The Greenburgh Restorative Circle Project is a community-building initiative sponsored by local community organizations for advancing race equity. Greenburgh residents are invited to participate in Listening Circles that allow community members to share with each other how their racial and cultural identities affect their experience as residents and how the Town of Greenburgh is meeting its commitment to racial equity.
Sponsoring organizations include Restorative Justice Westchester (RJW), the Greenburgh Human Rights Advisory Committee, Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Westchester, and the Westchester Racial Equity Collective (WREC).
The goals of the circles are:
- To build relationships that transcend racial and cultural barriers
- To foster an environment of healing and reconciliation
- To create a more inclusive Greenburgh
With roots in Indigenous cultures around the world, Listening Circles provides people an opportunity to speak and listen to one another in an atmosphere of decorum and equality and enables us to cultivate empathy, foster collective understanding, and share an emotional connection. Residents are invited to sign up for one Listening Circle session. Circles will be led by trained circle keepers using a restorative justice framework, grounded in shared values and agreements that all participants commit to upholding.
The project will also serve as a needs assessment for a wider approach to healing racial divisions in the town, contributing to a stronger, more cohesive community.
There are currently five opportunities to join a listening circle, hosted by community partners:
- Theodore Young Community Center, Saturday, December 2, 10 a.m. to noon – https://tinyurl.com/LetsTalkTDYCC
- Greenburgh Town Hall, Thursday, December 14, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. –https://tinyurl.com/LetsTalkGBTH
- Woodlands Temple, Sunday, December 17, 4 to 6 p.m. – https://tinyurl.com/LetsTalkWoodlandsTemple
- Christ Temple, Thursday, January 11, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. – https://tinyurl.com/LetsTalkChristTemple
- Greenburgh Library, Saturday, January 20, 2 to 4 p.m. For Teens Only – https://tinyurl.com/LetsTalkTeens
- Greenburgh Library, Wednesday, January 24, 6 to 8 P.M. – https://tinyurl.com/LetsTalkGBLibrary
Greenburgh residents can register for one of the upcoming circles on Eventbrite or with the Greenburgh Public Library as indicated. Participants are encouraged to sign up for a location that you may not ordinarily attend. Participation is FREE and light refreshments will be served. Please register for only one circle.
For more information or questions please reach out to greenburghrcp@gmail.com.
