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Community Circles
Tom Cavanagh, Ph.D.
Community Circles is the name given to a process based on the philosophy of restorative justice, which is focused on building relationships. The goal of these circles is to create harmony in the school community through creating a sense of belonging and connectedness.
In this Community Circles process certain ground rules are established so a safe place can be created where people (be they students, teachers, and/or families) can come together, with a facilitator, to build and maintain relationships.

The underlying values of Community Circles are:
1. Leadership and power are shared (everyone in the circle is equal and has an equal
opportunity to speak).
2. Participants have direct visual contact with each other.
3. Peacebuilding and peacemaking are the foci.
4. Interconnectedness of all participants is encouraged.
5. Respect and accountability are required.
6. Participation by all is necessary.
7. Inclusion and mutual responsibility for the circle are indispensable.

The following ground rules are used at Community Circles, upon agreement of everyone:
1. Listen when others speak (use the talking piece).
2. Speak with honesty and from the heart.
3. Use words that are respectful and not offensive.
4. While everyone is encouraged to speak, no one is required to speak.
5. What is said in the circle stays in the circle.
The facilitator of the Community Circle is called the Keeper of the Circle. The format for the Community Circle is:
1. Welcome.
2. Review ground rules and purpose of the circle.
3. Open the circle.
4. Talk about the topic and the feelings and/or perceptions about the topic.
5. Reflect on the process.
This script is meant to assist in facilitating a Community Circle. Please adapt the script for your purposes.

Talking Circle Script
Welcome to this Community Circle. I am the Keeper of the Circle. Community Circle is the name given to a process based on the philosophy of restorative justice, which is focused on building and maintaining relationships.
The underlying values of Community Circles are:

Leadership and power are shared (everyone in the circle is equal and has an equal opportunity to speak),
Participants have direct visual contact with each other,
Peacebuilding is the focus,
Interconnectedness of all participants is encouraged,
Respect and accountability are required,
Participation by all is necessary, and
Inclusion and mutual responsibility for the circle are indispensable.

Ground Rules
In this Community Circle process certain ground rules are established so a safe place can be created where people can come together, with a facilitator, to build and maintain relationships. The following ground rules are used at Community Circles, upon agreement of everyone:

Listen when others speak (use the talking stick),
Speak with honesty and from the heart,
Use words that are respectful and not offensive,
While everyone is encouraged to speak, no one is required to speak, and
What is said in the circle stays in the circle.

Does anyone want to change or add to these ground rules? Does everyone agree to these ground rules?
Open the Circle
I will now open the circle. We will begin by talking about the topic being proposed and our thoughts and feelings related to the topic. Let's begin passing the talking piece.
(Introduce the topic with a statement or a question. As the Keeper of the Circle you can talk first or pass the talking piece either to your left or right.)
Closing
• How do you feel about the Community Circle process?
• Are you satisfied with the outcome?
• Do you feel ready to call a circle and act as a keeper of a circle?