BY HARVEY DZODIN | I have been in New York the last few weeks working on a movie. In the audience of one of my presentations I encountered a remarkable friend who I knew from my ABC TV days.
I was reminded that if her work were to be replicated more widely in China and elsewhere, our world would be a decidedly better, safer and more harmonious place to live and coexist.
In 1993, the friend in the audience, Janet Wallach, author of eight books, along with her late husband, John, an award-winning newspaper and television journalist, founded a very special summer camp in Maine for teenagers on the opposite sides of conflicts: Seeds of Peace.
As a reporter covering intractable international conflicts such as the frequent clashes between Arabs and Israelis in the Middle East, John felt that there had to be a way to break the cycle of conflict and the mutual hatred and distrust. Thus the Seeds of Peace camp came into being.
The unusual name of the camp goes to the core of the program. Each teenage camper represents a potential “Seed” who may be prejudiced against his “enemy” but whose belief system is not yet etched in stone. Given the proper guidance in seeing the human face of his or her enemy, the campers can develop a better understanding of their now humanized “enemies.”
The hope is that some of the participants, many chosen by their own governments in part for their potential as opinion and political leaders, will in a decade or two become enlightened leaders as a result of this program and who may better solve some of the most difficult conflicts of our age.
This year’s “Seeds” are Afghans, Americans, Egyptians, Indians, Jordanians, Pakistanis and Palestinians. This year there were an astounding 8,000 applicants for the 300 places. Since 1993, 4,000 “Seeds of Peace” have been planted.
Not surprisingly, initially many “Seeds” have a high discomfort level, especially living in the same cabin with their sworn enemies.
However through a series of sometimes tearful and emotional encounters led by experienced facilitators their enemies become real people and often friends.
Perhaps the hardest part of the program is when the “Seeds” go back to their respective countries with their new outlooks amid the tenaciously held old prejudices.
To reinforce their new outlook and encourage them to stay the course, “Seeds” participate in online communities and in seminars. Some of them become facilitators for future “Seeds.” Hopefully in a few years some of them will be full-fledged leaders in their own countries.
When I visited the camp a few years ago I was taken around by a boy who belonged to the conservative Israeli party, Young Likud, and a Palestinian girl from Jericho. Shockingly these “enemies” were walking hand-in-hand.
Even in my own country a camp for Americans is sorely needed for ourselves.
Many of us just do not have sufficient contact with Asians, Blacks, Hispanics or the only truly indiginous people in the US, Native Americans.
And since Seeds of Peace is founded upon principles of mutual respect and eliminating prejudice, I should mention that while in New York many Jewish people asked me what China was like and what were their attitudes about the Jews, we Jews always ask if a person, country or policy is good or bad for the Jews. Perhaps we are conditioned to do so because we have a long history of being persecuted.
I told everybody that China is the only country of which I am aware, including my own, where I have never, ever heard anything bad said about Jews.
It also gives me hope that programs like “Seeds of Peace” can be a huge success and that one day Israelis and Palestinians will react to each other in the same positive way.
The motto of the state where the Seeds of Peace camp is located is “Welcome to Maine. The way life should be.” Now some one at camp suggested a new motto: “Welcome to Seeds of Peace, the way life could be.” Let’s hope this dream comes true!
The author is former director and vice president at ABC Television. He spends most of his time in Beijing now working on media projects.