On Nov. 13, approximately 50 people gathered at Brattleboro Union High School, forming a circle of understanding to address: “How are you personally affected by substance abuse in our community?”
This circle, which I had the pleasure of facilitating, was conceived and sponsored by the Brattleboro Restorative Justice Consortium, composed of representatives from Youth Services, the Brattleboro Community Justice Center, Brattleboro Union High School Restorative Justice Program, the Just Schools Project, and the Bellows Falls Community Restorative Justice Program.
This event had a two-fold purpose - to demonstrate how the use of a restorative circle process can effectively engage a community in a constructive dialogue and to connect people who are interested in proactively addressing substance abuse in our community.
Participants shared personal stories of how substance abuse had affected their lives:...