BUCKHANNON — On Nov. 20, starting at 4 p.m., West Virginians across the state will simultaneously gather in libraries, churches, community centers and on college campuses for community building talking circles.

Sponsored by the West Virginia Restorative Justice Project, the event is being planned in conjunction with International Restorative Justice Week to support talking circles in Buckhannon, Charleston, Marlinton, Moorefield, Wheeling, Shepherdstown, Martinsburg, Clarksburg, Fayetteville, Morgantown and Lewisburg.

The Upshur County Circle will be held at 4 p.m. at the Upshur County Public Library in Tennerton.

Circle keepers and community leaders will join with students, recovery professionals, teachers, clergy, lawyers, university leaders, health professionals, and other community members to gain experience with a talking circle, which is a structured dialogue process designed to discover and deepen connections with one another.

According to Mediators Beyond Borders, a circle is a gathering where everyone is invited to participate, and all voices are considered equally important. Circles use a talking piece which is passed from person to person, to designate who can speak at that moment — and who is listening (everyone else).

Circles are considered to be one of the oldest forms of group process. Indigenous cultures from around the world used and continue to use circle processes to facilitate community conversations about important subjects.

The events on Nov. 20 include refreshments and will commence with a welcome from Honorable Judge Michael Aloi and a brief presentation about restorative justice and talking circles by members of the WV Restorative Justice Project advisory team via Zoom, and then commence with in-person talking circle led by a trained circle keeper.

The event is free, but registration is required. For more information and to register, visit https://www.wvrjp.org