The following is a reflection written by Margaret Waickman, one of this year's Volunteers in the Little Village Community
Respect. Patience. Active Listening. Honesty. Authenticity.
It’s unsurprising to talk about these values during a year
of post-graduate service with Amate House. These values are integral to
community life and serving at our work places on a day-to-day basis. During our
fall in-service at the Precious Blood Ministries of Reconciliation, however,
these values took on new meaning within the setting of a peace circle.
Peace circles, a restorative justice practice used to
respond to conflict, oftentimes bring together individuals on all sides of a
conflict. At the beginning of each peace circle, values are set by those
sitting in circle. While the leader of the circle brings some values to the
circle, anyone can add the values which she feels are necessary for the peace
circle. This process of setting values places ownership of the circle within
the hands of those participating in the circle.
During our visit to Precious Blood, we sat in circle with
other Amate volunteers and Precious Blood staff members. Our circles were of
the “get to know you” variety, rather than in response to any conflict.
Participating in the circle, however, allowed us to better understand the work
of Precious Blood Ministries of Reconciliation. Situated in the Back of the
Yards is neighborhood in southside Chicago, this ministry uses restorative
justice and peace circles to respond to the neighborhood’s conflicts. Back of
the Yards is a neighborhood with both joys and challenges, but it is perhaps in
the news most for the violence which occurs there. Just the night after our
in-service, a family coming back from an outing was shot in the neighborhood.
Three were wounded, including an 11-month-old baby. The child’s mother and
grandmother both died.
This is the heaviness which the community of Back of the
Yards deals with on a daily basis. Precious Blood Ministries is there to walk
with the community through this heaviness. Through victim-offender peace
circles, community members who have committed a crime against another community
member come together, in circle, to respond to the crime. Precious Blood also
holds peace circles for mothers who have either lost a child to gun violence or
who have a child locked up in the criminal justice system. In circle, these
women come together to grieve their losses, mutually, despite the seemingly
opposing differences in their situations.
Precious Blood Ministries was not my first exposure to peace
circles; I studied restorative justice in college, and I work at a service site
which also uses peace circles and restorative justice techniques. I find that
there is a great, humble power derived from sitting in circle. Whether you are
sitting in circle to respond to a conflict or to get to know those around you
better, peace circles always cultivate listening. Listening is what we so often
forget to do. I personally often get wrapped up in my hurt, my
feelings, my opinions in a conflict, and I forget that there is another
rational human being also embroiled in this conflict. The circle cultivates
listening, which I always find causes me to remember the common humanity of
those I sit with.
I entered into a year of service to more fully understand
our legal system. I hope to attend law school next fall and eventually become a
trial attorney. Before entering my formal legal education, however, I wanted to
more fully understand some of those who are most negatively affected by the
criminal justice system - young black men and the communities in which they
live. Working at Lawndale Christian Legal Center has been a hard and humbling
experience, but one thing I have definitely learned thus far is that the
criminal justice system is not enough for our communities. The work done in
peace circles to respond to conflict brings healing into the process of dealing
with crimes, an essential component for communities.
Respect. Patience. Active Listening. Honesty. Authenticity.
Will I ever work at a non-profit which
uses peace circles after this year? Probably not. But, as a future lawyer,
peace circles help me to strengthen and sharpen my listening skills. As someone
who wants to enter into the broken system of criminal justice, peace circles
help me practice the art of spending time focused on others - hearing their
stories and seeing their dignity.
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| The 2015-2016 Volunteers at Precious Blood Ministries of Reconciliation in the Back of Yards neighborhood |
Amate House Volunteer Roberto Martinez recently wrote a reflection on behalf of his current site placement, Taller de Jose - it's titled "Waiting Rooms, Vulnerability, and Stevie Wonder: A Reflection on Accompaniment." Check it out!
It’s easy to forget how quiet the world can be. A few weeks ago we had our fall retreat at Ronora Lodge in Watervliet, Michigan. At that point it had just been a little over two months since we all began our service. Two months of becoming situated at our sites and figuring out where exactly we fit in. Two months of living in Chicago and becoming familiar with its size, sounds, and tempo. Two months of living in community. Getting out of the city a few weeks ago felt like it came at just the right time. I think it was becoming easy for me to fall into a daily routine and not give much thought about what I was doing. Being pulled out of that allowed for things to be viewed from a different perspective.
Respect. Patience. Active Listening. Honesty. Authenticity.
