7. Conflict Resolution

Develop Workshop: Empathy for Conflict Resolution: Restorative Empathy Circle 

The Restorative Empathy Circle is an adaptation of the foundational Empathy Circle framework developed by Edwin Rutsch, specifically tailored to navigate tension, resolve conflicts, and heal relational ruptures. It bridges the structured, mutual active listening of the standard Empathy Circle with insights from restorative and conflict resolution practices (such as Dominic Barter’s Restorative Circles), creating a highly disciplined yet deeply supportive container for difficult conversations. 

Create 4 week (10hr) workshop (2.5 hours each session) on how to use empathy circles for conflict resolution.
This is called Restorative Empathy Circle.

Links

• Restorative Empathy Circle (REC) with XR Santa Cruz - an introduction and sample recordings of pre-circles for 

• Gemini Questions and help with Workshop development

Topics to cover:

•  Review the overall process of a Restorative Empathy Circle

  • 1. the idea of a mutual empathic relationship. People hear and understand each other and relate for mutual well being. Something happens to break the connection and we want to restore it. 

    2. Someone has a conflict - they bring it to a faciliator,.

    3. Pre-Circles - The facilitator has a pre-cirlce

       • • Checks who else needs to be in the circle

         • Facilitator connect with other people and invites them to a precircle.

         • 
           

         • If a community already does empathy circles this is an easy next step. They are familiar with the process and trust it.

    4. Restorative Empathy Circle, - once all the people who need to be in the circle they come together to take part in the restorative empathy circle,

       • • Questions

           • The event: how to you feel now about it?

           • What do we do now?

             • create a to do list.

    5. Post Circle - 

       • • 
           

• Facilitate an Empathy Circle with people in conflict - Siblings and the inheritance.

• How to facilitate the Circle

  • Reach out to each participants for a pre-circle

• Home work -  do a precircle with 2 people durning the week

Workshop Outline

Session 1  (2.5 hr)

1.  Introductions participants introduce themselves. 30 sec.

2. 
   

3. The Outline of a Restorative Empathy Circle.

   1. A Culture of Empathy as the goal, this is different from restorative justice for example. 

      1. 1. Based on the Empathy Circle practice

   2. Pre-circle

   3. Circle 

      1. 1. what was the conflict

         2. what do we do now

   4. Post Circle

4. Home Work

   2. 1. Empathy Buddy

      2. 
         

Session 2 (2.5 hr)

1. Sample 

2. Home Work

   1. 1. 
         

Session 3 (2.5 hr)

1. Sample 

2. Home Work

   1. 1. Pre Circle  

      2. 
         

Session 4 (2.5 hr)

Other Notes to Sort.

The concept of the skills and practice of the Empathy Circle. The Restorative Empathy Circle add features to this that help build on it 

1. The pre circle

2. Abilitie to invite all participants that need to be there.

3. The value of wanting a mutually 

4. 
   

Exercises

1. 1. Session 1: Initial Empathy Circle: talk about how you deal with conflicts in your life

   2. Home Work

      1. 1. Pre Circle  - connect with a fellow team member, who will be assign.. they are role playing a family member sibling in the inheritance battle with other siblings. 

         2. Pre Circle  - With a friend, family, member etc. Ask them to talk for 30 min to 1 hour about a conflict they have with someone. 

         3.