Sitting in a circle process creates a magical bridge between past harms and healthy relationships. This past year, we had the pleasure of facilitating healing conversations through a new work study position on campus called the “Peer Conflict and Restorative Justice (PCRJ) Facilitator.” To unpack that title a bit –  we are Peers, advocating for the needs of other students as they navigate situations of Conflict between students or staff. We seek to provide a space to address harms, meet needs, and rebuild relationships. That’s where the Restorative Justice (RJ) comes in as a tool we use as a third party to help organize conversation in a way that focuses on the needs of all parties involved (Facilitators!). RJ processes often center around sitting in a circle and allowing each member to have time to speak and share their perspective. Following that is some space to find solutions that work for everyone. At its best, RJ provides an equitable space for healing conversation.

RJ circles might not sound like every person’s idea of an energizing time, but here’s why we might choose facilitation over, say, a water park. Our goal as facilitators is to listen and respond to the needs of students, and to hold space for the big challenges from which they might be needing to unravel themselves. We get the privilege to hear people’s stories and empower them to make something happen to address harms. We get to see raw emotions as people share their experiences and listen to each other, sometimes for the first time. The best part is, about half way through a conversation there is often a switch in the mood. All of a sudden, members of the circle start to really hear each other and empathize. The energy shifts; you can feel it in the air. It is an absolutely magical experience, and we have been grateful to walk with people over that bridge. 

Although we are graduating this spring, we are planning to make this service more accessible by having a PCRJ Facilitators email address for students to go to directly. The hope is that students will feel more comfortable reaching out to other students than going through Student Life. We also hope that this will encourage more restorative justice processes on a voluntary basis. One more thing we have loved about the PCRJ position (and why you should consider applying!) is the ability to head up individual initiatives on campus. This spring we were able to be on the leadership team for Take Back the Night events and started developing a shuttle service for students to have access to rides off campus. Both of these projects will need leaders next school year, so if this sounds interesting to you: email Jon Swartz at jonathan.swartz@emu.edu or apply at https://emu.edu/studentemployment/position/1137