agentic-govbot/templates/dispute-resolution/restorative-justice.md

# Restorative Justice Dispute Resolution

*A collaborative process emphasizing healing relationships and addressing harm through community engagement rather than punitive approaches*

This dispute resolution protocol can be integrated into any governance constitution as an article on conflict resolution.

---

## Article: Dispute Resolution

### Section 1: Principles and Values

**Core Values**
This community centers on:
- Healing over punishment
- Accountability to those harmed
- Community wholeness
- Honest communication
- Personal responsibility
- Relationship restoration

**Restorative Approach**
Rather than asking "What rule was broken and what punishment is deserved?", we ask:
- Who has been harmed?
- What do they need?
- Whose obligation is it to meet those needs?
- How can the community support this process?

**Community Standards**
- Guidelines shared through printed handbooks
- Available in online documents
- Visual displays in community spaces
- New member orientation includes restorative values
- Bot maintains current documentation

### Section 2: Initiating Restorative Circles

**When to Use Restorative Circles**
Appropriate for:
- Harm between community members
- Trust breakdowns requiring repair
- Conflict affecting multiple people
- Situations needing community support
- Accountability without punishment

**Submitting a Request**
Individuals submit request forms via @govbot including:
- Description of the harm
- Who was affected
- What outcomes are desired
- Willingness to participate in circle
- Any safety considerations

**Coordinator Response**
Coordinators acknowledge receipt within 24 hours:
- Confirm suitability for restorative circle
- Begin preparatory meetings
- Identify circle keeper
- Schedule the circle
- Prepare all participants

### Section 3: The Circle Keeper

**Role of Circle Keeper**
Trained circle keepers:
- Guide discussions using talking pieces
- Ensure equitable participation
- Hold space for difficult conversations
- Maintain focus on healing and accountability
- Do not impose solutions
- Trust the circle process

**Circle Keeper Training**
Circle keepers complete training in:
- Restorative justice principles
- Facilitation techniques
- Trauma-informed practices
- Community values and culture
- Managing difficult dynamics
- Self-care and boundaries

**Selection of Circle Keeper**
- Community maintains pool of trained keepers
- Coordinator matches keeper to situation
- Participants can request different keeper
- Bot tracks keeper assignments and availability

### Section 4: Circle Format and Ground Rules

**Physical Setup**
Circles use intentional space:
- Circular seating arrangement (equality)
- Centerpiece with symbolic objects
- Talking piece passed for speaking
- Comfortable, private setting
- All participants at equal level

**Ground Rules**
Circle participants commit to:
- Speak from personal experience ("I" statements)
- Listen deeply without interrupting
- Respect the talking piece
- Maintain confidentiality
- Speak with respect and without blame
- Honor the process even when difficult
- Care for self and others

**The Talking Piece**
- Only person holding piece may speak
- Passes around circle sequentially
- Can be passed without speaking
- Ensures all voices heard equally
- Slows conversation for reflection

### Section 5: Circle Process and Phases

**Preparation Phase**
Before the circle:
- Circle keeper meets individually with participants
- Explains process and addresses concerns
- Determines who should be invited
- Prepares guiding questions
- Ensures safety and readiness

**Opening**
Circle begins with:
- Welcome and gratitude for participation
- Explanation of circle process
- Review of ground rules and talking piece
- Opening ceremony or reading
- Initial go-around for introductions

**Sharing Perspectives**
Multiple rounds with talking piece:
- Person harmed shares their experience
- Impact on their life and wellbeing
- What they need to heal
- Person who caused harm shares their perspective
- Community members share observations

**Exploring Harm and Needs**
Guided rounds exploring:
- Full scope of the harm
- Ripple effects through community
- Root causes or context
- What healing looks like
- What accountability means here

**Building Agreement**
Working toward consensus on:
- Acknowledgment of harm
- Specific repair actions
- Behavioral commitments
- Support needed from community
- Timeline and follow-up

**Closing**
Circle concludes with:
- Summary of agreements
- Appreciation for participants
- Closing ceremony or words
- Scheduling follow-up if needed
- Releasing the circle

### Section 6: Assessment and Scope

**Harm Assessment**
Circle evaluates:
- Participant perspectives on what happened
- Individual and collective needs
- Community impact and concerns
- Capacity for repair
- Resources required

**Suitable Situations**
Most interpersonal conflicts including:
- Conflicts between members
- Code of conduct violations
- Harm to community trust or safety
- Situations requiring collective response
- Relationship breakdowns

**Adapted or Redirected**
For situations involving:
- Ongoing safety risks (adapted with protection)
- Legal matters (complement to legal process)
- Severe power imbalances (additional support)
- Participant unwillingness (voluntary process)

**Voluntary Participation**
- Entirely voluntary for all parties
- Pressure or coercion undermines process
- Alternative paths available
- Non-participation doesn't mean no accountability

### Section 7: Circle Participants

**Core Participants**
Typically includes:
- Person(s) who experienced harm
- Person(s) who caused harm
- Circle keeper(s)
- Support people for primary parties

**Additional Participants**
May also include:
- Community members affected by harm
- Witnesses to incident
- Community leaders or elders
- People who can support repair
- Family or close friends (as support)

**Determining Participants**
Through preparation phase:
- Primary parties identify who should attend
- Circle keeper assesses appropriateness
- Community representatives invited
- Right-sized for productive dialogue
- Typically 6-15 people

### Section 8: Resolution and Agreements

**Consensus-Based Decisions**
Agreements require consensus:
- Focus on meeting needs of harmed
- Person who caused harm's input valued
- Community role in support and accountability
- Circle keeper ensures agreement feasibility
- All participants agree to support plan

**Types of Agreements**
Common outcomes include:
- Acknowledgment and naming of harm
- Apologies (when genuine)
- Specific repair actions (restitution, service)
- Behavioral commitments going forward
- Relationship-rebuilding plans
- Community support commitments
- Follow-up circle scheduling

**Documenting Agreements**
- Circle keeper documents consensus
- All participants review and sign
- Submitted to @govbot for tracking
- Follow-up dates specified
- Accountability measures included

### Section 9: Implementation and Follow-Up

**Supporting Implementation**
Community support includes:
- Resources needed for repair actions
- Mentors or accountability partners
- Regular check-ins on progress
- Celebrating successful steps
- Addressing obstacles that arise

**Follow-Up Circles**
Scheduled follow-up circles:
- Review agreement implementation
- Address any new concerns
- Acknowledge progress and growth
- Adjust agreements if needed
- Celebrate repair and healing

**When Agreements Aren't Met**
If commitments not fulfilled:
- Coordinator contacts involved parties
- Understand barriers to completion
- Convene circle to address issues
- May modify agreements
- May refer to alternative processes

### Section 10: When Circle Process Doesn't Work

**Alternative Options**
If circle is not successful:
- May reconvene later with more preparation
- Try different circle keeper or format
- Add more support for participants
- Refer to mediation for direct dialogue
- Connect to professional resources
- Consider other accountability processes

**Not a Failure**
When circles don't resolve everything:
- Partial progress still valuable
- Seeds planted for future healing
- Community understanding deepened
- Not all harm repairs quickly
- Process itself can be healing

### Section 11: Reconsideration and Appeal

**When to Reconvene**
Process can reopen when:
- Agreements aren't fulfilled
- New information emerges
- Healing remains incomplete
- Relationships need more work
- Community impact continues

**Requesting Follow-Up Circle**
Any participant may request by:
- Contacting coordinator or @govbot
- Explaining need for reconvening
- Renewed focus on unresolved concerns
- Fresh circle with same or new keeper
- Community remains committed to healing

### Section 12: Information and Privacy

**Confidentiality**
Circle maintains confidentiality:
- Details remain within circle
- Participants don't share specifics outside
- Exceptions only for safety concerns
- Agreements may be shared as needed for implementation

**Community Learning**
While protecting privacy:
- Anonymized statistical summaries shared annually
- Patterns help improve community
- Success stories (with permission) inspire others
- Process learnings shared with circle keepers

**Record Keeping**
Bot maintains:
- Request and response timeline
- Circle keeper assignments
- Agreement documentation
- Follow-up schedules
- Anonymized outcome data

---

## Implementation Notes for Bot

When supporting restorative justice circles:

1. **Honor the process** - Respect the deliberate, relational nature
2. **Support circle keepers** - Provide logistics and documentation support
3. **Track commitments** - Help with accountability and follow-up
4. **Protect privacy** - Maintain confidentiality of circle content
5. **Enable healing** - Focus on repair not punishment
6. **Community connection** - Help mobilize community support
7. **Long-term view** - Understand healing takes time

This process works best when:
- Community values relationships and healing
- Time invested in preparation and follow-up
- Skilled circle keepers available
- Participants willing to be vulnerable
- Community willing to support repair
- Focus on transformation, not punishment