|
Brad said something the other day about a prophetic dream that
Nietzsche had that in the future the great superpower would one day renounce
militarism and violence. I never
did “get” Nietzsche much. Rather,
I have learned to see significant change in a gradual process, which has to be
nurtured, and that’s probably why so many former radicals and other idealists
and dreamers get involved in “the system” time and again. Granted, overnight, we can make some personal and dramatic changes,
especially when what is needed foremost are symbolic statements that signal a
willingness to change, or to abandon failed policies of the past. And we are hopeful watching some of the
symbolic and literal changes currently.
But for the most part, when it comes to reversing generations of hatred
and prejudice, when it comes to undoing religious intolerance, violence and
territorial abuses on both sides, it will take persistent and consistent steps
forward, always forward, never backwards again, despite what happens on the
road going there. Here is a simple and honest approach that gives some of us HOPE. There are other non-governmental
programs promoting the same, but Three Cheers for Seeds of Peace, below. KWC 'Seeds' camp is a real roadmap to lasting peace Editorial,
Kennebec Sun Journal, Tuesday, July 01, 2003 @ http://www.centralmaine.com/view/editorials/030701tue_seed.shtml The Middle
East peace process is a history of disappointments. Significant achievements, such as those achieved at Camp
David when President Jimmy Carter brokered a peace deal between Egypt and
Israel, have been few and far between.
In contrast, suicide bombers in Israeli streets and helicopter attacks
in Gaza and the West Bank are stunning in their frequency and their capacity to
snuff out hope. This
pattern — the prospect of peace dashed by terrorist bombings and army
retribution — is so ingrained that it's
difficult to muster enthusiasm for the latest news. According to reports, Hamas, Islamic
Jihad and Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction have all declared a temporary cease
fire in their attacks on Israel.
Meanwhile, Israel has begun a major withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Unfortunately,
both sides in this conflict have attached conditions to their actions. The Palestinians say the cease fire
holds only if Israel stops targeting its leadership, releases political
prisoners and follows through on plans to dismantle settlements. Israeli politicians say that promises
are not enough and are calling on the Palestinian Authority to disarm the
terrorists. The point
is that while such diplomatic efforts are necessary to ending the violence in
the Middle East, they are not sufficient.
There must be a substantial and enduring cultural change. That
change is at the heart of Seeds of Peace. Now in its 11th season, the camp in Otisfield
brings teenagers from regions in conflict together in Maine. For
three weeks, 14- to 16-year-old boys and girls from Afghanistan, Israel, Palestine,
Pakistan, Egypt and other areas of conflict share cabin life, play sports
together and engage in structured activities that enable them to learn about
the people they've been brought up to consider enemies. In past
years, the kids have left camp not only with a greater understanding of others,
but also with new friendships.
Seeds of Peace president Aaron David Miller hopes that these bonds will
form the basis of a new culture in places like the Middle East. These campers, he believes, will grow
up to be leaders in their own countries and will move their people beyond
decades of violence and mistrust. "Camp
is the departure point," Miller says. "Camp provides the
transformation." The
"seeds" metaphor is useful, because cultural
change does not happen overnight, nor is it a mass phenomenon. The change will come slowly and occur
one person at a time. Soon enough,
however, the effort will come to fruition. Instead of reaching for guns and bombs to solve
disagreements, leaders will reach back to their Seeds of Peace experience and
recall that violence doesn't end violence. But a dose of understanding might. |
