Circle Up Los Angeles (C-U-LA)

Applying a proven model or solution to a new issue or sector (e.g, using a job recruiting software or strategy to match clients to supportive housing sites, applying demonstrated strategies from advocating for college affordability to advocating for housing affordability and homelessness, etc.)

While Center for Council is the sole applicant for this proposal, C-U-LA is a collaborative project which will engage our network of partners and allies in new ways. C-U-LA will be implemented through partnership with “Host Organizations,” who will provide venues and invite their communities to our in-person Councils. Center for Council will support organizations with all resources to host successful Councils, including experienced facilitators, as well as marketing kits to communicate the intention of “C-U-LA Funded by LA2050” as A SPACE FOR CONNECTION. We have also allocated a venue stipend for hosts of $250 per Council, with a minimum of five events per host, sharing the resources provided by LA2050 with our community.

Center for Council is launching Circle Up Los Angeles (C-U-LA) to offer every resident in LA the opportunity to engage, interact and come together. Now more than ever, our communities need connection. In this time of polarizing elections and global health pandemics, we are faced with new societal challenges that threaten to widen the divide through isolation and “othering.” In this critical moment in time, the practice of Council has the potential to bring us together, fostering recognition of our shared humanity and interconnectedness. Council offers a replicable, self-perpetuating, portable platform that enables individuals to give voice to their unique stories, develop mutual respect and compassion for others, cultivate a positive response to stress, anger and hostility and achieve a sense of balance. The Council circle is free from the limited binaries of right and wrong, democrat or republican, us vs. them — it’s a birthplace for innovation and understanding, lifting every voice.

Center for Council has been recognized as a leader in training individuals in the powerful practice of Council for decades, creating transformative programs within the criminal and social justice, educational and health care systems. Connection is what we do and Council is how we do it. Council is an age-old practice that brings people together in a circle to bear witness and share authentically. Participants speak one-at-a-time, sharing their personal stories and experiences, rather than opinions, and listening non-judgmentally while others do the same. C-U-LA offers a scalable model to bring the practice of Council to communities throughout Los Angeles. By creating access to hosted public Council circles, and expanding on new virtual models, developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this project will enable hundreds of Angelenos to “Circle Up,” to directly experience slowing down and listening, recognizing and bearing witness to our collective challenges and shared humanity.

Compassion begins with slowing down, paying attention and caring for the inner life of oneself and others. Through the practice of Council, C-U-LA will foster compassion in individuals and groups. C-U-LA will empower individuals to find their voice and share their story in a circle of people who care enough to listen without judging. As we hear the resonance in the story of “the other,” and realize that we’re all in this together, community emerges. Independent research has demonstrated that our work transforms environments of anger, aggression and hostility, enables people to connect with others in new and meaningful ways, creates safe and supportive space for self-reflection, self-expression and connection without fear of judgment.

Social and emotional support