The Peacemaking Circle is a leadership practice of deep listening and storytelling to build trust and strengthen relationships.

The Peacemaking Circle process taps into both ancient practices and modern processes to create trust, intimacy, goodwill, belonging, generosity, and reciprocity. Peacemaking Circles intentionally create a sacred space that lifts barriers between people, opening fresh possibilities for connection, collaboration, and understanding. These circles can hold the tensions and emotions that contribute to healing. The process is never about changing others, but rather is an invitation to change one’s relationship with oneself, to the community, and to the wider universe.

Peacemaking Circle work lessens power differences of role and position. Rather than back-and-forth dialogue, circles rely on the learning that comes from the collective wisdom embedded in the experiences and stories of all participants. 

It is important for leaders to know how to listen deeply. Listening as a leadership tool is often overlooked, but it is important that leaders develop the ability to hear the stories, needs and experiences of the communities they serve.
“People speak from their core. It was a really humbling experience and it also made me feel supported. I felt acceptance by others. I felt more important and more acceptance for myself in the process.”
The Center has partnered with a number of organizations to provide Peacemaking Circles in different arenas.
  • With Neighborhood House, we hold circles with immigrant women who feel that they have suppressed or lost their social and cultural identities;
  • With the Bush School, we hold circles with the staff and faculty to create an educational atmosphere of openness and honesty;
  • With the City of Seattle, we hold circles with various departments to address institutional racism and restorative justice.

Is this the right experience at the right time for you?

We gather a group of people from diverse social backgrounds who are ready to experience the Peacemaking Circle process and open up to deeper relationships.  Our hope is that people who have reach into different organizations and parts of the community will use this process to build trust and stronger relationships in their organizations and communities.
“I recognized that I am a victim, and so many things have been done to me that hurt me. And I also hurt others. I have. It’s not only somebody else who has to fix, but I have to change. I am part of solving this. I have to change.”
In doing this work, we honor the legacy of the Tagish Tlingit First Nation in the Yukon and their partners. Mark Wedge and Harold Gatensby, Tagish Tlingit leaders, and Barry Stuart, Chief Justice in the Canadian Judicial system, have shared this work all over the world. As they teach others, they say, “We pass this on to everyone as a gift to use to promote healthy communities.” 

They believe this work belongs to everyone and have asked that we name them to honor the Tagish Tlingit. 

We acknowledge Saroeum Phoung, who learned the circle process from the Tagish Tlingit and who partnered with the Center to bring this work to the Puget Sound region.

The Center would also like to thank the teams who have generously given their time to plan and hold community circles in partnership: the Community Peacemaking Council, the Justice System Advisory Team, and the School Advisory Team.