5) Description of initiative: Youth gangs and violence in Toronto's culturally diverse inner-city communities present enormous challenges to underprivileged at-risk teens facing daily struggles with deprivation, abuse and conflicts between their home, school and surrounding street youth culture. The Peacemaking Circle Program (Circle Program) developed by Peacebuilders International has effectively helped these youth find alternatives to violence and crime in meeting their every day challenges; and work towards long-term solutions.

Peacebuilders International achieves its mission to create cross-cultural partnerships amongst youth and adults through capacity building for peaceful and sustainable communities through the application of Peacemaking Circles - structured group dialogue process led by trained, impartial circle facilitators who assist group members in discussing difficult issues. Impartially facilitated, Peacemaking Circles adapt the traditional aboriginal healing circle model using a restorative justice approach superimposed with dispute resolution and consensus building principles, resulting in a unique democratic circle dialogue. Circles are vital to the rehabilitation process for troubled youth as they can effectively address the underlying causes of violence and conflicts. Encompassing communication, negotiation, mediation, consensus-building and problem solving, this model has proven to be very effective in supporting multi- cultural, inner-city at-risk youth, while enabling them to take responsibility, access justice and stay out of trouble. This restorative justice approach helps youth take responsibility for their actions without the use of Court Justice Systems so that they can be rehabilitated and positively re-integrated into the community.

6) Description of innovation: The Circles Program differentiates itself from other programs through a multi-disciplinary approach that directly address issues of abuse, discrimination, harassment, and mental health. This unique diversion program is significantly different from other conferencing processes because it integrates family members, community leaders and youth, and other community serving organizations; the justice system, police, probation and teachers; lawyers and mental health professionals; and ethno-cultural participants, as well as the youth’s peers to provide a more in-depth and holistic process. Through the Circle Program, youth learn to trust the other circle members working together along side them; and are shown that their voices can be heard in a non-violent manner and that they can actively contribute towards seeking solutions.

Additionally, other features of the Circles Program not only further differentiate the model from others, but also reinforce in establishing its overall effectiveness: participation of the youth cannot be mandated and must be voluntary; communication in circle requires the use of a talking piece; participants consensually develop a social contract and agree to abide by it; facilitation is by impartial, trained circle facilitators; sessions are generally held after school hours so that youth do not miss school other than absolutely necessary; victim participation is not mandatory if the victim is not ready; and participants of each circle group commit to that group to continue to participate in follow-up circles as needed to help the youth to complete the plan that was agreed upon in circle.

Lastly, the circles process can coincide with other programs simultaneously – at- risk youth are diverted to a “one stop” process where they can also be recommended to other programs provided by other community partner organizations which would help work towards addressing the multiple causes that are at play when a youth decides to commit a crime.

7) Delivery model: Peacebuilders International has developed collaborative partnerships with St. Stephen’s Community House Conflict Resolution Services, Pro Bono Law of Ontario, and Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in a way that allows each organization to participate and realize their own mission, while also playing to their strengths, thus ensuring effective delivery of the Circle Program throughout downtown Toronto. Youth are referred to the Circles Program by probation, police, community agencies, schools and even judges.

Specifically, St. Stephen’s will conduct the youth in-take and casework management work. Peacebuilders will train people to lead, facilitate and keep circles, while also overseeing the development and coordination of the program’s governance, protocol and evaluation. Pro Bono and CAMH will provide volunteer lawyers and mental health professionals to co-facilitate each circle, respectively. Representatives from referral youth agencies, as well as community members will participate in individual circles to actively support the youth’s rehabilitation and reintegration.

All stake-holder partner organizations, as well as referral agency representatives and community members will form the Program Advisory Board which meets regularly to ensure that the Circles Program’s goals are met. Added to this will be other agencies and volunteer community members interested in participating in circles and embedding the process in their communities to help their youth.

To support the Circles Program’s enhanced delivery, Peacebuilders and its partner organizations will develop a comprehensive marketing, communications and media plan to recruit wider participation of youth and community members, as well as professionals to reflect the demographics of the community, and engage targeted audiences to facilitate the embedding and sustainability of Circles within communities and service delivery models.

8) Key operational partnerships: In addition to the collaborative partnerships previously outlined in Section 7, Peacebuilders works closely with the City of Toronto Community Safety Secretariat and the Department of Justice Canada, and also actively seeks and engages funding partners with all three levels of government (i.e., federal, provincial and municipal). Peacebuilders also holds an annual fundraising event with sponsorship from some of Toronto’s top law firms and corporations, as well as individual donors. Finally, the organization also support and promotes youth led fundraising initiatives specifically targeted for youth on a regular basis. Honourary Patrons and a Council of Advisors provide additional guidance and advice as needed.

As the Peacemaking Circles process is an all encompassing and holistic approach, it requires participation and partnerships from as many segments of society as possible. Each level of government for example is able to make an important contribution towards funding the Circles Program, while local lawyers are empowered to assist with both non-project related costs, as well as donate much of their needed time and expertise as circle facilitators. All of our partnerships have an extremely important role and without them the work could not be delivered.

9) Financial model: Youth access to the Circles Program from across Toronto originates at the referral source in their own communities (i.e., community agencies, neighbourhood police, schools, etc.). Targeted communications to referral sources is at the core of the Program's marketing, communications and media plan, and public awareness events.

          • Costs as percentage of income: 3%

          • Financing: Justice Canada is providing core funding for the Circles Program’s management and case in-take expansion across Toronto; and Peacebuilders funds consulting and training through its fundraising initiatives. It is expected that other Federal agencies, as well as Provincial ones will provide additional funding as the Program expands. Volunteers’ in-kind contributions are significant – their participation constitutes a huge cost off-set. For example, volunteer lawyers provide an enormous in-kind contribution when considering their professional hourly rate. Similarly, mental health practitioners also provide their time and services on a volunteer basis. The Program’s sustainability will happen through ongoing collaborations and new partnerships with other like-minded organizations and funders.

10) Effectiveness

          • Project outcomes: The Circle Program is modeled on the award winning successes of Peacebuilders’ Peacemaking Circles Pilot Project in St. James Town and Regent Part – the Pilot was the first Peacemaking Circles project. Launched in 2004, the Pilot focused on at-risk youth aged 13-25; and it assisted 49 youth who were referred by police, community agencies, schools and judges. Peaceful dialogue and conflict management helped youth accept responsibility and make mature choices, while empowering their community to contribute to the rehabilitation and reintegration of youth charged under the Youth Criminal Justice Act or disciplined under the Safe Schools Act. Beyond the youth who participated in circles, the Pilot’s benefits extended to families, victims, friends, neighbours and other community members.

          • Number of clients in past year: The high level of satisfaction in the Pilot Project, concluded from surveys, interviews and reports by youth, volunteers and staff has allowed Peacebuilders International to expand its initiative for the upcoming year to encompass the entire downtown core of Toronto. This will expand access to this unique restorative justice tool as an effective means to dealing with at-risk youth and encourage the participation of local community leaders, teachers, police and probation officers who were trained to facilitate circles. This program will focus upon high school aged youth (13-18) at risk of joining and participating in youth gangs. Using the Pilot’s successes as a platform, Peacebuilders can work towards achieving further goals and expanding its influence on a broad spectrum.

11) Scaling up strategy

          • Stage of the initiative: Scaling Up stage.

          • Expansion plan: Circle training has taken place in Colombia, Macedonia and South Africa, and individuals and organizations in each of Bosnia, Cambodia, Northern Ireland, Panama and Kenya have asked to receive training. The first international gathering of circle practitioners and experts to exchange best practices and to train selected local and international delegates is scheduled for October 2007.

Peacemaking Circles will become the process of choice for everyday and workplace issues in use by those who want to operate with others from a basis of equality, respect, empathy and non-violence in order to build a solid base of trust and develop mutually beneficial relationships. This includes individuals, families and neighbors to Board of Directors, as well as others to make decisions and operate on the basis of principles rather than narrow rules and technicalities.

12) Origin of the initiative: Peacebuilders International is a charitable organization that provides training in conflict prevention, management and resolution through Peacemaking Circles. As both the Founder and Volunteer Executive Director, Eva Marszewski has 13 years of experience as a lawyer, consultant, teacher and trainer in conflict resolution and mediation and is the driving force behind its mission to create cross-cultural partnerships among youth and adults through capacity building for peaceful and sustainable communities and vision of diverse peoples and cultures committed to building peace. She advanced the development of traditional aboriginal Peacemaking Circles by adapting it to serve multi-cultural, inner-city populations thereby incorporating a restorative justice approach supported by the principles of interest-based dispute resolution, with consensus building.

Contact Information:
Eva  Marszewski
Founder and Executive Director
Peacebuilders International (Canada)
(Charitable Organization)
120 Adelaide Street East, 2nd Floor
Canada
Tel: 416-960-0105
Fax: 416-960-8735
Email: marszewski@aol.com
Website: www.peacebuildersinternational.com