Neighborhood Reconciliation Services, Inc.

05/25/2021

WOW! Thank you for the great response and interest in our upcoming training in Facilitating Listening Circles! We have filled all available spots, but will be accepting names for a wait list in case any spots become available. If you are interested, please email us at [email protected].

We would like to offer more trainings like this one in the future! Please consider helping us to do so by giving to our 2021 Summer Giving Campaign at https://nrssummer21.causevox.com. There is still a match on the first $5,000 given to the campaign!

We are excited about working together to make our communities safer, more just, and more equitable!

05/20/2021

Most restorative practices take place in the form of a circle. Why is the circle so important? Because it represents shared leadership in the decision making process, equality of voices, mutual connection, and inclusion of all involved. In a circle, no one person is more significant, valuable, or powerful than any other. All voices are elevated rather than a select few, and all are given equal opportunity to speak, participate, and be heard.

We believe in the power of the circle for restoring/transforming relationships and communities. That's why, at NRS, we are working to launch Community Listening Circles in the Fall of 2021. Our goal is to bring people in the community together to experience the power of the circle through honest and open dialogue and deep listening. We want to elevate the voices of all people in our community, especially the ones that don't usually get a seat at the table, so that we can learn from one another's perspectives and experiences.

To learn more about what we are up to, visit www.nrsinc.org or email us at [email protected]. Join us for our training in Facilitating Listening Circles next month and keep an eye out for more information about Community Listening Circles coming this fall.

05/19/2021

ONLY 6 SPOTS LEFT for our Facilitating Listening Circles Training next month! Don't miss this opportunity to be trained by internationally renowned conflict transformation expert, Dr. David Brubaker and join in the work of building safe, just, and equitable communities!

This training is part of a larger initiative to promote dialogue and civility through community listening circles starting next fall. For more information or to register, email us at [email protected].

To support NRS financially and help make all of this happen, visit www.nrsinc.org and give to our Summer Giving Campaign today!

05/18/2021

If you don't follow us on Instagram yet, hop on over there and check us out! We're doing a giveaway for some Blue's Brews Airstream Cafe once we hit 100 followers!

Here's how you can win:
1. Go to instagram and follow
2. Like the "100 Followers Giveaway" post
3. Share that post to your story and tag us

Giveaway for instagram users only.

05/14/2021

Join us in building safe, just, and equitable communities through restorative practices! Give to our 2021 Summer Giving Campaign today to help us launch new programs, build partnerships in the community, and promote restorative practices.

https://nrssummer21.causevox.com

05/11/2021

NRS was featured in a story on WJHL last night! Thanks to Jeff Keeling for working on this and to board member Adam Dickson for being a part of it. Check it out and share! Now is the time for dialogue and deep listening on issues that divide us.

Email us at [email protected] for more info on our Facilitating Listening Circles training June 24 & 25 and to learn more about how we plan to create safe, just, and equitable spaces for restorative dialogue in the coming months.

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – A more measured theme — one calling for ongoing community dialogue — emerged amid the passionate responses after the East Tennessee State University& #…

05/06/2021

ACT NOW! Registration for our Facilitating Listening Circles training in June is filling up fast! Only 8 spots remain!

To register email [email protected]. Don't miss this opportunity to impact our community!

05/05/2021

Do you believe communities are safer, more just, and more equitable when we work together to repair the harm caused by conflict? Do you believe we need to create spaces to speak openly and listen deeply on issues facing our community? If so, join Neighborhood Reconciliation Services, Inc. as we seek to build a better community for all through restorative practices!

We are excited to announce our 2021 Summer Giving Campaign! After experiencing significant disruption during the pandemic, NRS is ready and excited to re-launch with new programming and new initiatives to promote restorative justice and restorative practices in the Tri-Cities area! Help us reach our goal of $15,000 by August 31 so we can re-launch stronger than ever and get these exciting initiatives off and running!

$5,000 MATCH! A generous donor has committed to matching the first $5,000 given to the campaign! Don't miss this opportunity to double your impact!

In 2021 we will:

- Train 15-20 community volunteers in facilitating listening circles.
- Launch monthly Community Listening Circles to create space to speak openly and listen deeply on issues that matter.
- Partner with courts, schools, community organizations, and more to educate, train, equip, and use restorative practices.

Join us as we build safe, just, and equitable communities together! https://nrssummer21.causevox.com to give.

05/04/2021

Do you want to learn more about Circle Processes? Kay Pranis' "The Little Book of Circle Processes" is a great place to start! She discusses the origins of circle processes, the various types and uses of circles, and a number of stories and experiences from real circles!

To learn more about how NRS plans to use Circle Processes to build safe, just, and equitable communities DM us or email [email protected]. Also, don't forget about our upcoming training in Facilitating Listening Circles on June 24 & 25! Email us for more info or to register!

05/03/2021

Join us for a 2-day training in Facilitating Listening Circles June 24 & 25! This training will help us launch a series of Community Listening Circles in Fall 2021. For more info or to register, email [email protected].

Please also consider supporting the work of NRS financially to help build safe, just, and equitable communities. Visit www.nrsinc.org to donate.

04/29/2021

There are certain elements to a circle process that set it apart from other forms of dialogue and help to create a safe, just, and equitable space for all voices to be heard and respected. Some circle elements include:

- Ceremony: "Circles consciously engage all aspects of human experience - spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental. Circles use a ceremony or intentional centering activity in the opening and in the closing to mark the Circle as a sacred space in which participants are present with themselves and one another in a way that is different from an ordinary meeting."

- A Talking Piece: "By allowing only the person holding the talking piece to speak, a Circle regulates the dialogue as the piece circulates consecutively from person to person around the group...The use of the talking piece allows for full expression of emotions, deeper listening, thoughtful reflection, and an unhurried pace. Additionally, the talking piece creates space for people who find it difficult to speak in a group, but it never requires the holder to speak."

- A Facilitator or Keeper: "The facilitator...assist the group in creating and maintaining a collective space in which each participant feels safe to speak honestly and openly without disrespecting anyone else."

- Guidelines: "The guidelines articulate the promises participants make to one another about how they will conduct themselves in the Circle dialogue...Guidelines are not rules and they are not used to judge people's behavior. They are used as gentle reminders to participants about their shared commitment to creating a safe space for difficult conversation."

- Consensus Decision-Making: Although not all Circles have the purpose of coming to a decision or particular outcome, when decisions are made in Circles they are made by consensus. "Consensus does not require enthusiasm for the decision or plan, but it does require that each participant is willing to live with the decision and support its implementation.

For more info on Circles and how NRS plans to implement Circle Processes to build a safe, just, and equitable community in our area, email us at [email protected].

(All quotes from Pranis, K. (2005). The little book of circle processes: A new/old approach to peacemaking. In*******se, PA: Good Books.)