'Seeds' takes on greater urgency (summer camp for peace)

[MaineDem]

OTISFIELD — The buzz along Powhatan Road was enough to attract a small crowd of onlookers Wednesday morning as the newest class of campers at the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Otisfield sang national anthems to accompany the raising of their national flags. The flag-raising ceremony is always a sight to behold. But this summer, as Hezbollah rockets fly over northern Israel and Israeli bombs explode in the streets of Gaza and Beirut, the sight of dozens of young adults from hostile Middle Eastern nations linking arms and chanting: "Peace, peace, I am a seed of peace" on a quiet road in Maine is particularly noticeable.

To these 180 campers, the connection between the back woods of Maine and the battle zones of the Middle East makes perfect sense.

"I'm part of the 'war' effort," said Israeli camper Omer Duv devani. "I believe my contribution is here, to peace, with those we call the enemy."

...

For fourteen summers, high school-age students from opposing sides of the world's worst conflicts have come together for three weeks at the Seeds of Peace camp to live in cabins along the shores of Pleasant Lake and hash out their differences through dialogue, as well as traditional camp activities.

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/060727seeds.shtml

Last week a camper was interviewed. She said that those att he camp were not part of the problem; they were part of the solution. They will go back with peace as a goal.