What is Council?

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​​Council is an age-old practice that involves bringing people together in a circle to bear witness and share authentically. Participants agree to speak one-at-a-time, sharing their personal stories and experiences, rather than opinions, and listening non-judgmentally while others do the same. Sharing and listening to universal stories about love, loss, fear, triumph, challenge, hope and other experiences enables participants to recognize that, despite our many differences, we have much in common.
​By fostering attentive listening and authentic expression, Council builds positive relationships between participants and neutralizes hierarchical dynamics formed by the inequality of status, race, or other social factors. It supports a deep sense of community and fosters recognition of a shared humanity and interconnectedness.  It enables individuals to give voice to their stories, develop mutual respect, cultivate a compassionate response to anger, defensiveness, and violence, as well as strengthen emotional health and  resilience.
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For more, please watch the video below.

Why Council?

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Council offers a replicable, self-perpetuating, and portable platform that diffuses tension, fosters resilience, and creates a deeper sense of community and connection. ​

There is an immense need, now more than ever, to stop and listen to one another, to recognize and bear witness to our shared humanity, and to seek cooperative solutions to our collective challenges.  Council supports a deep sense of community and fosters recognition of shared humanity and interconnectedness, while enabling individuals to give voice to their stories, develop mutual respect and compassion for others, cultivate a corrective response to stress, anger and violence, and achieve emotional health and success.
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Center for Council trains individuals in this powerful practice for application in their lives and work.  We create programs within the criminal justice, educational and health care systems, and alongside businesses and community based organizations, to develop compassion-based tools for increased communication and wellness.  Practitioners of Council are powerful resources to communities in need, enabling individuals at odds—including inmates, correctional officers, disadvantaged youth, and members of disenfranchised communities—to cultivate tools for increased communication and engagement, to find common ground, and to create compassionate and thriving communities. Our programs train leaders who deliver customized, on-the-ground, community-building solutions where and when they’re needed most. 

The pages on this website present an overview of the varied programs Center for Council has created and may inspire thoughts on how and where Council may be relevant and beneficial in your life and work.  The videos and testimonials may offer additional perspectives on its value in the lives of the individuals it has touched.  And... there is no more effective method for understanding the profound and transformative implications of the practice than experiencing it first-hand.  Consider attending a public workshop, or contacting our staff regarding professional training opportunities or our consultancy services, if you'd like to learn more.

Applications of Council

The practice of Council acknowledges everyone present and helps focus intention and energy on our common stories, values, aspirations and our emergent collective wisdom.  Its application is widespread and worldwide.
EDUCATION
Council programs have been integrated widely in educational  settings, with dozens of public and independent schools throughout Southern California – and around the world – initiating Council programs for students of all ages and school communities involving teachers, parents and community members.
START-UP BUSINESSES
One of the hardest aspects of starting a business is managing growth. Rarely discussed and addressed are the complex interpersonal relationships that are an inherent aspect of that growth, as new personalities are constantly being added to the mix.  Council provides a welcome platform for new employees and emerging work relationships.
BUSINESSES UNDERGOING CHANGE
Widespread changes within an organization of any size, such as layoffs, leadership transitions, and new ventures, can put stress on employees trying to adjust to their new work environment.  Council has proven to be a generative and supportive tool for the interpersonal challenges that emerge as businesses manage change.
COMMUNITIES DEALING
​WITH TRAUMA
Whether trauma is systemic, such as high crime and poverty, or acute, such as a school shooting or environmental disaster, Council can provide a stable resource for coming together, bearing witness and navigating the complex emotions and volatile conditions communities confront.  
FAITH-BASED GROUPS
Council has been integrated as a tool for contemplative practice, community-building and charitable works in faith-based communities of all denominations. 
FIRST RESPONDERS & OTHER PROFESSIONALS
Council-based wellness programs offer practical skills ​and sustainable practices ​for recognizing and managing stress, regulating emotions, improving interpersonal relations, and creating a more compassion​ate work environment.
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS   
Council is a powerful and dynamic tool for celebrating connection, marking transitions, and cultivating respectful communication, heartful connection and greater intimacy.

History of Council

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Council weaves ancient practices and wisdom traditions developed over thousands of years throughout many different cultures around the world. It draws from practices like Veche (Slavic), Satsand (Hindu), Ho’oponopono (Hawaiian), Daré (Zimbabwe), Fambul Tok (Sierra Leone), Ibitaramo (Rwanda), Diwan & Loya Jurga (Islam),  Farbrengen (Hebrew), and Quaker Devout Listening Circles, to name a few.  

In the early days of this country, Benjamin Franklin witnessed the Talking Circles of the Iroquois Nation and wrote about the amazing collective wisdom practice that he dubbed “Council.”  Incorporating strands from many of these traditions, the practice was codified and popularized with the formation of The Ojai Foundation in 1979 and The Way of Council, written by Jack Zimmerman and Virginia Coyle in 1996. The dynamic history of Council at The Ojai Foundation can be downloaded here.
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First developed as an initiative of The Ojai Foundation in the 1990s, Center for Council became an independent project in 2014 under the fiscal sponsorship of Community Partners, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that helps community leaders foster, launch, and grow creative solutions to community challenges.  While our base of operations remains in the heart of Southern California, our team of certified Council Trainers travel the world to support individuals, organizations and communities longing for compassion-based tools for creating deeper connection, more resilient relationships and flourishing communities.

Learn More About Council