Sonntag, 18. November 2007
Lyr's speach
at the
International Symposium
on psychic trauma
Jerusalem, November 15th, 2007
at the
International Symposium
on psychic trauma
Jerusalem, November 15th, 2007
peacecamp, 23:27h
The peace camp
When I was invited to the Peacecamp I had no idea how it would be. I have never thought it would be as it was. The Peacecamp was definitely an amazing experience which I will never forget. At the beginning, the Peacecamp seemed to be a great trip to Austria with some of my best friends, nothing more. The first time I realized that it was going to be much more than a simple trip to another country was in the first group meeting and in the following evening. It was the first time ever I could just sit and talk to a girl, about my age, who lives in the same country I do, and who came with the Arab group. For the first time I had the opportunity to be and speak with an Arab teenager and get to know the Palestinian culture. I asked my questions and got answers. in Israel it could never happen but Austria gave us a neutral territory and freedom to speak our minds. There were also European groups. It was very fun to meet teenagers from other countries. I always tried to think: what do people from abroad know about the situation in Israel? In the Peacecamp I got my answers. For the first time I talked about the war in 2006. In Israel if you speak about the war everyone has their own experience from this summer but with the Europeans I could share my feelings and my experiences. All of this was brought to discussion only because of a fire alarm that we heard which was just like the one that was heard during the war in Israel. The singing, dancing and hanging around together was so much fun, and demonstrated the fact that teenagers all over the world have mutual interests and actually enjoy the same things. The Peacecamp was great! I hope I will have the chance to meet all my new friends from Austria, Hungary and the Arabs. If we could live in harmony for 10 days, why can't the world?
When I was invited to the Peacecamp I had no idea how it would be. I have never thought it would be as it was. The Peacecamp was definitely an amazing experience which I will never forget. At the beginning, the Peacecamp seemed to be a great trip to Austria with some of my best friends, nothing more. The first time I realized that it was going to be much more than a simple trip to another country was in the first group meeting and in the following evening. It was the first time ever I could just sit and talk to a girl, about my age, who lives in the same country I do, and who came with the Arab group. For the first time I had the opportunity to be and speak with an Arab teenager and get to know the Palestinian culture. I asked my questions and got answers. in Israel it could never happen but Austria gave us a neutral territory and freedom to speak our minds. There were also European groups. It was very fun to meet teenagers from other countries. I always tried to think: what do people from abroad know about the situation in Israel? In the Peacecamp I got my answers. For the first time I talked about the war in 2006. In Israel if you speak about the war everyone has their own experience from this summer but with the Europeans I could share my feelings and my experiences. All of this was brought to discussion only because of a fire alarm that we heard which was just like the one that was heard during the war in Israel. The singing, dancing and hanging around together was so much fun, and demonstrated the fact that teenagers all over the world have mutual interests and actually enjoy the same things. The Peacecamp was great! I hope I will have the chance to meet all my new friends from Austria, Hungary and the Arabs. If we could live in harmony for 10 days, why can't the world?
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