DEXTER | Students and educators from the Middle East and South Asia are spending time in Dexter.
TV 5 spoke with some of the adults taking part in the Seeds of Peace program.
If the educators who filled the room at Ridgeview Community School in Dexter on Thursday were in their home countries, you likely wouldn’t find them sitting side-by-side.
“It’s so important to teach values of respect and cross-cultural understanding and leadership,” said Daniel Moses, director of the educator program with Seeds of Peace.
Seeds of Peace is an organization bringing kids and adults from conflict regions together.
“Seeds from Maine, all over the United States, and from Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians, Egyptians, Indians, Pakistani and Afghanis,” explained Moses.
The goal of the program is to learn.
“How to deal with things and how to deal with different opinions,” said Avi Hamel, an educator from Israel.
“Though we’re very different, colors, religion, backgrounds, we’re still having the same problems as teachers. Kids are kids no matter where they come from,” added Alia Abuoriban, an educator from Palestine.
It can be tough to get adjusted at first, since they come from not-so-peaceful countries.
“They’re having their own difficulties and challenges, meeting people who are supposed to be their enemy in some cases,” said Moses.
For the teachers, the description of “enemy” fades.
“No matter where they come from, no matter how much the fight among each other, humans are humans. Same needs, the same love and hate and passion and going out there to be the best they are,” said Abuoriban.
Being the best they can be is the whole point of the event. It’s to show teachers and students throughout the world that no matter how different they may be, they can learn from one another.
To learn more about Seeds of Peace, click here.
Read Carolyn Callahan’s article at WABI »