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Counselors Boniface Kabongo, left, and his sister Marie-Monique Kabongo of South Portland raise the Seeds of Peace flag during opening ceremonies Monday in Otisfield. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer
OTISFIELD On their first morning of camp, 70 teenagers wearing matching blue and green Seeds of Peace sweatshirts gathered on the field where more than 7,000 campers before them have come from across the globe to talk about deep divides and how to find common ground.
But this summer, for the first time in its 28-year history, the camp is devoting a session exclusively to teens from Maine.
Originally created to bring together Palestinian and Israeli teenagers to seek common ground, Seeds of Peace has expanded over the years to include other Middle Eastern countries and teenagers from the United States. But the pandemic kept the camp in Otisfield closed last year, and it’s still not possible for international students to travel to Maine because of COVID tra
New-york
United-states
Maine
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Josh-thomas
Spencer-traylor
Danielle-whyte
Sophie-warren
Middle-eastern