Ninth graders from Arlington High School are the stars of a new film aimed at supporting the public conversation about reducing violence in our communities. The short documentary officially released today comes at an important moment as people around New England and the country reflect on how to respond to the horrific and disturbing acts of violence in Newtown, Connecticut.

The film is part of a campaign launched by Coexist, a Boston-based educational documentary film project now in the hands of 3,000+ educators across the country. The mission of the project is to build social and emotional skills in young people to increase appreciation for difference and reduce the acceptance of “othering” in all its forms: name-calling, teasing, pushing, scapegoating, bullying, and hate-crimes.

ABOUT COEXIST

Coexist has been featured in film festivals, conferences, schools, and universities around the world following its world premiere in Boston. The film examines the legacy of catastrophic “othering” that resulted in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, and the effort toward reconciliation in the years that followed. A four-lesson free Teacher’s Guide accompanies the film and helps middle, high school, and college students, and youth in community organizations examine their own relationship to “othering,” violence, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN

American Public Television has selected Coexist for distribution to public television stations across the country, reaching a potential audience of more than 100 million viewers. The purpose of this campaign is to show the film to a wide audience who can strengthen efforts to create healthier and more inclusive schools and communities.

Watch the video on indiegogo.com now