sharing our truths: a guided circle

A truth-telling and witnessing circle is a virtual space where we invited you to speak your truth, and listen to the truth of others, about your experiences with child welfare systems. This space facilitated truth and witnessing from individuals with direct and indirect experiences.

Individuals with direct and indirect involvement included individuals with lived experience, child welfare workers (past or current), counsellors, medical staff, policymakers, educators, foster carers (term may vary), legal practitioners, etc. Individuals who have interacted directly and indirectly with the system may experience harm and be complicit in causing harm within the system and were encouraged to attend.

Each circle experience is unique, and we invited you to attend whether it was your first one or you had been to several. Speaking and witnessing truths about child welfare is not for the faint of heart. Truth telling and witnessing ignite our capacities for taking stock of the harms we’ve committed. It orients us toward our treasured humanity. It is a crucial beginning step forward in reconciliation.

We recognize that sharing and witnessing truth can be a holistic experience. We encouraged attendees and/or participants to bring their authentic selves and be fully present in the space. This space is meant to be non-judgemental and aimed to challenge colonized practices of silencing within child welfare systems. We hoped that this experience will help us hold these truths and sort out our individual and collective responsibilities in influencing change.