Excerpts from the 2009 Daily Camp ReportsSession 1 2009:  Orientation Week:
Seeds of Peace is not a typical summer camp in the US, although that is exactly what it looks like to the un-trained eye. We are preparing to bring together teenagers from two conflict areas of the world that, during the normal course of their lives, would never have the opportunity to meet each other in a peaceful, safe setting. Most of the teens have never traveled thousands of miles from home and certainly have no basis for sharing their sleeping and eating quarters with their enemies. As staff members, it is our job to help the campers overcome the strangeness of the Seeds of Peace eye-opening experience and join us as one community for a month in the woods of Maine.
Day 2, June 24th:
The flag-raising ceremony, held at the gate of our camp, is actually the formal opening of the session. Outside the gate, there always are flags for each delegation represented at the camp. During this ceremony we raise the flags on high poles arranged in a semi-circle, while each corresponding delegation sings its national anthem. Every delegation applauds for the other national groups. Between the singing, one camper from every delegation addresses the crowd of campers, counselors, delegation leaders, facilitators, other camp staff, visitors and media reporters. At the end, we all sing the Seeds of Peace song together; raise the Seeds of Peace flag and then walk through the gate together, leaving our respected and recognized national flags outside the camp.
Richard Berman, chairman of the Seeds of Peace Board of Directors, addressed the campers first. He told them that John Wallach's "better idea" was to bring leaders of the next generation together at a young age in a safe, supportive and nurturing environment - the way you would treat seeds - so they will learn to value diversity and understand themselves.  Day 3, June 25th:
Many went out in canoes for the first time, learning many lessons the hard way. Canoes require balance and cooperation. When there is no balance and a lack of cooperation, watch out, because you will tip over or end up in places you might not want to be.
The group challenge activities support the goals of the dialogue groups - building trust and compassion, listening skills and leadership. Generally, the groups are given a challenging objective, with some restrictions, which forces the group to be creative together. The competitive instinct tends to take over any inhibitions they have normally. After a while, they solve the challenge and then realize that they just worked cooperatively to solve a problem with their enemies! Of course there is a big difference between the way Peer Support campers conduct themselves and the way the new campers act in these situations. The new campers don't really trust each other yet. The second-year campers have already built up trust and they focus entirely on the objective being accomplished in a supportive and balanced way.  Day 4, June 26th:
Music is always a welcome activity. Like many other activities at camp, we use music to bring people together and to improve communication. A mixed group of boys from the Middle East first listened to the sounds of nature all around us, like the babbling brook and different birds. Then they differentiated those sounds, which are not intentional, with musical sounds, which are creative and evocative. In a short amount of time two groups of boys took up instruments and created music which sounded melancholy and another piece that sounded like an opening door.
On our fourth day, we see that some of the campers are having an easier time than others, settling into the camp environment and feeling OK about being so far from home. Often we see that the children who have had the most deprived and frightening childhoods are the first to adapt and soak up the opportunities for self-expression here. Tomorrow they will all have the chance to meet with their delegation leaders who accompanied them from home. The delegation leaders are educators who go through a program similar to the campers, but with an adult twist.  Day 6, June 28th:
We have passed the point when the campers don't know each other very well, but we have not reached the point of honesty. Mutual trust is the eventual goal; however, we have a lot more ground to cover before we will get there, if we do. We are finding that the delegations have been coached not only in terms of "facts" and talking points but also in terms of psychological "hot buttons." Perhaps now that dialogue programs have become more common in regions of conflict, people come to camp with sharper skills than they used to. They seem to be determined to hold their ground, as if this was a debate, rather than a dialogue.
Days 7-8, June 29th:
The adult delegation leaders told us about their interfaith day, yesterday, when they all went to a mosque, a synagogue, a Protestant church and a Hindu worship center. They were taught about the basic tenets of each faith and the ways prayer is done. Providing the fourteen delegation leaders with a challenging program parallel to the campers, helps everyone sympathize with each other. In fact, the delegation leaders should get everyone's sympathy as they set out tomorrow for a wilderness overnight trip to the coast of Maine. They will sleep in tents and paddle boats in the ocean, which is very cold. They will also be cooking and living in a primitive way, which will be their ultimate bonding experience.  One of the dialogue groups proved that action speaks louder than words. The facilitators asked Israelis to leave their regular dialogue hut for a few minutes. Then they invited the Israelis back inside and told the Palestinians to go outside. After several minutes they were brought back inside too. They were asked to talk about what if felt like to be on the outside. And they were asked to decide to whom the dialogue hut belonged. They answered by pulling their chairs closer together and didn't sit on opposite sides of the room anymore
Day 12, July 4th:
The delegations all had their separate meetings today. This week the meetings focused on the way dialogue sessions and camp life is going for the campers. This is the point in the process when most of the campers who have been engaged in arguments in an effort to convince people on the other side of their conflict that the truth is on their side, realize that this kind of discussion serves no purpose, after awhile. Each side has its own facts and stories. Now they think it is time to acknowledge these things and move more in the direction of finding solutions.  Day 14, July 6th:
Many people visit us because they have had some connection with our camp. Today, a former head counselor, Nina, and former Board members, Fred and Helane Gould, and their families, came for short visits. Fred said that John Wallach was a rare individual, who was important to the world, not just to his family and friends. Also, A.C., a former camper and art counselor, set up his easel and painted the "road less-traveled by" in the middle of camp. Many former counselors and campers stream into camp all summer, just to confirm their love for this place.
.JPG "interfaith dialogue group") Day 15, July 7th:
Interfaith dialogue took place today. All campers were invited but not compelled to take part in an all-camp dialogue explaining and getting information about their respective religions from one another. No one spoke for an entire religion. Rather they were asked to preface their remarks with "This is what I believe," as a Christian, Muslim, Jew, Hindu, agnostic or non-believer. Each question and answer was treated respectfully, although some campers were clearly shocked to learn what some people believe because it is so different from what they have been taught. For those who strictly adhere to their religious principles and practices, even someone who is not very strict in their religious practices is something new to consider. Written general questions, along with counselors monitoring four large groups in dialogue, ensured that the discussion would remain respectful and on-topic. Although religion is a highly-charged subject, the campers handled it without heated arguments.
 Day 18, July 10th:
Color Games has been likened to a "right of passage" for Seeds to become Seeds. It is a test of endurance, character and commitment. The cumulative scores are hard-won and include all areas of camp life. At the end of the three days of competition, they know what each of them is made of. Yet the competitive factor didn't separate any friendships. You can still see people in blue and green shirts socializing together.
Day 20, July 12th:
Tonight we held a very moving memorial service for Asel Asleh and the seven other Seeds who passed away over the years. Asel is the only one who was killed in the conflict and he was very important to us. Several Seeds participated by reading passages of letters he wrote. He was a prolific writer. Amit, Bobbie and Wil spoke about their memories of Asel, who was a very active Seed for four years. He first attended camp in 1997 and was only 17 when he was killed, while demonstrating peacefully, wearing his green Seeds of Peace T-shirt. After this service, everyone had their last bunk night. Behind the scenes tonight, Radhika and Bobbie were selecting photos for the CDs we plan to give the campers tomorrow. Surveys were being printed and directories were being stapled. We are all preparing for the end of session one, which is both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time.  Days 21-24, July 13th:
The last day of camp is very emotional, from every perspective. On the one hand, most campers are happy to be going home. But on the other hand, they want to stay here in this peaceful, supportive community a little longer. The signing albums were out in full force, as each camper tried to capture the positive relationships formed in just three weeks. And, of course, we were just emerging from the collective ordeal of Color Games. Still, it is important to deal with the emotions to the extent we can.
Even a bystander would crumble at the sight of all these wonderful teenagers saying goodbye to their dear friends, not knowing if they will ever meet again. In most cases, the Internet will help keep them connected. But for some, this is not an option.
Having lived together for three weeks, in close quarters and under some considerable stress, they now trust and care about one another. So there are a lot of tears and hugs. It is a challenge to load them on the buses. With each successive bus, fewer people are left behind to say goodbye. And by the time the last bus leaves, the staff is exhausted by the emotions of the day.
 Session 2, 2009:
Arrival Day, July 20th:
The second session of camp will be different from the first session because the populations are not the same. This session does not have delegations from South Asia. It has Middle East delegations (Israelis, Palestinians, Egyptians and Jordanians) and a large delegation from Maine. The Maine Seeds program is comprised of selected individuals from all over the state. Many people are originally from African countries suffering from war. Some Mainers come from the more rural northern part of the state and others come from Portland, Lewiston or Augusta. They have had considerable bad feelings about police actions in Portland, especially, but there is tension elsewhere as well. The Maine campers will have quite a lot to discuss and overcome.  Day 3-4, July 23rd:
We have reached the point in our development as an organization at which many of our staff members in the regions of conflict are Seeds themselves. This is also true for the camp staff, as several counselors, the staff living in the bunks with the campers, as well as facilitators for dialogue groups are Seeds who have been trained by professionals in their fields. The combination of professional training and the experience of being a camper make each one of them especially well qualified to work at our camp.
 Day 7, July 27th:
Several peer support campers gave up their rest hour to share a dialogue with the NBA players. They spoke about leadership styles and the parallels between sports competition and real life. They talked about influence and power, as well as the need to attract young people to programs which bring them together, rather than drive them apart.
 Day 9, July 29th:
The serious nature of the work at Seeds of Peace camp is always laced with intentional fun shared by the group. Watching the entire camp enjoy a joke can be inspirational. Laughter is uniquely human and can be healing. Since the beginning of camp, whenever the counselor, Rebecca, would begin to speak publicly, the other counselors would applaud and cheer. She can no more than begin to frame her words when she is overcome by "support." For her birthday, she was encouraged to make a speech and then had to endure the applause of the entire camp. In the end, everyone was laughing, especially Rebecca.
Day 12, August 1st:
Dialogue groups continued to wrestle with tough issues. Racial and religious discrimination as well as recent violence at home were topics on the table for Moustache contest winners’ discussion. Blaming, justification and victim hood are all part of the old script. It is up to the campers to create their own scripts and their own possible solutions, worked on together with people who are no longer considered implacable enemies but are yet to become trusted friends. It isn't easy. Day 13, August 2nd:
We began the day with all-camp picture taking. This meant that Radhika and Bobbie, armed with cameras, took pictures of all the delegations, bunks, table groups, dialogue groups, facilitators and counselors. It is always fascinating to watch how the different groups arrange themselves for photographs. It is really for posterity. One never knows how long a photo will be kept and valued. But it is very likely that these photos will be cherished for many years to come.  Day 21-22, August 10th-11th:
Early the next morning, the buses began to roll in and the delegations left amid tears, long hugs and promises to stay in touch. The follow-up programs, Facebook, SeedsBook and other ways of connecting, will keep most of these Seeds from drifting away from their Seeds of Peace community of support. Parents who came to pick up their American campers were also moved to tears as they watched their children try to cope with the enormous sadness of parting with people they love, maybe forever.
It was a wonderful two sessions of camp. As usual, Seeds of Peace Camp was a group effort, lead by Leslie Lewin and Wil Smith. The counselors were very balanced, talented, mature and flexible. They were also not averse to having fun and letting the rest of us in on the jokes. A wide thread of music wove its way throughout the camp, making musical connections all day long. We know this camp isn't like the real world. But that doesn't mean it isn't real. It did happen, just as we told you. It has happened forty times before and it will happen again. Now there are 300 more young leaders who can tell everyone at home that peace is possible! |
Seeds of Peace
ShareThis
