MOVED TO LARGER ROOM, SAME VENUE An Introduction to Restorative Systems with Dominic Barter,

  In the mid 1990's, local communities in the favela shanty towns of Rio de Janeiro began to develop ways of responding to crime, conflict and broken agreements that lead to increased connection, safety and well being. Moving away from dynamics of punishment and fear, they sought healing for harm done and mutual well-being for those involved, and the larger community.

A process emerged which has now been applied in communities, schools, families,courts, prisons, police stations, universities, social services, churches, local government and businesses in several Brazilian states and a further 14 countries.

Known as Restorative Circles, this systemic approach guides communities to consciously choose their justice system - proactively preventing or diminishing harm while also
giving all those involved a real-life experience of the practical power of nonviolence.

Learning from the roots and development of Restorative Justice and guided by the principles and practice of Nonviolent Communication, Restorative Circles support
dialogue rooted in open-hearted clarity and tangible power-sharing. Through engaging with our conflicts, we are called on to rethink our living with others, while engaging in
co-creating the social systems of the world we wish to live in.
The process and its results open up revolutionary possibilities for social justice, group cohesion, resilient relationships and personal healing - interconnected and vital elements of a culture of peace.

In this dynamic 2 day presentation, Dominic Barter will present the evolution and practice of this work, and its application to diverse areas of our personal and collective
lives. Through hands-on exploration of key concepts, grounded in a step-by-step process and illustrated by real world examples, we’ll rehearse the development of this new
resource in a community of which we are part. Participants will be invited to apply the learning to their own issues and increase their ability to see and act from our shared
humanity.

This event will be filmed, as part of a project to produce educational videos to support broader access to this work, as well as ongoing learning for those who participate in these events. All participants will be asked to sign release forms before we begin.

Dominic Barter began developing restorative practices and systems in the mid 1990s, inspired by the social complexity of Rio de Janeiro, his adopted home, and his study with
Marshall Rosenberg in Nonviolent Communication. Since 2004 he has been the training program director and consultant to the Brazilian Justice Department’s Restorative Justice
pilot projects, in collaboration with the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, as well as the Special Secretariat for Human Rights and State
Secretaries for Education in Brazil. In 2008 Dominic was a keynote speaker at the International Conference on Restorative Practices. He coordinates the Restorative Justice Project for the international Center for Nonviolent Communication.

• Restorative Circles offer a way to:
• restore the connections and relationships necessary for healthy and safe communities;
• create opportunities for everyone affected by the conflict to speak and be heard;
• engage individuals and their communities to take responsibility for particular conflicts and ownership of the process;
• tap into the resourcefulness of the community for creating next steps;
• see an interview with Dominic Barter at http://www.vimeo.com/6557584;
• to learn more see “Toward Peace and Justice in Brazil: Dominic Barter and Restorative Circles” by Joshua Wachtel at http://www.iirp.org/realjustice/library/brazil.html.

The tuition is between $1.00 and $0.00.