Project participants are encouraged to commit to actively promoting this mission to other organizations with the goal of maximizing outreach. The goal is to have a Peace Circle in all 50 states during the month of October beginning October 1st through 31st.
Every organization that signs up to host an event will receive a toolkit. Sign up at: www.monthofnonviolence.org

Renata Valree tells us more about Black Women 4 Positive Change Peace Circles below.
Black Women 4 Positive Change hosts “Circles of Peace: Uniting Children for a Violence-Free Future.” Creating a violence-free future is an important goal and providing children with a platform to express themselves through restorative (peace) circles is a powerful way to empower them toward that goal. Restorative circles have proved to be effective in addressing conflicts and promoting healing in communities and schools.
Restorative circles have roots in indigenous traditions and have been used as a community-building practice for centuries. The concept gained wider recognition and adoption in the Western world by the 1990s as a response to addressing conflicts and promoting healing in communities and schools.
Restorative circles involve bringing individuals together in a circle format, where everyone has an equal voice and the opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings in a safe and respectful space. These circles provide a structured process for addressing conflict, discussing difficult issues, understanding perspectives, and finding resolutions. The focus is on building empathy, fostering dialogue, and developing a sense of interconnectedness among participants. Restorative circles offer a way to heal, build relationships, and take collective responsibility for creating positive change. They have been implemented in various settings, including schools and community organizations, to promote accountability, empathy, and personal growth.

During the Black Women for Positive Change, Peace Circles will be taught, conducted and shared to to gain insight into the experiences and needs of children, allowing for better understanding and support towards creating a future without violence. The event will foster dialogue, promote understanding, build community, and seek peaceful resolutions. Topics such as how children experience violence, the root causes of violence, its consequences, strategies for addressing violence, and envisioning a future devoid of violence will be discussed.

Maybe we’re looking outside and around for answers, when they are not only in front of us, they are us. Youth today is not the problem. Children become what they learn, so we need to look at us, focus on changing us. They are holding up a mirror that reflects what they have learned from us. What culture are we raising them in? How are we reflecting how to treat people? What is it we’re teaching them, because it is coming from us. We have to ask ourselves, how are we failing kids, that they are struggling? What are we teaching them? How are we not there for them? This isn’t a government problem, this is a human disconnect problem. This is a community problem. That’s why your family work is critical. Kids are not living on separate islands from adults….or are they? And if so, how did that happen? We can’t fix kids, we have to change what we’re teaching them. They’re just trying to figure things out in the absence of better options. Why haven’t we given them those options? What would it take to create better systems for the children on the level they experience as individuals? That’s what Aunt Hattie did. She gave them love and she taught them how to be adults. We are so busy trying to control kids, or ignoring kids, that we’re failing to teach them how to become adults. And that, I believe, is our job.

I just love this article, https://email.cac.org/t/d-e-vjhtihk-trikurkujy-f/ because it reminds us the WE are the solution, as individuals. We don’t need to wait for policies (they don’t work for everyone ever, anyway) or government money. If we all practiced what we want to happen and lived out the principles, change would happen faster than any government could mandate….and it would cost less. We have to ask ourselves, how are we failing kids, that they are struggling? What are we teaching them? How are we not there for them? This isn’t a government problem, this is a human disconnect problem. That’s why your family work is critical. Kids are not living on separate islands from adults….or are they? And if so, how did that happen?

Change begins with each of us.

One of our roles as a mediators is to expand possible options. As humans, we often limit our choices to 2 – this or this. It works better if we use the word and, instead of or. This and this, and look for more options and use many of them. There is, unfortunately, no simple solutions to the complexity of the world and of people. Policies aren’t so great, because they can’t meet individuals where they are and they become institutions and institutions lack the ability for true warmth, empathy and compassion. We need to try to see each individual and meet their unique needs and support them where they are. I do think the best one is each of us. It’s empowering, it lacks blame, it lifts us all. These are some of the places where Hattie was brilliant; she did these things. And the results aren’t quick, but they are brilliant.

HOST YOUR OWN PEACE CIRCLE EVENT TO:

IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS, HOW TO RESOLVE DISAGREEMENTS PEACEFULLY-
 
 
Despite having ancient roots, Peace Circles hold incredible relevance in the modern world. They’re a powerful tool in conflict resolution, fostering stronger connections, embracing diversity and nurturing personal growth. As we navigate life, embracing the spirit of Peace Circles can be instrumental in creating a more harmonious society.

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