Peace camp unshaken by War

The Seeds of Peace camp that brings together teenagers from warring countries and cultures is accustomed to disruptions stemming from events thousands of miles away.

This summer, however, camp has been especially tense.

Pakistani and Indian teenagers were attending the opening session when terrorists bombed trains in Bombay, killing more than 200 people. Then Israel responded to border raids by Hezbollah by launching its offensive into Lebanon.

Discussions were heated. Many campers said they wanted to leave camp and catch the first plane home.

While the bloodshed is discouraging, counselors say it underscores the importance of the camp.

"What are you going to do? Nothing?" asked Tomas Perry, an Israeli counselor who came to Seeds of Peace in 1996. "There’s always hope."

Created in 1993, Seeds of Peace camp is dedicated to bringing together Israeli and Arab teenagers in hopes of moving them beyond deep-rooted hatreds. Removed from the region of conflict, the teens are startled to find themselves sharing meals, bunkhouses and the same sports teams as their "enemy."

The 67-acre camp nestled in the woods on Pleasant Lake has expanded its reach over the years, grouping teenagers from other trouble spots such as Afghanistan, the Balkans, Cyprus, Iraq, India and Pakistan.

Protected by state troopers, the camp provides a safe haven for the teens, some of whom have had friends and family killed or jailed. But the conflicts in the campers’ homelands are never far from their minds.

Last week, camp director Tim Wilson didn’t like what he was seeing as campers became increasingly anguished by daily news reports about Hezbollah rockets hitting Israel in record numbers and Israeli soldiers pushing deeper and deeper into Lebanon.

By Wednesday, Wilson decided he had had enough of the shouting and finger pointing. He told the campers he had had enough of their self-pity and anger.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been exacerbated by outsiders using it for their own gain, he said. Peel those layers away, and you get to the heart of the conflict. "You can yell and scream and holler, but what are you going to do to change this?" he said afterward.

Wilson reflected on the moment as he patrolled the camp in his golf cart.

"I get tired of people being victims," said Wilson, a floppy denim hat perched on his head to block the blazing sun. "My father said you can wallow in it and figure somebody owes you something, or you can get off your behind and do something."

As Wilson drove, the camp around him was abuzz with activity. Teenagers worked on a ropes course that teaches trust. Others danced in a circle. Some paddled on the lake in red kayaks.

During a game called "steal the bacon," a Palestinian girl grabbed the "bacon," a tennis ball, but slipped and fell down as she was tagged by an Israeli girl. The Israeli girl stopped to make sure the Palestinian was okay.

On the lake, Israeli and Palestinian teens cheered each other as they attempted to water ski under the supervision of counselor Burgess LePage.

Respect, trust and communication are critical elements, Wilson noted. If all three are present, strange and extraordinary things can happen. Lasting friendships are built. Campers will go back home with a new understanding of the "enemy."

Everything at camp is geared toward those three components. Even when the campers don’t realize it, they’re gently being moved in the direction.

This week, the camp will be divided into two teams – blue and green – for three intense days of "color games." Along the way, students will learn teamwork. They’ll also learn how easy it is to accept labels foisted upon them.

Overall, the three-week camp is a roller coaster ride in which they go from playing games to joining in intensive, closed-door discussions. When they depart, they’ll be expected to share what they’ve learned in their communities.

"When you go back home, you have to influence the people around you. That’s pretty much your duty," said Israeli camper Ido Zahavi, who’s 16.

But it isn’t easy. Rasha Abbas, 17, who’s from Ramallah, said many of those outside her immediate family are distrusting of Seeds of Peace. Some say the campers have been brainwashed.

"I always feel that I have to defend myself," Abbas said.

Counselor Zagloub Said, a Palestinian who grew up on the West Bank, has heard it all before.

"People say we create an unrealistic bubble. Sometimes, I say you have to take people out of the mess to show them what life could be," he said.

Whether that translates to peace in these campers’ lifetime, no one knows. Said doesn’t sugarcoat the difficulty the campers face when they return home.

"I will never lie to the kids and tell them, ‘Eventually everything will be fine,’" he said. "I want the people to be optimistic about their future, but I want to them to be realistic."

The late John Wallach, founder of the camp, envisioned the day when Seeds of Peace campers would become political leaders and bring about a lasting peace. But he never believed it would be easy.

"Making peace is much harder than making war," he once said. – AP