peacecamp 2013

This was Peacecamp 2013

I was so happy when I got the opportunity to go to peacecamp with my schoolmates and my dreams came true there. I have had the best time in Reibers.
I even enjoyed the preparation work, both the individual and the group preparation. I was the one who made a simple Hungarian folk dance coreography and I thought it to my delegation. I also made a Power Point presentation of a funny Hungarian folk song and I tried to teach it to the others in the camp. I also prepared for singing a nice Hungarian folk song and I sang it three times during the camp. It was a pleasure to make my family album too. I tried to get infromation about the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians in advance because I didn't know about it too much.
It was really memorable when the different four delegations first met at the airport in Vienna. On the way to Reibers we tried to get to know each other and I felt immediately that these children are so close to me. It wasn't a problem to communicate with them and we found that we have a lot in common.
Reibers is a beautiful, clean and tidy little village and I liked our accomodation too. All of our leaders and artists were so nice and special. They were energetic, full of life, cheerful and really enthusiastic. They welcomed us with open arms like we are not strangers. I felt I was a part of a big family and I always felt comfortable at the camp. All the activities were colourful and enjoyable. On the other hand, they were really useful too with full of information.
I especially enjoyed the culture evenings, we got to know a lot about the culture of the other countries and we could taste their national dishes. We all were treated like real talents not only in the talent show. The final show was a big succes. Everybody took part in it and we showed how we could work as a group after a few days.
The camp was proved that different cultures can work together peacefully even if their countries have conflicts with each other. We can solve the problems and difficulties if everyone wants to do that.
We decided to meet next year in Israel and we keep in touch through the Internet every day. These 10 days are the most memorable eperience of my life. It is something that I will never forget. Each one of you has made a mark in my life. I will always be grateful to Evelyn and the other leaders and artists very much. I miss you all a lot.

Dóra Pelczer (from the Hungarian delegation)

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When somebody says next to me : Peacecamp , I start to smileing because it was a very-very good experience in my life. At the starting i was a bit afraid of the other people from other countries but when we had to say goodbye in the end… that was a painfull moment. During this 11 days i got know with 31 childrens good side and their culture. The starting of the days got a rote for the end and the programs were very enjoyable. I have too much experience to write them or to choose only one or two. I think everybody think and feel the same. I hope that i can see them again. I learnt that i should make peace because if i don’t do that , my environment will be restless and then it get worse and worse. I really want to say Thank you for Ronnie and Evelyn for these good experiences!
David (Hung. delegation)

This was Peacecamp

When I first heard about Peacecamp, I wasn’t really sure I wanted to do it. Indeed, the project was supposed to take place at the beginning of the summer holiday, which I wanted to spend with my friends in Vienna. But after many days, weighing up the pros and the cons, I decided to participate to this project, convincing myself it would be a great opportunity to meet new people from horizons totally different from mine. Today, when I think about this period of hesitation, I feel happy to have taken this decision, thinking it might would have been a huge mistake not to go there. The people I met, the moments I spent with them, were so … magic to me that it is today very hard for me to find other adjectives to describe or define Peacecamp. These 10 days were a concentrate of a whole lifetime. And I think that the best way to resume these 10 days is by quoting an American singer and rapper called Macklemore saying in one of his many great songs : « And we danced, and we cried and we laughed,and had a really really really good time, take my hand, let’s have a blast and remember this moment for the rest of our lifes ». I discovered cultures and a part of the world that I had heard about before but Peacecamp gave me the opportunity to be in a real, social contact with people from these cultures that seemed so far from mine before. And this project helped me realize that we’re not that different and we have so much in common.
Today, when I remember this whole project and all the great memories I keep inside of me and think of everyday, I feel happy and at the same time nostalgic of all these moments. I was 100 miles away of thinking that this beautiful project would have such an impact on my life. I keep in touch with a lot of Peace campers and I sometimes feel closer to them than to other of my friends i see every day. I am really looking forward to seeing them again because i realize i miss them a lot (way too much actually). Another element that was very specific to the Peace camp is the place where we lived during one week. It was a tiny Austrian village which was for me the perfect place to meditate and live great adventures. Reibers is unique and so is this project and the wonderful persons I met there…. This is why I would like to thank Evelyn and the whole Peacecamp crew for making me live such a wonderful, great and unforgettable moment that made me grow up.

Pierre (Austrian delegation)