We kicked off GLC this year on September 13, 14, and 15. For our first monthly meeting, we started with a Bingo to meet the other girls. With statements like “first year member” and “someone who wants to go into politics,” it was a great way to begin to familiarize ourselves with each other. Bingo was followed up with an icebreaker of sharing our names, grades, schools, and answering two short questions – “what question do you wish someone would ask you,” and “how are you feeling for tonight?” Responses to the former question ranged from Taylor Swift songs to environmental issues, while the consensus for the second question were positive. Each GLC night has girls from a variety of schools in South Jersey, giving us the chance to meet new people with different backgrounds and experiences.

After the Bingo, we shifted into the main content of the meeting: restorative justice and peacemaking circles. To begin, we opened with a land acknowledgement statement for the Lenni Lenape tribes, as we will do during every meeting. Restorative justice is a method of addressing harm that prioritizes repairing harm and forming a positive relationship between all involved. The goal is to find the root of the harm, which often involves fixing unjust systems
and structures. Part of restorative justice is peacemaking circles – instead of traditional hierarchical conflict resolution, all involved sit in a discussion circle. Peacemaking circles are effective for conflict resolution, healing, support, and decision-making, with the goals of having honest communication, building relationships, and forming communities. At GLC, all members sit in a circle, thus following the tenets of peacemaking circles. Each GLC night also designed its own guiding principles based on restorative justice that we will follow for the rest of the year.

Additionally, the presentation touched on the ideals of Kingian Nonviolence. Like restorative justice and peacemaking circles, Kingian Nonviolence works to address justice concerns in a peaceful manner. These ideas will be integral to GLC, and members will certainly be able to use what we learned in other aspects of our lives as well.

The September meeting established a solid base for the rest of the year, and we are all so excited for this year of GLC.