BY LESLIE H. DIXON | OTISFIELD About 180 campers from some of the most troubled areas of the world will raise a flag symbolizing world peace on the shores of Pleasant Lake on Wednesday morning when the Seeds of Peace opens for its [19th] season.
“The first session will have delegations from Afghanistan, Egypt, India, Israel, Jordan, Palestine, Pakistan and the United States,” Director Emeritus Tim Wilson said. This year because of Ramadan there will be only one session of the Middle East, he said.
The opening ceremony for the first of two summer sessions will provide a time for the campers to come together to celebrate their unity for the short time they will be together. Each delegation will sing its national anthem, followed by the raising of the Seeds of Peace flag.
This year, the camp is also sponsoring a program called Seas of [Peace]. Wilson said 15 second-year campers from Israel, Palestine and the United States will sail the Gulf of Maine from July 9 to July 30 learning about each other and undergoing leadership training and discussing how to continue working for peace when they return home.
The internationally recognized camp Seeds of Peace was founded by journalist John Wallach in 1993. Through this and other programs, the Seeds of Peace leadership network now includes about 4,300 young people who are working to bring peace to the Middle East and South Asia.