins

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The Talking Piece

• Special meaning of the piece
• General Guidelines
• Honor the purpose of the circle
• Advantages

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Peacemaking Circle Approach to Offenses

• Questions asked
• Who has been hurt by this event?
• What are their needs?
• Whose obligations are these?
• Who has a stake in this situation?
• What efforts are needed to
• put things right?

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Basic KeeperCommunication Skills

• Eliminate distractions
• Demonstrate active listening
• Suspend judgement
• Be empathetic
• Try not to assume

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Roles of the Keepers

• Create an atmosphere of respect and safety for
  all
• Create a tone of hope and optimism for
  constructive solutions
• Guide the process to remain true to underlying
  values
• Articulate the progress and accomplishments of
  the circle as it proceeds
• Clarify unresolved issues to focus the circles
  energy
• Participate as a community member

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More thoughts of the Roles of the Keepers

• Be compassionate, sincere, respectful
• Listen!
• Let people vent their emotions
• Stay neutral (equally partial), while
  disapproving of harm done
• Be a facilitator, not judge or negotiator
• Do not be directive

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Cases of Severe Violence

• Takes more intense training and preparation
• Specialized expertise related to working with
  victims who have been severely traumatized
• Special considerations for dealing with offenders
  in incarceration
• Slower moving process, dealing with grief and
  healing