July 27, 2005

Sowing 'Seeds Of Peace'

Where Kids From Countries In Conflict Come Together

  • Play CBS Video Video Camp For War-Torn Kids

    Seeds Of Peace summer camp has done what some governments have only tried to do: teach kids from war-torn regions to reach out to one another. Harry Smith has their amazing journey.

    • Rawan and Tal with Harry Smith

      Rawan and Tal with Harry Smith  (CBS/The Early Show)

    • Tal talks to Harry Smith

      Tal talks to Harry Smith  (CBS/The Early Show)

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(CBS)  "That's the first thing about friendship," Tal notes. "Always trust. Seriously. That's the first thing."

I thought I'd give it a try, so Tal and I climbed together. It's not easy, maintaining that trust when you're 25 feet above the ground.

But it turned out that Tal did a great job, and I had a great time.

Imagine bunking with people you were always told were your enemies, dining with them, dancing with them, and learning to lean on one another. Imagine if you discovered that you really weren't that different after all. They have a saying at the camp: Governments negotiate treaties, peace is made by people.

"The first thing I will have to change is the thoughts of my friends," Tal says. "I promise you. I will go home and I will continue. You become smarter and you can pass it on to your friends, to your family, to your grandsons."

In the idyllic setting, it's easy to dream. "I agree," says Rawan.

But can the connections made at camp stand up to the challenges of the real world back home?

"It's really hard to live with that: After a week, it's all going to end," Rawan says. "We have to learn. There's no other choice. We have to learn how to live together. There's no other choice. That's all that we have to learn: How to live together."

The camp also offers daily dialogue sessions, which are mandatory for every camper, run by a mediator and closed to the media. In these sessions, the kids can talk about anything they want, but they're also expected to listen to their campmates, whether they agree with them or not.

Stay tuned to The Early Show Thursday, when Hannah Storm and her daughter spend a day at soccer camp.

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