The theme for our recent fundraising campaign focused on the impact of Circle, and how The Circle Way is not just a process, it’s the possibilities. As part of the campaign a variety of practitioners reflected on what The Circle Way makes possible in their work with Circle. We’ve gathered up their reflections on the blog to celebrate and inspire more possibilities for 2026. What does The Circle Way make possible for you?
Rich Rivera: The Circle Way makes possible… Love
“As a Circle practitioner, I spent many years doing organizing work, non-profit work, and justice work. But I always led in the background with this aspect of love that I didn't mention because it was kind of “too soft”. And now Circle, I think, has allowed or has encouraged the practice of love in my practice and to put it in the center working with my clients.”
Chantilly Mers: The Circle Way makes possible… Inviting pause
“I've been talking about the pause in Circle, that sometimes in the pause it takes at least 20 seconds for what has traveled in our minds to travel to our hearts. And then I say, "And in that second ring, I hope that what comes from my heart can travel in my truth." And so I say that now when I invite pause because we live so much in our heads, and the more I'm in Circle, we live out of the heart, and that's what I think Circle makes possible.”
Left to right: Rich Rivera, Kelly McGowan, Chantilly Mers, Nancy Fritsche Eagan
Stephanie Papik: The Circle Way makes possible… Relational governance
“14 years ago, attending a workshop with co-founders Christina Baldwin and Ann Linnea sparked a revelation: the Circle Way principles reflected my own Inuit cultural practices—practices often broken through systemic barriers. Circle practices, especially those co-created with Indigenous youth, foster basic goodness and build the foundation for relational governance:
Honoring Silence: Creating space to genuinely hear and respect each other's words, directly addressing the common experience of interruption.
Strength-Based Feedback: Why "calling in" over calling out aligns with both our cultural practices and neuroscience, activating the prefrontal cortex for true engagement and healing.
Self-Governance: How the elements of Circle empower groups to achieve shared vision and goals through shared leadership.
The Circle Way is more than a meeting method; it is a tool for challenging oppression and shifting hierarchies. It allows us to be efficient with our time and prioritize the relational foundation necessary for courageous, heartfelt conversations towards reconciliation and healing. This commitment to relational ethics ensures the well-being of the individual and the group, saving time and deepening commitment in the long run.”
Ngoneh Jagne: The Circle Way makes possible… Promoting peace
“The Circle Way promotes positive dialogue; it can help people open up without fear of being judged because we people listen with intention, helping to resolve issues and promote peace”.
Tecca Thompson - The Circle Way makes possible… Hope in these times
“I think about Circle not just as a gathering or event but as a way of life. And for generations, The Circle Way has been a touch point, a living practice that keeps teaching us how to be in deep connection. How to listen, how to speak truth, how to remember what it’s like to be human with one another. In a world that moves so fast and often forgets, Circle slows us down. It invites us into practice. It teaches us that hope grows when we sit together. When we witness one another’s stories, we remember that belonging is possible.”
Christina Baldwin: The Circle Way makes possible… Writing magic
“What just happened in this room is that a community group of writers has over the last six months organically deepened and deepened their practice until they’ve become a Circle. We have the edge, we have the centre, we have a few simple agreements. We understand how to be together and respect each other. The Circle can be taken anywhere. It is the lightest essential social structure that allows the magic to happen.”
Nam Pham: The Circle Way makes possible… Speaking from the heart
“What we see is really possible in our Circle work here in Vietnam is that people start to rewire their brain from the performative mind of speaking, from rehearsing what they need to say, or speak something to please people, or to be good in from to people, to speaking from the heart, speaking from what they really feel, speaking from what they really want to say.”