Categories: Articles
      Date: Sep 15, 2007
     Title: Vermont Kids4Peace Hosts Interfaith Camp

The camp is just part of a nine-month long program led both here and in Jerusalem that is aimed toward reconciliation, transformation, and communion among the "People of the Book." Children and adults learn to listen, respectfully observe, question and understand each other's traditions

Connie Saeger-Proctor, diocesan canon for ministry development, served as the camp director, and Libby Hillhouse of St. Johnsbury, chair of the Vermont chapter of Kids4Peace, served as the Christian advisor. Other Vermont advisors were, from the Jewish tradition, Amy May, Michelle Rath, Mark Banks, and Rabbi Joshua Chasan, and from the Muslim tradition, Muhaideen Batah and Mohamed Basha

Henry Ralph Carse, a Vermont native who now lives in Jerusalem and who founded Kids4Peace, led the team of advisors from Jerusalem: Rebecca Sullum (Jewish Advisor), Hanan Abu Dalu (Muslim Advisor) and Rula Saleh (Christian Advisor)

The group began their time in Vermont with three days at Rock Point School, where they got to know one another and had the opportunity to visit religious services at the Vermont Islamic Society in Colchester, Ohavi Zedek Synagogue in Burlington, and St. Paul's Cathedral

The children spent a week at the Covenant Hills Christian Camp in Cabot, owned by the Troy Conference of the United Methodist Church and the Vermont Conference of the United Church of Christ. The camp staff, led by Executive Director Todd Marlow, ably met the challenges of a variety of cultural and dietary needs while providing a typical Vermont summer camp experience. The children's adventure ended back at Rock Point School, with visits to the Montshire Museum, Ben and Jerry's and the University Mall

Each day, Henry Carse and Libby Hillhouse helped the children dedicate the day with a word (listen, teach, kindness, generosity, dignity, friendship, fun, hope, respect, cooperate, appreciate), and children identified articles from their faith traditions that are familiar. At the end of each day, Carse and Hillhouse led the children in a closing exercise in which they described ways they experienced that day's word

The week at Covenant Hills included a special program - the Abrahamic Tent - put on by the children for some 80 invited friends of and donors to Vermont Kids4Peace, including Bishop Thomas Ely and a number of Vermont Episcopalians. The children of each faith tradition designed and performed a skit intended to teach something about their own tradition. [See Libby Hillhouse's reflections below. Photos and both articles are available by downloading a pdf of the September 2007 Mountain Echo.

Carse showed the guests a large scroll with the childrens' declaration of friendship, written in three languages and signed by all. He said, "The real heroes of this interfaith program that brings people together across lines of conflict are the parents who have entrusted their kids to us and to peace." He later told the guests, "We have been learning to trust the children, who are reminding us to trust our faith," and he added, "When we enter the tent of Abraham, we are entering into deep learning and listening to our hearts."

At the conclusion of the program, Carse presented "thank you" gifts sent by the Jerusalem families to the camp's benefactors, hosts and counselors. One recipient was Diana Bingham of St. Michael's, Brattleboro, a major donor to this year's camp program. She said, "This is one of the three top priorities for me now. It's about giving it a face. If I look in your eyes and see your face and humanity, there's nothing else I can do." She added, "I am very optimistic. The person who loses is the one with all the anger and fear and the need for someone to hate."

Plans for a 2008 Kids4Peace camp are in the beginning stages. Covenant Hills Director Marlow said, "I hope it returns!" For information on the Vermont program, contact Libby Hillhouse(info@kids4peacevermont.org), or (802) 592-3547.

[Connie Saeger-Proctor contributed to this article.]