Restorative Circle Project spurs conversations about race

By Julie Schneyer

REGION — The indigenous practice of “listening circles,” during which the community members sit together to discuss shared challenges, as well as teach, listen, and learn, has been around for centuries and is now being used as a tool to create a more welcoming and inclusive environment in the Town of Greenburgh.

The Greenburgh Restorative Circle Project has conducted more than a dozen listening circles over the past 18 months in an effort to engage residents to come together and talk about race relations and shared experiences. The primary goals of the circles are to promote change through civil dialogue and personal storytelling while transcending differences, and develop community recommendations to heal racial divisions within the town.