We on the shores have torn down walls;
We stand hand in hand as we watch the bricks fall.
We’ve learned from the past and fear not what’s ahead;
I now I’ll not walk alone, but with a friend instead.
– from “I am a Seed of Peace”
I first learned about Seeds of Peace in articles in The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and on the television show “60 Minutes.” The more I heard about this world-wide organization, the more curious I became. I was fascinated with the idea of bringing children together from warring cultures and then “replanting” them in their societies to try to grow peace. I had to see for myself, so in July my husband and I visited the camp.
Each summer, hundreds of teenagers spend a month at a summer camp in Maine, living side-by-side with people they have been led to by their upbringing to hate. Founded in 1993 by the late author and journalist John Wallach, Seeds of Peace now is recognized as the leading international conflict resolution program for youth. From 46 Israeli, Palestinian, and Egyptian teenagers in 1993, the organization now conducts extensive year-round coexistence programs and has more than 2,000 graduates representing 22 nations.
Growing up, I always had been drawn to people of different ethnic backgrounds. I loved learning about world affairs, social problems and civic virtue. In the 1960s I was caught up in the struggle of civil rights. I remember my husband and I going to Boston to hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak. The world was changing, and I believed becoming a better place. Seeds of Peace appealed to my sense of optimism. Being a Jew, I was also attracted by the hope it raised for the possibility of peace in the Middle East.
The very site evokes the sentiment of peace. It is situated in a pine forest on beautiful Pleasant Lake in Otisfield, Me. The wind whistles through the trees. The air is filled with the aroma of pine needles. There, these children of distant wars engage in soccer, canoeing, swimming, sailing, cricket, basketball, tennis and arts. This year, the campers created a float for the local July 4 parade.
Yaakov Sadan, 17, is an Israeli Jew. Dark-haired and handsome, he was spending his third year at the camp and this year returned as a counselor.
Yassin Fayed Ghoz, 15, from Cairo, Egypt told me his dad runs a business back home. He is fascinated by computer science. He said the camp has opened his eyes. He has learned that each camper is a human being and has similar feelings. He said, “Sometimes people see peace with their own eyes, but do not admit it.” In speaking of the Mideast war he said he supports “the truth.” He was hesitant to speak further.
Sara Abuhijleh is a 16-year old Palestinian from Jerusalem. She told me her favorite subject is history and she is in the 11th grade. She has four sisters and her father is a professor in Birzeit. She emphasized, “My family wants peace. It is the governments who want war, not the people.” She was delightful to talk with, and at the end of the day hugged me and said, “You remind me of my grandmother.” I was touched.
For two hours I sat in on a session on coexistence. Emotions were so strong the room was electrified when they talked about conflicts and politics in their own countries. One Palestinian stated it was not right that they do no have a state of their own. He was angry. His eyes blazed and he confronted his Jewish friend who sat next to him. His Jewish friend stood up and shouted, “Your country has to learn to be responsible and have a credible leader. Arafat is not trustworthy.”
Another said, “You and I are human beings. We and our families have to learn to live side by side.”
Yet another said, “Israeli troops are everywhere. I don’t want to feel safe by having 20 Israeli soldiers around me. I want to feel safe in a free atmosphere.”
An Egyptian boy stated, “Intifada happens in many countries when that country has been oppressed—even in the U.S.” He was referring to civil rights.
At the conclusion of the session, one Palestinian girl said, “I learned new things. I had a chance to listen to the other side.”
From a Jewish boy from Tel Aviv: “We understand each other better. Arguments came up, but we still respected each other.” The two counselors who led this session felt many good things had come about from all the emotion and opinions expressed. At the end of the session individuals teamed up into couples, each couple deciding to swim together or take part in another activity.
One of the most vivid memories of my visit is when the entire group of campers sat in a huge circle, arms around each other, all wearing green Seeds of Peace T-shirts, and sang the signature song of the camp. Its refrain was:
I am a Seed of Peace, a Seed of Peace, a Seed of Peace
I am a Seed, a Seed of Peace,
I am a Seed, I am a Seed of Peace.
Peace, peace, peace, peace
The question arises: Once these “Seeds” return to their own countries and eventually are called to serve in the Army, will they be the same? Will they be the same Edi or Tzachi that all the campers knew at summer camp? That is an answer that only time can provide. But until then, I have the deepest faith in these kids. Asel Asleh was a strong Palestinian and a friend to dozens of Israelis. He was a proud Muslim who learned at Christian schools and visited Jewish friends on their holidays. He worked for peace, and stood for his rights without hurting anyone. He was a Seed who was so loved at camp.
Sadly, he returned to Israel in 2000 and was one of those killed. He wrote while at camp, “Out beyond ideas of right-doing and wrong-doing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there. Until we meet in the field, my friend, take care.”
At the end of the day I felt wonderful. I had grown and learned so much. I continue to believe in Israel and all it stands for. I also believe the Palestinians should have a homeland they can call their own. I urge anyone who has the chance to visit Seeds of Peace. As United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said, “There can be no more important initiative than bringing together young people who have seen the ravages of war to learn the art of peace. Seeds of Peace certainly is an example of the world the United Nations is actively working for.”
Claudia Shapiro lives in Waterford.