Seeds of Peace International Camp, in Otisfield, Maine, is a unique coexistence experience for teenagers from the Middle East founded five years ago by a former journalist, John Wallach. During the summer 1997 session, there were Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian, Egyptian, Moroccan, Tunisian, Qatari, and American boys and girls, in groups called delegations. The 175 teenagers, and approximately 50 counselors and other staff, came for four weeks, to campgrounds that Seeds of Peace has leased for the next ten years.
The camp’s structural concept is such that campers engage in various activities during the day, including land and water sports, art, music and drama. With a strict “English-only” policy, campers are encouraged to get to know one another by participating in athletics, eating meals together, and sleeping in the same bunks.
In addition to counselors who live with the campers, and are responsible for activities, Seeds of Peace also engages trained facilitators to lead coexistence workshops which the teenagers attend every day. Consisting of no more than 12 campers, each facilitation group is composed of a mix of young people from all delegations. By switching group leaders every three days, campers have the opportunity to participate in and learn from different types of activities designed to help them improve their listening and communication skills. Discussions often become tense and frequently continue long after the workshops are over. Counselors must try to maintain their objectivity so that they, too, can facilitate dialogue and encourage interaction between the campers in the bunk, in the dining hall, in the art room, or on the playing field.