‘Restorative’ stands for finding a new balance after a conflict. ‘Circles’ stand for a dialogue in which you are really heard and where you really listen. Restorative circles help people involved in a conflict to rediscover their common humanity.

Usually, it is not difficult to recognise one’s common humanity when there is no conflict. However, as a conflict escalates, the other person may appear to be a monster. When they are not receptive to each other any more, people can get stuck in a conflict. That is why they cannot find an adequate answer to the situation, and vice versa.

The cause of getting ‘stuck’ in a conflict is usually that you are no longer open to each other. As a result, you fail to find a sensible answer to the situation, and not the other way around….

In a restorative circle, all those directly involved are invited to participate. By allowing everybody to both speak and be heard, a space ensues which fosters understanding and enables exploring what needs to be done to move forward.

The qualities of this approach have been demonstrated over and over. Dialogue in the restorative circle leads to more clarity about the underlying aspects of the conflict and provides more space to search for solutions together, leading to lower conflict costs and improved relations. However, courage is needed to take the first steps. If you are right in the middle of a conflict, it can be difficult to imagine that there is a way out without a long and painful fight. And that it may not be necessary to defend your own position to the bitter end. The distance to the other protagonist may seem a thousand kilometres (/miles), preventing you from starting the journey. But if you do take a first step, you may be surprised how short the distance can be….

A small group of dedicated people started to explore the thoughts and methods of Restorative Circles after an introductory weekend with Dominic Barter in Amsterdam in 2011. I was one of them. Through the years, I have gathered the knowledge and experience to allow you to experience how conflicts can be dealt with in a different manner. I would like to let you discover this in a safe environment. I can also introduce you to the facilitation of restorative circles. I will gladly come to your community, business, organisation, school or sport club in order to examine together how you currently deal with conflicts and how that might be improved.