REAL COMMUNITIES: Youth Camp Encourages Peacebuilding
About two and a half hours south of Atlanta, the Peacebuilders Camp at Koinonia Farm (Peacebuilders) is nestled in Americus, GA.
A unique overnight summer camp, Peacebuilders invites youth ages 11-14 to spend a week together learning how to work towards peace and justice. Campers enjoy farm life, games, sports, field trips and crafts as they learn about human rights, make new friends and explore the stories of peacemakers past and present.
With support from the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities' Real Communities Partnership, Peacebuilders is able to include more youth with disabilities and offer more programming that educates and inspires all campers by highlighting the work and heroes of the disability rights movement.
Peacebuilders' curriculum is based on the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Campers of different races, religions, ethnic backgrounds and socioeconomic levels; from rural, suburban and urban neighborhoods; and those with and without disabilities live and work together as a community for a week at Koinonia Farm, an intentional community with a rich history in social justice activism.
Each day of camp, discussion and activities are focused on one human right from the UDHR. Campers are encouraged to consider the importance of that right; which communities may be left out of that right; and what can be done to expand it with and for at-risk communities and individuals.
Field trips, service projects and opportunities to meet peacemakers and activists offer further inspiration. Each day at camp also includes recreation and free time, during which campers form strong bonds across lines of diversity and begin to understand others' points of view.
At the end of each session, campers commit to one action that will promote justice and encourage peace in their home communities. Peacebuilders Camp is an empowering week for youth seeking to make a difference in their world.
2018 Camp Dates
- Session One (ages 11-12) - July 2-7, 2018
- Session Two (ages 13-14) - July 9-14, 2018 (waiting list only)
- Session Three (ages 13-15) - July 16-21, 2018
Registration: http://www.peacebuilderscamp.org/registration/registration-1/
For more information, visit https://gcdd.org/real-communities/current-partners/
To read more in Making a Difference magazine, see below:
