Join us and hold your own Feather Council as we dedicate our efforts to listening and sharing wisdom.
Gather a group, large or small, and initiate a dialogue using the Native American–inspired, cross-cultural tradition of
holding a council circle.
Getting Started:
what
A Feather Council is a gathering where people take turns speaking from the heart while others listen with full presence.
WHO
Whether it’s three people or twenty.. family, friends, classmates, neighbors, business partners, or even strangers.
One person facilitates and guides the group, opening and closing the circle by laying down the feather.
WHERE
Anywhere you can form a circle.
In the woods, a classroom, your living room, a park, or even online.
WHEN
Global Launch: October 16, 2025 (World Values Day)
Open Until: March 1, 2026
WHY
Give people the opportunity to communicate with respect for each individual's voice and share their common and different values.
HOW
1. Preparing the Circle
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Space: Choose a quiet space where the dialogue could be clearly heard and honored. It can be a circle of chairs, mats, blankets, etc., or even a grassy meadow, a neighborhood lawn, a patch of corner sidewalk... Everyone will sit in a circle (symbol of equality).
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Feather (or Symbol): Use a real feather if available, or a symbolic object (stick of wood, a stone, a feather made of paper or cloth. You can even use a pen or pencil. Be creative...
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Centerpiece: Place a cloth, candle, or natural items (such as a stone, leaf, or a bowl of water) in the center as a grounding point.
2. Opening the Council
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Moment of Silence: The council facilitator/guide will lay down the "feather" in front of them and ask the participants to observe a moment of silence as a way to begin the gathering with honorable energy and the intention to share deeply, truthfully, and respectfully.
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Words of Welcome given by the Facilitator/Council Guide (example):
“We gather to listen deeply, to speak truthfully, and to remember that our words carry weight. May this circle be a place of respect, care, and wisdom.”
3. The Feather Practice
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Only the person holding the feather may speak.
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Everyone else listens with full presence—no interruptions, no debate, no cross-talk or response comments.
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When finished, the speaker holding the feather passes it clockwise around the circle.
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Silence between speakers is honored.
4. Suggested Council Themes
This year's World Values Day 2025 theme is Values for the Future.
We invite you to use this theme and share your experiences and learnings with the world. There are additional themes
below to use as well:
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Community & Belonging: “What does it mean to feel truly at home?”
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Earth & Responsibility: “What can we do today that will help the seventh generation ahead?”
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Youth & Future: “What world do we want to leave for our children?”
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Personal Sharing: “What is one truth you carry in your heart today?”
5. Closing the Council
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When the feather has gone around the circle once, the council is over, leaving everyone to take with them the words, feelings, and expressed values that have been shared.
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Close with a moment of silence, initiated by the council facilitator/guide, in recognition of the respectful sharing and listening that took place.
6. Adapting the Practice
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Schools: Find a feather in nature, OR use a paper feather or a small stone for children. Keep sessions short (10–15 minutes).
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Families: Hold a weekly feather circle at dinner or bedtime.
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Organizations: Utilize councils for decision-making to ensure all voices are heard equally.
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Digital Circles: On video calls, a visual “virtual feather” (such as an icon or hand signal) can indicate whose turn it is.