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The Middle East Aikido Project both sponsors and partners with a variety of projects to promote Aikido training and martial arts peace education throughout the region.
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PEACE CAMP INITIATIVE (PCI)Helping to bring peace to the Middle East... a few kids at a time Now in its second summer, the PeaceCamp Initiative brings
a number of Israeli and Palestinian boys and girls, age 12-16,
to be campers together at Camp Susquehannock in upstate Pennsylvania. Founded and directed by Sensei Robert Kent,
the young people are selected by Salaam Shalom Aikido and
Budo For Peace staff on the basis of their written applications
and verbal interviews. They receive scholarships provided by American program donors (and the more money we raise the more kids we can send!). Please take a few minutes to watch this informative video. "The Peace Camp Initiative allows something extraordinary to happen in the war-torn lives of deserving young martial artists from Israel and Palestine. They will experience a world without bullets or bombs, refugees or resentments. They will learn to trust and value each other as teammates, cabinmates, friends and travel companions. They will outgrow their inherited enmity. These young people will also, in turn, become leaders amongst their peers, bring positive change to their families and communities, and sow seeds of peace and tolerance in a land where both are aching to bloom and grow strong." Sensei Robert Kent
Please visit www.peacecampinitiative to learn about this heartwarming and important work. For the amazing story of how Ahmed, a Muslim karateka from an Arab village in northern Israel, finally received his US visa in time to go to Camp, check out AE Newsletter 29. Here is Ahmed describing in his own words his experience at PeaceCamp. Thoughts from Adam and Zahi can be found on Speaking of Peace. “I believe that we can live in peace by the assistance of the American society. They can make a change by understanding the two opinions of the Israeli and Palestinian too. Also I learned that the Christian, Muslims and Jews can live together in one country, they can achieve the purpose of each other and the peace by our Cooperation together.”
BUDO FOR PEACE (BFP)
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Danny Hakim, founder of Budo (Martial Arts) For Peace, has been working closely with Jamie Zimron, Robert Kent and Don Levine to promote joint Arab-Jewish karate, judo and aikido trainings within Israel; introduce peace education curriculum for young people into martial arts programs there; and select participants for the PeaceCamp Initiative summer program in America.
Sensei Danny lives in Israel and created BFP to “bring together young people from conflict areas to learn and practice traditional Japanese budo in order to learn its values and apply them toward breaking down fear and building trust between peoples … Jewish and Arabic youth enrolled in our program are taught to convert both internal and external conflict into harmonious behaviors." BFP arranges ongoing joint activities amongst children and youth from Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities within Israeli society to instill self-confidence, foster tolerance and promote inter-ethnic understanding.
AIKIDO WITHOUT BORDERS (AWB)
Aikido Without Borders is a new non-profit Israeli organization founded by Miles Kessler, focused on developing high-quality Aikido practitioners and teachers in the West Bank. Sensei Miles, Chief Instructor of Integral Aikido in Tel Aviv, returned to Israel from the 2005 Cyprus seminar and has been working since then to help train Palestinian Aikidoists through Salaam Shalom Aikido and Aikido Without Borders.
Active groups are now training in Jerusalem and Ramallah, and a new childrens Aikido class is underway at an SOS orphanage in Bethlehem. Resources of funds, equipment and personnel are greatly needed and go a long way in supporting non-violent Aikido training in Palestine and Arab-Jewish reconciliation efforts through creating awareness and connections, building community dojos and holding joint practices.
AWASSA YOUTH CENTER (AYC) & ETHIOPIAN PEACE DOJO
 
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Through the inspired leadership of Aiki Extensions Founder Don Levine and AYC Director Tesfaye Tekelu, Aikido is fast becoming a transformative educational force in war-torn and HIV-ridden Ethiopia . Tesfaye attended the 2005 Cyprus TAB Conference and in early 2009 was tested by a national AE board for his black belt upon completing 5 months of intensive training in the United States. He has returned to lead the Awassa Peace Dojo and Ethiopian Aikido, to support young people in their development, help stop the outbreak of AIDS, and promote the outbreak of peace on the African continent. From the AYC website: Aikido training relates specially to problems of adolescents. The rigorous physical discipline focuses the mind and helps troubled youths by improving academic performance, interpersonal relationships, and work habits. Aikido equips youth with self-awareness that helps them deal with such traumas as poverty and HIV/AIDS with calm confidence. Like sports, aikido is a fun social activity, and classes are filled with laughter. Aikido is useful for protection. With assault crimes a reality for many young women, the Awassa Peace Dojo offers specialized female self-defense classes. Beyond aikido, the dojo offers activities such as tai chi, yoga, and meditation; and a place for guests to offer workshops on nonviolent conflict resolution. All activities are apolitical. The Awassa Peace Dojo helps young people focus their energy, develop themselves, and become positive contributing members of their society. |