Follow Up Session: Compassionate Response Network & Restorative Circle System

Dear Friends,

You are invited to a follow-up meeting to CAN's April 16 “collective impact” session.  We are energized by the meaningful engagement that day, the interweaving of community connections and commitments, and the confluence of interest and choice in making “compassion” tangible in action. 

For the next six months, we will be meeting and nurturing the seeds sown in April with the expectation of an October 'harvest' of what we can create together.  We envision moving forward as a single committee, with two interlinked, but independent, working groups or teams:

1)      The Compassionate Response Network.  The vision is to build and nurture a network of those engaged in compassionate responses; identifying areas of need; inventorying our community's already rich resources for meeting those needs; connecting those engaged in compassionate response with one another and providing opportunities for mutual support; identifying holes in our network and considering opportunities for filling them; linking those with a need for service/compassion with those able and willing to give it (creating opportunities for service).  This team is perfect for those already involved in compassionate response in the community who wish to better promote what they are doing, link with others, find solutions to gaps in service, increase the critical mass of volunteers and individuals willing to serve individuals and communities in need, and promote compassion as a meaningful and powerful tool in building a working community.

2)      The Restorative Circle/Conflict System Team.  The vision is to develop a City-wide restorative justice system available to engage conflict and tensions when they arise and to develop capacity to share responsibility and power for co-creating a community that works for everyone and in which we wish to live.   This pilot project will invite the participation of departments within the City of Seattle, community groups, non-profit organizations, faith groups, businesses, and neighborhood groups to: engage in discussion about how conflict is dealt with in their organizations, in the community, and in the City of Seattle, evaluate what is working and what is not working in that process, vision about how conflict could be dealt with more productively and meaningfully, and considering adopting or modifying Restorative Circles, a restorative justice practice, as a system to engage conflict.  For those who choose to do so, we will provide training and practice opportunities to develop the capacity to use Restorative Circles and provide opportunities to engage the Restorative Circle system to address immediate community needs and conflicts.

We will meet Tuesday, May 24 from 6:00 – 8:30 pm in the International District at 800 Maynard Avenue South - Suite 208- the home of Ideal Network – graciously hosted by Jon Ramer.  We will order out for Sushi for hungry tummies and productive conversation.

If you feel inspired by the vision of either or both of these groups, please come.   No prior experience with CAN or attendance at the 4/16 meeting is necessary.  Invite others who would be inspired and inspiring to join to the team.

Co-hosted by Andrea Brenneke, Susan Partnow, and Jon Ramer.    Please call or email for more information.