Facilitation and Mediation
Active Peace Circles
Active Peace Circle facilitation is available to any group interested in coming together in an atmosphere of respect to repair harm and address the root causes of the conflict. This is an in-depth process that works at the personal, interpersonal and collective levels to create shared understanding, accountability, deeper relationships and more resilient communities.
While going through the process you will steep in the foundations, learn the techniques, be able to use them to engage in more restorative ways and address future conflicts going forward.
Active Peace Circles are customizable to meet the specific needs of your group.
The basic stages of this proven approach are:
- Circle Preparation to clarify the issues and who needs to participate;
- Enrollment Conversations that explain the process and the restorative mindset;
- Pre-conference Meetings where the facilitators meet with participants to delve into the harm and prepare participants to come together restoratively;
- The Circle Process where the full extent of the harm is explored, responsibility is taken and the group explores together how to repair the harm to the fullest extent possible;
- Implementation of the repair agreements followed by;
- Reintegration of all those affected back into the group or community without lingering blame, shame or resentment.
Watch an Active Peace Circle in action! The Active Peace Circle facilitation team came together with a group of volunteers to record a full scale demo of the process. Get all the recording links and other supporting documents here.
Restorative Mediation
The restorative mediation process is a fast and effective way for individuals or groups to repair harm by focusing on unmet universal human needs. It eliminates the blame and finger-pointing and offers a safe place where people can connect with and share what they are really longing for. Participants learn communication and relationship skills and tools that can be used in all their relationships for the rest of their lives.
The process includes:
- Initial consultation to determine the key issues and desired outcomes;
- One or two individual sessions to build the capacity to come together in a restorative way. We will frame the issues as unmet universal human needs, look at limiting beliefs and patterns, and work with specific communication tools using the Relationship Roadmap workbook as support; and
- The Restorative Session where the parties come together to share from the heart in an atmosphere of respect and collaboratively determine agreements that will meet their needs and resolve the issues.
Get in touch today if restorative mediation can support you and the people you care about.
Growing Up Together
I recently heard the activist Paul Cienfuegos on Alternative Radio promoting a bottom up, grassroots approach to building a more just society through challenging corporate ”rights.” He made the point that on the basic issue of democracy and the people’s right to...
Why Restorative Practice
Everyday brings me messages that the work of restoration is becoming increasingly urgent. But what exactly does restoration mean? Why restorative activism and restorative practices? Why bother with all that and not just get on with making the world a better place? In...
Balancing Love and Power
I attended a talk recently that brought home one of the most difficult balancing acts in restoration: love and power. The speaker was Adam Kahane, an internationally recognized expert on conflict resolution and the author of Power and Love: A Theory and Practice of...