环球英语 — 249：Seeds of Peace Experiences
Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight. I’m Joshua Leo.
Voice 2
And I’m Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
What words do you think of when you think of peace? Many people think of love. Other people think of understanding. And still others may think of togetherness. But have you ever thought of seeds?
Voice 2
Seeds may not be a word that many people connect to peace. But, there are some people who do. Recently, Spotlight did a program on the group Seeds of Peace. Seeds of Peace is a group that brings people who are at war, together. This group believes that it is important to teach young people about peace. So, when they are older, they can teach others about peace too. It is like planting a seed, a seed of peace, and watching it grow.
Voice 1
Many of these young people attend a camp in the state of Maine, in the United States. They come from India and Pakistan, Iraq and the United States, and Israel and Palestine. All these places are experiencing conflict. Their governments choose them. Their governments believe that these young people will be important leaders in their countries in the future.
Voice 2
At the camp these young representatives live together in small cabins. They share meals together. They learn about each other’s cultures and religions. They discuss many important issues in groups. They are given particular jobs and they complete those jobs together. Often, it is the first time these young people have come face to face with someone from the other side of the conflict.
Voice 1
Spotlight wanted to know more about the Seeds of Peace camp. So, we e-mailed two students who attended the Seeds of Peace camp in Maine. We asked them to write about their experiences. Here are Ibrahim and Sophia’s Seeds of Peace experiences. Their words have been adapted into Specialized English.
Voice 3
I am Ibrahim. I am sixteen [16] years old. I live in Bethleham, Palestine. This summer I attended the Seeds of Peace program in Maine.
The group was a mix of Palestinians and Israelis. We thought we could get a solution for peace. When I first met the Israeli people I thought they came to talk about us. I did not think they came in peace. I thought they hated us. Since we were in the program I found they came to talk to us. They came to talk to us about peace.
I shared that peace to me means a huge word. It does not mean war, because we usually have wars between Palestine and Israel. When there is no war, we are able to love each other. We cannot be haters. This is how we can make peace.
I also learned how important it is to listen. I should not just talk. If we listen to the Israelis, they will listen to us. I did that and found they respected what I had to say. I, in turn, respected their thoughts too.
I had such a great experience in Maine at Seeds of Peace. I hope we will have peace in our country Palestine.
Voice 1
It sounds like Ibrahim learned a lot at Seeds of Peace. He shared some very important ideas. Listening seems like a very important part of peace.
Voice 2
Yes. I thought it was important that Ibrahim found it easy to love the Israelis once they were away from war. I agree with Ibrahim when he says that war does not lead to peace. Only when there is no war are people able to love each other.
Voice 1
Next, we have Sophia’s experience. Sophia is sixteen [16] years old and lives in Palestine. She has many good things to share about peace too.
Voice 4
The Seeds of Peace camp was a life-changing experience for me. Apart from all the different activities and sports that I enjoyed, Seeds of Peace offered me more than just fun. Seeds of Peace gave me a special opportunity to meet the other side of the conflict.
One famous sentence that I heard was, “The enemy has a face.” My comment on this sentence is that I saw the enemy’s face and became friends with it. Even though we disagree, and have many differences, there is nothing that stops us from becoming friends.
We can always have hope in gaining peace in the future. This camp taught me in four weeks what the world could not learn throughout history. The Seeds of Peace organization has achieved what no country has achieved before. That is, peace.
In my opinion peace is living in a safe place and having freedom. I believe that every person should have the right of living peacefully. Peace has been taken away from many people around the world. We live in abuse of our freedom and rights to peace every day. Peace is being able to live a normal life without the fear of being shot by a gun, without the fear of your school closing at any time, and without the fear of your house being destroyed.
A peaceful world gives freedom of thought, action and speech to all people. A peaceful world would let you live happy, without fear of what might happen in a day, a month, or a year.
I hope the leaders of Palestine and Israel go to the Seeds of Peace camp. The camp made a big difference in my life. And, I hope that it would change them too. I think that the leaders of both countries have no idea what peace means. Both countries have been in a conflict for many years. The problem is that both governments do not work on agreeing. Instead they only work on having what belongs to them - in their opinion.
I would like to tell them that it is time to make a change. Both of our countries have been living in misery and suffering long enough. It is time for us to overcome our problems and work on peace. This way we can set an example for the whole world. We can show them the good effects of peace. We can show the world that peace is necessary in every country.
Voice 2
Thank you Sophia! You and Ibrahim have already set a good example for the world. You have planted seeds of peace. Because of you, peace will grow.
