THE CHALLENGE
As the idea of a community and our social connections has changed, Nova Scotians report being less healthy, feeling less safe, and less happy – especially among those who are vulnerable or marginalized. Government and the consumer economy have increasingly replaced many functions and services the communities used to provide but cannot fully replace the importance of connection that comes with a strong sense of community.
The challenge is to reimagine how communities can work collectively to address all the issues we face – such as keeping each other safe and feeling secure, attracting and retaining doctors, addressing child poverty and food insecurity, embracing newcomers, and being prepared and able to respond and recover from emergencies.
WHAT CAN BE FIXED?
No one system or sector can fix these issues, but communities know their problems and needs. To help find solutions to social challenges, Nova Scotia needs to restore the sense and capacity of community. Empowering communities with the connections, resources, infrastructure, and support they need will enable them to address the root causes of local issues.
WHAT WILL BE DONE & BY WHOM?
Jennifer Llewellyn, Director of the Restorative Research, Education and Innovation Lab at Dalhousie University’s Schulich School of Law, and the CIRCLES-NS team will establish “Living Labs” that will take a restorative approach to bring people together to identify their local priority issues, the key questions and challenges they need to tackle, plan and conduct real world experiment based on the best evidence, and use what they learn to find solutions to their challenges and find lasting pathways to wellbeing and success. Each Living Lab will be empowered to come together and create long-term, sustainable solutions for their local challenges. Nova Scotia is a world leader in a restorative approach and has used it in single areas – like the justice or education systems – or in response to a specific need or incident. Its success is evident as is the potential to link these experiences and build upon them for greater impact in Nova Scotian communities. CIRCLES-NS will build on this expertise and experience.
Research Nova Scotia is providing seed funding for this project through the FRI initiative to support its initial establishment and development and prepare for future expansion to scale.
WHAT ARE THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES?
CIRCLES-NS will create pathways to healthier communities and better quality of life for Nova Scotians by generating resources and relationships needed to address local issues.
Learn more about Focused Research Investments (FRI) and the first ever recipients.
Learn more about Jennifer’s research and the restorative approach: