Experiencing the Circle of Trust® methodology

This masterclass intends to offer a facilitated space where participants have an introductory experience to the methodology of Circle of Trust developed by educator and author Parker J. Palmer and refined through decades of practice by the Center for Courage & Renewal. The methodology offers civic educators a cross-cultural framework inspired by centuries-old wisdom traditions that can effectively create the conditions where trust can emerge, not through persuasion or technique, but through the quality of presence and the principles of the conversation. This space proposes learning from the experience itself, within a clearly articulated yet open framework that creates a “bounded open space”, holding each participant at an equidistant position in relation to the center of the circle. We are all learners as well as educators, and the reflection is not facilitated by a figure of authority but through a “Third thing”, which is usually a piece of art – poem, song, image, video etc. It is an invitation to harvest the power of paradox while we´re moving through our increasingly challenging times by stepping out of the either/or approach and welcoming a both/and attitude. We approach trust as a continuous line built through sharing our strengths as well as our edges, our gifts and our vulnerabilities, and not as a performative state.  

Participants will gain a lived experience of deep listening and the core principles of a Circle of Trust — including Touchstones, the Third Thing, and the paradox of bounded open space. They will leave with a practical framework to integrate into their own work as trust-builders across diverse civic contexts.