Steps of a Peace Circle

 

 

1) Let all parties calm down (this can take a few minutes to the whole day).

 

2) Write a reflection about the the incident and take this into the peace circle.

 

3) Then a counselor or staff person will  talk to all parties in separate rooms  to get them ready for the peace circle

 

4) Each party creates an acuerdos (ground rules) about your expectations in the peace circle (i.e. respect).

 

5) Then, both parties come to the circle. The facilitator explains how a peace circle works and how to use the talking piece (everyone has to pay attention to you and respect the person with the talking piece)

 

6) All parties have to choose a card from a pile, read it out loud, and explain what it means to them.

 

7) Each party tells their version of the story. The listening party should try to understand the other party's point of view.*

 

8) Think about any misunderstandings or what you could have done differently in the situation.*

 

9) Discuss potential root causes of incident.*

 

10) Come to an agreement about how to avoid the same situation in the future (develop an acuerdos with actions).*

 

11) Create a project where both parties need to work together. (i.e., bulletin board display)

 

*Multiple circles may be needed to achieve these steps.