William Penn Life, 2001 (36. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2001-08-01 / 8. szám
A Peaceful Village Teens from around the world gather at Penn Scenic View to learn about each other and themselves Camp director Bettina Stoltz (center) leads a group discussion on relationships. The campers would shorthly break into groups of two for a little role-playing based on the topics raised during the group discussion. by Mary A. Kelly-Lovasz ROCKWOOD, PA - Take nearly 30 teenagers, and their young hosts, away from their families for three weeks, and place them in a serene woodland setting. And make certain that these teens are from 17 different nations. Where could all of this lead? From July 9 to 29 the hills of Penn Scenic View were alive with the youthful exuberance and earnestness found in everyone involved in the Children's International Summer Village (CISV) program. The hope was that the participants would leave the camp to lead lives of peace and influence others to do the same. We come in peace Celebrating its 50th anniversary, CISV is an independent, non-political, nongovernmental, non-religious charitable organization. CISV and its dedicated volunteers promote the philosophy of "peace education" and cross-cultural friendship. CISV was founded n 1951 by University of Cincinnati psychologist Dr. Doris T. Allen. The global devastation wrought by World War II led Dr. Allen to believe that people, in order to survive, must change their behavior and think in new ways. "Peace is possible only if individuals and groups learn to live amicably with one another as friends," she said. Pre-adolescents, she believed, could learn to promote "peace education" and continued to live amicably into adulthood. She was determined to make such a difference when she organized the first international "village" camp for young eople. Dr. Allen continues to devote er life to this cause and the eternal quest for people to "get along." Today, CISV sponsors multicultural summer camps and exchanges for youth ages 11 to 18. The locations change each summer, as CISV chapters in more than 60 Countries take turns hosting nearly 200 camps and exchanges attended by more than 7,000 children. "CISV is an agent of cooperation," explains Bettina Stoltzs, the director of the "seminar camp" held for 17 and 18 year olds at Scenic View. A native of Germany, Bettina is an alumnus of the CISV camps at which she now volunteers. Starting back in 1992 as a junior participant, Bettina matured with hundreds of other CISV campers she met worldwide. Now an adult, Bettina will begin her life as a teacher this fall in Germany and will use her experiences from CISV to positively influence her students. Gael Meehan of Upper St. Clair, Pa., was the camp planner. Among her responsibilities were the carefully detailed arrivals and departures of the campgoers. Having her sons Patrick and Tim go through the CISV program, Gael is somewhat of a seasoned veteran. As a CISV parent, Gael has memorable experiences akin to what CISV campgoers have. "The kind of kid interested in this program is an interesting kid," says Gael. Her family has served as a sponsor for junior campers from other countries attending CISV camps in theU.S. Younger son Tim volunteered as host staff member for the camp at Penn Scenic View. Older son Patrick feels that the time spent with CISV had a strong influence on his life. "Definitely (CISV) helps with career-making decisions," Gael said. Smells like teen spirit The campgoers at Scenic View came from Algeria, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden and the U.S. On first impression, one would be hard-pressed to see these teens as ambassadors of peace. A visitor arriving at Penn Scenic View around noon one day during the camp saw little sign of life. The campers were just waking up. One bleary-eyed girl squeezed an individual-sized serving of cream cheese onto a piece of toast for a quick breakfast. 6 William him Life, August 2001
