Youth
Peace Programs Previously Hosted
at The Mountain
Below
are descriptions of youth peace programs we have
hosted in the past:
 |
Peace
Immersion
Camp Experience
|
June
25 - 30, 2006 |
Together
we will
make waves . . .
|
|
|
“Each
time a person stands up for an ideal,
or acts to improve the lot of others,
or strikes out against injustice, they
send forth tiny ripples of hope, and
crossing each other from a million centers
of energy and daring, those ripples
build a current that can sweep down
the mightiest walls of oppression and
resistance.”
~ Robert F. Kennedy
|
For
Senior High Youth at The Mountain Retreat &
Learning Centers
This
unique camp will give senior high school
students an opportunity to explore the
idea of peace and begin building community.
In the context of a summer camp atmosphere,
participants will be articulating their
values/cultures, finding common ground
across boundaries of culture and faith,
and practicing conflict management. Peace
Camp provides experiential workshops and
creative activities that include outdoor
adventure, community service and the arts
to build awareness and provide a space
for self-expression and discovery. This
special program is intensive – and
FUN!
The Mountain is honored to assist the
International
Rescue Committee (IRC-Atlanta
office) in their efforts to resettle refugee
youth from around the world who have escaped
war or persecution. Through this partnership,
IRC youth will be able to share in this
unique mountain camp experience and build
new relationships with youth of all faiths.
A Certificate of Graduation
from the camp will be awarded to all participants. |
For more information, contact
Emily Greene at 828-526-5838,
ext. 225.
A
Peace CONference for Sr. High Youth
April 21 - 23, 2006
| Peace
(pes) n. 1. The absence
of war or other hostilities. 2. An Agreement
or treaty to end hostilities. 3. Freedom
from quarrels and disagreement; harmony.
4. Public security and order. 5. Serenity. |
 How
do we get there??
Senior
High Youth will 1. Actively seek and participate
in colorful, heterogeneous, and innovative community
building; and 2. "CONstruct" relationships
around the themes of diversity, culture, stereotypes
and labeling on your path towards peace, and justice.
You will be encouraged and challenged to express
yourself, represent your background, and truly
consider perspectives and lifestyles of other,
culturally diverse youth. No matter who you are,
where you come from or what you have to offer,
you have a place in this community!
Join
us on the journey . . .
For
questions or more information, contact Emily
Greene at (828) 526-5838,
ext. 225.
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Intercultural
Community Peace Camp - 2005
Funded in part by a grant from
the Unitarian Universalist Funding Panel
In
June 2005, youth from Somalia, Iraq, Ethiopia, Columbia
and the U.S. came together at The Mountain for a
five-night Intercultural Community Peace Camp —
a FUN, engaging, spirited, and dynamic alternative
for summer programming! The international youth
were joined by youth from the Unitarian
Universalist Congregation of Atlanta
and the ASCENDERS
— MountainCampers who work and live at The
Mountain for a special seven-week program. This
camp was designed to give refugee and UU youth a
time to "Become the Peace we wish to see"
by articulating their values/cultures, finding common
ground across boundaries of culture and faith, and
practicing conflict management. They had opportunities
for community service, personal development and
fun. The camp provided time for exploring the "world"
through experiencing the "other" through
the arts — music, dance, poetry, etc.
 |
Following
a presentation by Claude Anshin Thomas,
a Zen Buddist monk, international peace activist,
author and teacher, Peace Camp participants
study his book, At Hell's Gate: A Soldier's
Journey from War to Peace. Thomas, a
veteran of the Vietnam war who was awarded
numerous medals and saw thousands killed,
shared his inspiring spiritual odyssey from
the horrors of combat to discovering the Buddhist
path to healing.
|
This
program was about empowering youth to work for
positive change in their communities by creating
a nation-wide network of support and resources.
Participants were very involved throughout the
program in shaping the activities and program
schedule. A focus on leadership training, non-violence
and social change, and art as a medium for change
prevailed. Activities included outdoor adventure
(canoeing, swimming, hiking), ropes and challenge
courses, workshops on media exposure and grassroots
organization, and an evening with Claude
Anshin Thomas, a Zen Buddhist monk, Vietnam
war veteran and author of the book: At Hells
Gate: A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace.
Goals
of the camp included:
| • |
Facilitate
youth participation in a community with clear
standards of trust, civility, and confidentiality.
|
| • |
Develop
leadership and critical analysis and conflict
management skills. |
| • |
Build
self-confidence and a spirit of service. |
| • |
Provide
experiential and creative activities that
include outdoor adventure, community service
and the arts to build awareness and provide
a context for self-expression. |
| • |
Define
a specific peace/justice project(s) and action
plan to implement together when they go back
to their community (one large group project
or several smaller group projects). |
Throughout
the week, youth were challenged to assess whether
the program was meeting these goals, as well as
those that the youth added through their participation.
As in all Mountain youth programs, the youth were
asked to complete a written evaluation of the experience.
Some
of the evaluation comments:
General:
| • |
All
was so fun. I never will forget you, for real.
Is a really good experience with everyone,
in all moments. |
| • |
Was
the best week of my life and I thank The Mountain
for having us. |
| • |
I
had really fun time at The Mountain, and I
want to day what I thought about. First of
all when I came, the ASCENDERS gave us a greet,
and I knew it was going to be fun because
we was hanging with people that are fun to
be around. I think the community buildings
was fun because we had fun with people that
I never met. |
| • |
I
had fun at the lake. I had fun 'chillin''
with the ASCENDERS. I loved Lee's songs. I
enjoyed the Monk. I learned a lot. |
Has
this program helped you to think about/understand
your feelings about peace?
| • |
Yes,
and about the relationship between the living
with the community and people of different
cultures. |
| • |
Yes
it did and it helped me think about peace
and where I find peace. |
| • |
Yes
because it made me feel so good ... never
experience peace back in my country. |
Was
your opinion heard — did you feel respected
and valued as a member of the community?
| • |
Yes,
I had a lot of respect for them and they had
respect for me and that made me feel peaceful. |
| • |
Yes,
the advisors were open to all voices. |
| • |
Yes,
for everybody, for each one of the group. |
Do
you feel inspired to pursue friendships with people
from other countries?
| • |
Yes.
Actually I am from another country so is fun
and interesting to know people from other
countries. |
Are
you committed to doing a project together (and maybe
with other youth) in Atlanta?
| • |
Yes
— actually we have some project for
bring to know The Mountain to other persons
like friends. |
What
will you remember most?
| • |
I
will remember everything that I experience
this week because of the love and support
that people gave me. |
| • |
All
the people I met. |
What
else do you want us to know?
| • |
Thank
you for everything — please do it again.
|
| • |
I
really want to thank you for giving us the
opportunity to meet some of the greatest people
ever. |
| • |
That
the camp was really great and I would love
to come back here some other time. |
| • |
That
this has been a fantastic week. |
| • |
Thanks
for all. |
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For
more information on any of our Youth Programs,
call The Mountain Office.
828-526-5838
|
