Peacemaking Circles

Our ancestors gathered around a fire in a circle, families gather around their kitchen tables in circles, and now we are gathering in circles as communities to solve problems. The practice draws on the ancient Native American tradition of a talking piece. Peacemaking Circles are used in neighborhoods to provide support for those harmed by crime and to decide sentences for those who commit crime, in schools to create positive classroom climates and resolve behavior problems, in the workplace to deal with conflict, and in social services to develop more organic support systems for people struggling to get their lives together. A title in The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding Series.

Describes and analyzes the Navajo peacemaking tradition of restorative justice, in which all participants are treated as equals with the purpose of preserving ongoing relationships and restoring harmony among involved parties.

Most youth who come in conflict with the law have experienced some form of trauma, yet many justice professionals are ill-equipped to deal with the effects trauma has on youth and instead reinforce a system that further traumatizes young offenders while ignoring the needs of victims. By taking a trauma-informed perspective, this text provides a much-needed alternative—one that allows for interventions based on principles of healing and restorative justice, rather than on punishment and risk assessment. In addition to providing a comprehensive historical overview of youth justice in Canada, Judah Oudshoorn addresses the context of youth offending by examining both individual trauma—including its emotional, cognitive, and behavioural effects—and collective trauma. The author tackles some of the most difficult problems facing youth justice today, especially the ongoing cycles of intergenerational trauma caused by the colonization of Indigenous peoples and patriarchal violence, and demonstrates how a trauma-informed approach to youth justice can work toward preventing crime and healing offenders, victims, and communities. Featuring a foreword written by Howard Zehr, case stories from the author’s own work with victims and offenders, questions for reflection, and annotated lists of recommended readings, this engaging text is the perfect resource for college and university students in the field of youth justice.

Communication is the key to all successful human interactions. In light of the expanding use of texting and other forms of electronic communication, we risk losing the personal, face-to-face meetings that have been the mainstay of positive relationships between individuals and groups for thousands of years. Lavery shows how the circle process is a powerful tool for overcoming this worrisome situation, as it offers a way to enhance communications, build and rebuild relationships, and improve problem-solving capabilities within families, neighborhoods, schools, corporations, and civic organizations. Narratives by participants in the Community Circles program attest to the capacity of people and groups to work together to resolve contentious issues, especially when they are provided with a safe place in which to tell their stories and be listened to by others--without judgment. The circle process has been used successfully for thousands of years in indigenous cultures. With the help of the insights in this book, we now have the opportunity to use circles today to resolve many of the challenging issues that confront our society. The Power of Circles is a valuable guide for the journey ahead.