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Jul 21, 2011

Kids4Peace: Moving Toward a Culture of Peace

[Episcopal News Service] Climbing Stone Mountain in the Georgia humidity and triple-digit heat was one of the hardest things 11-year-old Miller had ever done -- but he managed just fine, with a little help from his newfound friends.

 

There were nearly two dozen of them, in fact; 11- to 13-year-old Muslims, Jews and Christians, from Jerusalem and the United States, who learned about each other's faith traditions and lives during a recent two-week Kids4Peace summer camp experience in Atlanta.

 

"I really thought a lot about peace in the world, and about violence," after scaling the rocky summit, added Miller, who resides in Powder Springs, Georgia. "Because when we were on top of Stone Mountain, looking out into the world, everything was okay. Nothing was wrong."

 

Which was partly why Kids4Peace was founded in 2002 through the efforts of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and collaborative U.S. partners, according to the Rev. Josh Thomas, executive director of Kids4Peace USA, during a July 17 telephone interview.

 

About 450 kids have participated in the program in the nine years since the first session, at Camp Allen in the Diocese of Texas. This year, the agency organized summer peace camps for a total of 48 Jerusalem youth. Groups of 12 Jerusalem youth -- four each Muslim, Christian and Jewish -- are sent to a campsite, either in Atlanta, North Carolina, Boston or Vermont.

 

While in the United States, the 12 visitors, whose last names are withheld to protect their safety, enjoy camp activities and educational experiences with equal numbers of their American counterparts. This year, 150 Jerusalem youth applied for the 48 spaces, Thomas said.

 

There is also a continuation program offered for 13- to 14-year-olds after the initial camp experience, which includes educational activities, dialogue and community service to help nurture a culture of peace, Thomas added.

 

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