A chance to learn from foe

As reported in the...

By Eloise Aguiar

Honolulu Advertiser Staff Writer

The Honolulu Advertiser version of the article can be found here.

MOKULE'IA — As countries around the world work out their differences on the battlefields or through diplomacy, their children will be in Hawai'i trying to forge relationships at camp.

YMCA World Camp 2007 on the North Shore has signed up about 130 people from 30 countries, including children representing sworn enemies and long-time allies.

The focus of the camp, scheduled Aug. 10-24, is to expose teenagers to different cultures, build leadership abilities and increase international awareness and fellowship.

"We'll be building the leaders of the future," said Blandine Ehrenberger, a YMCA international instructor from Germany. "It's a long-term thing. We're changing them and showing them there's more possibilities. We don't have to be in a war."

Hawai'i is hosting this global event for the first time in its history after an eight-year hiatus.

It originated in 1985 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of YMCA camping and took place about every three or four years.

Teens attending the camps will leave with a changed and broader view of the world, said Ehrenberger, who works with other instructors from around the world at Camp Erdman. Hawai'i students will also benefit from the exchange because so many of them seldom leave the Islands or only go as far as the Mainland.

"We have school groups coming here, and most of the kids have never left their communities," she said. "For us coming from all over the world to work here, it's just unbelievable. It's already a small island, and they don't leave their communities."

Camp Erdman's international staff includes people from Kosovo, Greece, Canada, Germany and New Zealand, Ehrenberger said, adding that she continues to learn from people she meets while working for the YMCA.

"This will happen to the kids," she said. "It will be an eye-opener."

She and the rest of the staff are especially looking forward to working with two girls from Jerusalem, an Israeli and a Palestinian. The YMCA in Jerusalem is sending the two as a delegation and wants them to start thinking about how to solve problems there, Ehrenberger said.

YMCA staff have been planning the camp for two years and hope to have about 30 percent of the participants from the United States and 70 percent international students, giving it a broader world view, said Josh Heimowitz, executive director at Camp Erdman. In the past it was always held on the Mainland with a 50-50 split.

"People who would never have had a chance to meet are getting together," Heimowitz said.

The camp includes futurist Joel Barker discussing the implications of a global language, Kiwanis leadership program, a ropes course and a cultural festival, he said. The students will participate in several service projects, including painting a world map at the camp, erecting a peace pole and building a peace garden. A big part of the camp will be sharing the Hawaiian culture, and the YMCA is still looking for someone to help with poi pounding, Heimowitz said.

Despite the good turnout, Heimowitz said, the mixture lacks Hawai'i residents, which would be an important component, especially since it is the host culture. Scholarships are being offered.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com.