PH-01 · 04 Peace + Healing
Restorative circle process
A structured conversation that asks what happened, who was harmed, and what will repair it — instead of who is to be punished.
Origin
Māori hui and conferencing; contemporary restorative practice
Materials
- A trained keeper, not an improvised chair
- A talking piece and a closed room or grove
- Consent from the people most affected
Method
- 01
Do not convene a circle as a substitute for safety. If someone is in danger, that is a different protocol.
- 02
Prepare in private with each person. A circle that surprises someone with an accusation is a trial.
- 03
Sit in a true circle. The keeper holds the process, not the verdict. A talking piece travels; interruption does not.
- 04
Ask, in order: what happened; what has been the impact; what is needed to repair and to prevent a repeat.
- 05
Write the agreements in the room, in plain language, with names and dates. A circle without a follow-up is a performance.
What this makes possible
- Harm named without a pile-on
- Repair that the people involved can actually do
- A community that practices conflict instead of exporting it to a distant court or a silent freeze
This is a field record, not a permit. Adapt to local law, climate and skill. If you have run this method, send what you learned.