Each time campers say goodbye, it is a heart-wrenching experience. After living together for three weeks in a very intense program, packed with poignant moments, deep concerns and profound insights, how could parting be anything other than painful? Add to that the chance that they may never meet again and the worry about safety in their respective homes, and you have human drama writ large.
But it can also be joyful. The joy comes from recognizing the signs of success. They achieved what they set out to do. Each camper has a much better understanding of the fears and ambitions of the people on the other side of their conflict.
"A Message to Hajime" is peculiar to Seeds of Peace Camp. At other camps it has a different name. It involves 112 tasks that have to be done in a relay race all over Camp. At the end, the crowning accomplishment is the memorization of a quote. Today it was something Kofi Annan said:
There is no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with children. There is no duty more important than ensuring that their rights are respected, that their welfare is protected, that their lives are free from fear and want and that they grow up in peace.
Today the pre-breakfast contest was a road relay race. The runners were amazingly fast! Each one ran a quarter of the Camp loop, with the first three handing off a baton to the next runner. The Blue Team won the girls' race and the Green Team took the boys' race. This was the turning point for Green, which made an anticipated come-back after falling behind so much on the first day.
Each day of Color Games begins with one big all-camp challenge. Today it was the rope pull. First all the boys competed, then all the girls and finally, the whole teams pulled. There are many theories about how to win. Some say to put the heavy people in the front; others say put them in the back. Some say pull exactly together. Others say not to let up on the pulling. "One-two pull!" seems to be the mantra though.
Many things happened today which would not have worked if we had tried them ten days ago. But, by now there is a visceral comfort level you can feel among the groups gathered around chatting before line-up or seated in the dining hall. Everyone knows where they are supposed to be and no one seems to be trying to side-step rules and expectations. This is a talkative group, very much engaged with each other.
There was no need for an alarm to go off this morning. Thirty-four Middle East, American and Maine Seeds campers dove into the lake and started swimming across to the other side, through dense fog. As they dove in, several yelled out—hence the lack of need for an alarm clock. This first picture shows the heads of the swimmers and counselors in kayaks ahead and behind them.
Today provided a good example of how we handle bad news from the regions of conflict represented at Camp. Since there is a seven-hour difference between the Middle East and Maine, by the time we are having lunch, people in the regions are usually finished with work and school. Any events of the day are already in the media, reports from which we post in two readily-accessible places at Camp.
Teenagers and a young adult staff often move like molasses in the mornings. Sometimes Wil is brave enough to speak to them about important things at breakfast line-up, but sometimes it's better to do something completely different. This morning turned out to be one of those times for doing something different. Doug Mishkin stepped forward and in his clear, folksinger's voice, sang two songs about taking responsibility for your own character and soul.
Instead of the usual bell, our lacrosse team woke us up with music in an effort to get the blood flowing through chilly limbs, as the cool summer night seemed reluctant to give way to a warm morning. People came to line-up in ski hats, scarves and gloves. The Maine Seeds are used to the cold, but the the Middle Easterners were incredulous. "It's not like this in my country!" moaned one camper.
Sports Day, coming right on the heels of Play for Peace, seemed like a lot of sports in a rather short period of time. But all the practicing with super stars really paid off in our games with visiting camps Winnabego and Fernwood. We had four competitions: boys soccer, boys basketball, girls soccer and girls softball. Four games, four victories!
Campers from the opposing teams joined us at line-up, where we sang some of our camp song staples and they sang theirs. We also had a cook-out lunch and taught our visitors the Pizza Man song.
Just when a lot of heavy and often startling information is being batted around during dialogue, we scheduled a day-long visit from world-class athletes. Play for Peace 2010 included four NBA players, basketball legend Teresa Edwards, and Mia Hamm, the most famous female soccer player in the world. Between them, the group has eight Olympic medals (six gold), five NCAA titles, two FIFA World Cup championships, and an NBA title.
OTISFIELD | On Thursday, Red Sox legend Nomar Garciaparra and his wife Mia Hamm paid a visit to the International Seeds Of Peace Camp in Otisfield, where campers from around the Middle East and elsewhere are learning about equality and coexisting without conflict.
OTISFIELD, MAINE (NEWS CENTER) | A superstar couple provided the buzz at the Seeds of Peace camp today, former Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciapara and his wife, soccer world cup champion Mia Hamm.
Seeds of Peace
Each time campers say goodbye, it is a heart-wrenching experience. After living together for three weeks in a very intense program, packed with poignant moments, deep concerns and profound insights, how could parting be anything other than painful? Add to that the chance that they may never meet again and the worry about safety in their respective homes, and you have human drama writ large. 
"A Message to Hajime" is peculiar to Seeds of Peace Camp. At other camps it has a different name. It involves 112 tasks that have to be done in a relay race all over Camp. At the end, the crowning accomplishment is the memorization of a quote. Today it was something Kofi Annan said:
Today the pre-breakfast contest was a road relay race. The runners were amazingly fast! Each one ran a quarter of the Camp loop, with the first three handing off a baton to the next runner. The Blue Team won the girls' race and the Green Team took the boys' race. This was the turning point for Green, which made an anticipated come-back after falling behind so much on the first day.
Each day of Color Games begins with one big all-camp challenge. Today it was the rope pull. First all the boys competed, then all the girls and finally, the whole teams pulled. There are many theories about how to win. Some say to put the heavy people in the front; others say put them in the back. Some say pull exactly together. Others say not to let up on the pulling. "One-two pull!" seems to be the mantra though.
Many things happened today which would not have worked if we had tried them ten days ago. But, by now there is a visceral comfort level you can feel among the groups gathered around chatting before line-up or seated in the dining hall. Everyone knows where they are supposed to be and no one seems to be trying to side-step rules and expectations. This is a talkative group, very much engaged with each other.
There was no need for an alarm to go off this morning. Thirty-four Middle East, American and Maine Seeds campers dove into the lake and started swimming across to the other side, through dense fog. As they dove in, several yelled out—hence the lack of need for an alarm clock. This first picture shows the heads of the swimmers and counselors in kayaks ahead and behind them.
Today provided a good example of how we handle bad news from the regions of conflict represented at Camp. Since there is a seven-hour difference between the Middle East and Maine, by the time we are having lunch, people in the regions are usually finished with work and school. Any events of the day are already in the media, reports from which we post in two readily-accessible places at Camp.
Teenagers and a young adult staff often move like molasses in the mornings. Sometimes Wil is brave enough to speak to them about important things at breakfast line-up, but sometimes it's better to do something completely different. This morning turned out to be one of those times for doing something different. Doug Mishkin stepped forward and in his clear, folksinger's voice, sang two songs about taking responsibility for your own character and soul. 
Instead of the usual bell, our lacrosse team woke us up with music in an effort to get the blood flowing through chilly limbs, as the cool summer night seemed reluctant to give way to a warm morning. People came to line-up in ski hats, scarves and gloves. The Maine Seeds are used to the cold, but the the Middle Easterners were incredulous. "It's not like this in my country!" moaned one camper.
Sports Day, coming right on the heels of Play for Peace, seemed like a lot of sports in a rather short period of time. But all the practicing with super stars really paid off in our games with visiting camps Winnabego and Fernwood. We had four competitions: boys soccer, boys basketball, girls soccer and girls softball. Four games, four victories! 
Just when a lot of heavy and often startling information is being batted around during dialogue, we scheduled a day-long visit from world-class athletes. Play for Peace 2010 included four NBA players, basketball legend Teresa Edwards, and Mia Hamm, the most famous female soccer player in the world. Between them, the group has eight Olympic medals (six gold), five NCAA titles, two FIFA World Cup championships, and an NBA title. 
