When common understanding has been achieved, and each party sees his/her place in the unfolding of events, a plan of action is then formulated by those involved. Everyone, including the facilitator, leaves the Circle with an assignment.
The third stage is the Post-circle, a time to assess the action plan that was formulated, and whether or not anything further needs to be done. Sometimes the facilitator has little to do from this point on. As the community becomes empowered, its members are able to implement Circles and resolve their issues with greater independence.
Having recently attended four days of training with Dominic in Decatur, Ga., I concluded that his Restorative Circles are the closest model to unitive justice that I have experienced so far. He foregoes static labels of victim and offender, and no one has to admit guilt for this process to proceed. What is paramount is trust, connectedness, meaning and equality.
If the Brazilian military were to ask Dominic to facilitate Restorative Circles between them and the people who live in the favelas, both sides might discover what they need to live in peace. If the drug gang members were brought into Circle, they might see other ways to achieve their needs. But this might also require that systems outside the favelas change. For now, military might maintains the status quo for some, and those who go unheard are dominated by a different group.
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