Seeds of Peace

As they struggle with a $250 million budget shortfall, a growing doozy of a debate over Medicaid and a perniciously high tax burden, Senate President Rick Bennett and House Speaker Michael Saxl took an eminently sensible step by inviting John Wallach, founder of Seeds of Peace, to speak last Friday to a joint session of the Legislature. Mr. Wallach spoke specifically about the value of the camp in promoting peace worldwide, but his words also put in perspective on Maine’s problems and, more broadly, offered hope that sworn enemies will not always be such.

Seeds of Peace began in 1993 and each summer since has brought together Israelis and Arabs, Pakistanis and Indians, Bosnians and Serbs – young people from 22 nations to the Otisfield camp and to its overseas programs. Mr. Wallach on Friday gave a moving, inspiring speech, filled with examples of people who arrived in Maine thinking they were enemies and left knowing were part of the same humanity, with the same fears and desires as those they thought they despised. There isn’t room here to reprint his talk, but here is a short passage:

“So Seeds of Peace ultimately is about humanizing the enemy. I remember what Terry Anderson, the AP reporter who was a hostage in Lebanon, told me in 1993 after he spoke to the very first group of Seeds. He said, ‘If you achieve nothing else, John, at least the enemy will have a face.’

“That’s what we’re trying to do – reverse the deliberate dehumanization that governments practice in order to perpetuate conflict. Think of the Israeli soldier or, for that matter, any soldier. You can hardly tell them apart because they are all in the same uniform. The last place you look is at their face. Think of the Palestinian terrorist. He wears a black and white kaffiyeh around his head to hide his face.

“We are trying to re-introduce humanity, to rid these youngsters at a crucial age of their prejudices and stereotypes. … We share a lot of pain at Seeds of Peace. But there is method to the madness. When you spend most of the day having fun, canoeing, playing soccer, learning how to swim or navigate an intimidating ropes course for the first time in your life, and you eat your meals (if they can be called as such) and sleep with the people you have been told are your enemy, you gradually accept them. They no longer are the ‘enemy’ but friends on the same soccer or Frisbee team.”

Given the peacemaking roles of George Mitchell, Ed Muskie, Samantha Smith and, Mr. Wallach could have added, Seeds of Peace, he recalled that last summer he suggested to Gov. King that Maine call itself “The Peace State.” The economic benefits from the rest of the nation and the world recognizing the state’s contributions would be significant, he said.

Maybe. But even more important than a slogan is Maine’s continued support and encouragement of places such as Seeds of Peace. At the very least, it improved the tone in the State House markedly.