As the first session of the 2018 Seeds of Peace Camp comes to a close, we spoke with a few campers about what they appreciated, what surprised them, and what they learned.
“When I came here I was very quiet, but from meeting so many new people I became more extroverted, so I’m thankful to Seeds of Peace for that.”
— Pakistani camper
“They said to trust the process. And what that meant was that I wasn’t becoming someone new, but I was un-becoming someone I wasn’t.”
— Indian camper
“TRUST! THE! PROCESS!”
— Jordanian camper
“I’m thankful to have met a bunch of new people and made great friends I never would have met otherwise.”
— American camper
“The bugs! Why are there so many bugs?!”
— Egyptian camper
“I’ve overheard ‘normalization’ in three different languages. I think it’s good that we are having that conversation, too.”
— Israeli camper
“I’m thankful to get to join Seeds of Peace because it helped me to picture and get the conflict from different sides—and that helped me to understand, ‘where am I?’”
— Palestinian camper
“I’m very thankful to have the opportunity to meet people from different sides of conflict.”
— Egyptian camper
“Thank you for expanding our horizons and abilities.”
— Jordanian camper
“Something that surprised me is that we don’t just focus on the conflicts in our respective regions, but also we focus on the conflicts that happen within ourselves.”
— Palestinian camper
“I’m thankful for the opportunity to get to know people I never talk to back home.”
— Israeli camper
“I’m thankful that the food is so good.”
— American camper
“All the food is fried. When are they going to make hummus?”
— Palestinian camper
“I’m grateful to Seeds of Peace for teaching us how to accept, and respect, one another.”
— Jordanian camper
“Seeds of Peace has helped me find my true values.”
— Palestinian camper
“Being here, I have the opportunity to appreciate everything in my home, in my family, and how much they mean to me.”
— Israeli camper
“I’m grateful that I got to learn about Kashmir from both sides. I didn’t even know what it was before.”
— American camper
“I’m surprised that it’s so hot in the day but it gets so cold at night.”
— Indian camper
“I’m grateful just to be here, to be accepted as the real me.”
— Israeli camper
“I’m surprised Color Games is cancelled this year. I think they’re lying.” [NOTE: We lied. The Games were ON!]
— Pakistani camper
“Seeds of Peace is helping me explore new areas of my mind that I hadn’t thought of and is raising new questions.”
— Israeli camper
“I’m grateful to have a safe place to share my stories.”
— Palestinian camper
“I didn’t know that so many Americans don’t like Trump.”
— Egyptian camper
“I’m thankful that I’ve gotten to meet so many incredible people.”
— American camper
“I discovered a lot of things that I didn’t know before about myself.”
— Israeli camper
“What I love about Seeds of Peace … there are too many things, but if I have to decide … it’s how much we are all connected here.”
— Palestinian camper
If you’re a Seed who would like to share something from your time at Camp, let us know in the comments below!
Seeds of Peace is a magical experience! Trust the process and I am sure the world will be peaceful.
Love! Humility! Kindness! Gratitude! Connection! Cheerfulness! Unity! Opportunities! All of the above qualities are not already present there. No. They’re not spoon-fed. We create them there. Our presence. Every single person matters there. Best of luck and I’m so happy for the future Seeds!