id: truth-and-reconciliation-circle
title: Truth and Reconciliation Circle
description: >-
  A structured circle process for communities addressing historical or
  ongoing harm, drawing on the truth commission model and restorative
  circle practice. Participants share experiences of harm, listen to
  each other, and work toward acknowledgement and repair. Used in
  post-conflict settings and in communities addressing systemic injustice.
source: Restorative justice practice / International Center for Transitional Justice
source_url: https://www.ictj.org/
tags: [restorative, reconciliation, truth, circle, healing, justice]
forked_from: null
image: null
steps:
  - headline: Establish safety and ground rules
    description: >-
      A facilitator establishes the circle's ground rules: confidentiality,
      respectful listening, no interruption, and the right to pass. The
      space must feel safe enough for honest sharing.
  - headline: Share truths in rounds
    description: >-
      A talking piece is passed. Each person shares their experience of
      harm — what happened, how it affected them, what they witnessed.
      Both those harmed and those complicit may speak.
  - headline: Listen without defending
    description: >-
      When others speak, participants listen without interrupting,
      rebutting, or defending. The circle holds multiple truths at once.
  - headline: Acknowledge what has been heard
    description: >-
      After the rounds, the facilitator summarises what has been shared
      and asks if anything was missed or misunderstood. Speakers confirm
      they have been accurately heard.
  - headline: Explore repair
    description: >-
      The circle explores what repair might look like — not necessarily
      agreement, but acknowledgement of harm and concrete steps toward
      a different future.
  - headline: Close with commitment
    description: >-
      The circle closes with each person naming one step they will take,
      however small, toward repair or changed relationship.
outcome: >-
  Harm has been named and witnessed, and the community has taken
  concrete steps toward acknowledgement and repair.
practice: >-
  Truth-telling without a path to repair can re-traumatise. Do not
  attempt this without trained facilitators and ongoing support. The
  circle is one step in a longer process, not a resolution.