From Hostility to Harmony

A group of teenage girls in Albany, New York, had recently fought each other in a violent brawl. The IIRP videotaped a facilitated restorative circle involving the girls (friends since childhood), their family members and supporters. This short film telescopes the remarkable transformation that takes place as all individuals in the circle are given a chance to freely express their feelings about what happened between them. Before the circle process begins, the room is heavy with belligerence and anger. By the time the circle ends, the mood has changed to hopefulness and affection, and the participants have moved From Hostility to Harmony.