The class representatives of Std IX are Amrita Parikh and Ankit Kasera

The Class Mothers of Std IX are Mrs. Mona Rajani and Mrs. Priti Merchant

The educational tour of Orissa

Divya has shared her experiences with us

BREAKING THE BARRIERS BREAKING THE BARRIERS

        21st June 2004 was one of the most memorable days of my life. It marked
the beginning of my journey to a much peaceful world. I had arrived at the Seeds
of Peace International camp 2004 at Maine in the USA. Having crossed several
borders and having come to this unknown land for the first time it was quite a
shock. I was nervous and did not know what to expect. There were children of my
age from all over the world. They were of different nationalities and religions.
But we had one common goal, and that was of peace and unity. We all had a strong
belief that we the youth are the future of the world and that we can make a
difference. All of had left our homes and come to this camp to meet our
so-called enemies and discuss the future and the prospects for peace. When I met
a Pakistani I did not feel that they were different from us. We had a lot of
similarities. But then there were differences also. But in the end we bonded
well. In our co-existence sessions we would discuss issues and clarify doubts.
We would argue but would never hurt anyone's feelings. I realised that both the
sides wanted peace on humanitarian grounds. We wanted peace for the people who
suffered the wrath of war. Then we also had colour games at camp. the entire
camp was divided into the blue and the green team. There was an atmosphere of
healthy competition. At the end of it both the teams got into the water
irrespective of who won or lost. That spirit of unity and trust really moved us
all to tears. These colour games taught me the true essence of camp. Another
thing that surprised me was that the Pakistanis were very co-operative. They
took care of me when I was sick and refused to eat beef on the same table for
the first few days. I truly got a lot more support from them than anyone else at
camp. We shared our problems and learnt to co-exist, giving the two countries a
new ray of hope for peace. After being at camp I realised that it was not just
an imaginary world where two enemies unite, it is a reality waiting to exist.
Thus Seeds of Peace taught me how to listen. It taught me how to accept people
and their views for what they are and to believe in the power of the individual.
But above all it taught me that my enemy had a human face and that we are the
future of the country and we will take the initiative to strive for a much
peaceful and human world.

DIVYA MOORJANEY