Peace Circle Sharing Peace Circle Sharing One way to encourage and guide constructive listening-based dialogue and inclusive community relationships, before engaging in difficult or conflictual issues discussion, is a sharing circle, often known as a Community Circle. Once healthy relationships have been built, the same inclusive restorative circle format can be used to facilitate understanding and resolution of conflicts —first as practice to learn the process, eventually also addressing ‘real’ conflict situations among students or in the community. In a community or peacemaking circle, a talking piece symbolizes who has the floor to speak, and the importance of others all listening attentively to each person. Some teachers’ classes chose a stuffed animal or symbolic object as their talking piece. In some classes, every student brought a small object or picture representing their identity or what they valued. The teacher or class assembled these together (attaching them onto a big object such as a stick) to form a unique class talking piece. How a circle process works: The class or smaller group sits in a circle, including the teacher (as circle facilitator, while also a participant on an equal basis with students). After the facilitator asks a question on some topic, she/he answers it briefly first (modeling and taking the risk to disclose), then passes the talking piece consecutively around the class circle, giving every student an opportunity to speak (or to pass silently if they prefer), and to be heard. When the talking piece arrives back to the teacher-facilitator, they summarize briefly the ideas, concerns and feelings that group members have expressed. Often, the facilitator follows up with additional questions for the group, one question at a time, giving all opportunities to respond. In a final round of a circle activity, each student is invited to reflect, for instance expressing which circle agreements they felt they had enacted well, and what they could improve upon, or suggesting continuing concerns for future circle dialogues. As an introductory community circle topic, students can suggest expectations or guiding principles for their own community circle processes: what behaviour norms would help them to feel comfortable and to work well with others in a circle? In subsequent rounds, passing the talking piece, the facilitator guides group members to express concerns and clarify these ideas, eventually synthesizing these into a list of agreements to use in future circle processes. Other community circle topics can encourage low-risk sharing, reflection, or playful invention — such as each person telling why a certain sport or game is their favorite, or something they hope to do during the following month, or naming three people (living or deceased) they would like to invite to an imaginary dinner conversation, or describing their feelings about a recent world event, or making suggestions about a lesson held in the class.