From the head

During our sixty years as a school, we have always looked to align with others in the world who are trying to bring about change and empower teenagers. The Seeds of Peace organization has a global reputation for the work that they do to bring together young people from conflict areas and help them learn about working through their differences in point of view. As their Values Statement reads:

 

"We are dedicated to the pursuit of peaceful change in communities divided by conflict."

"By providing spaces for meaningful, productive, and educational human interaction, we believe that individuals and communities will take the lead to challenge the status quo and work for a more just, humane, and peaceful future."

 

For the last two summers, the Seeds of Peace camp has taken place on the Hyde campus, so we have had the opportunity to see their work up close. Two seniors, Brooklyn Campisi '26 and Brady Kreup '26, were selected to be interns in the program, and one of the camp’s administrative leaders, Vishnu Swaminathan, has joined the team at Hyde.

 

This week, Vishnu, Brooklyn, and Brady led a school meeting where they shared some lessons used by Seeds of Peace, and they led the school community in one of its core exercises.

 

Vishnu talked about three important distinctions:

Debate: Me versus You

Discussion: Us versus a Problem

Dialogue: Us learning about each other

 

After this, Brooklyn and Brady shared the lessons they learned at the camp, and then the entire school was divided into trios. Each person in each group of three took turns being the presenter, the listener, and the observer. Each presenter shared a conflict they had experienced, while the listener paid close attention and the observer watched.

 

When asked what they had learned, the comments included:

 

"I realized that conflict can be in small things that can build up."

"When we avoid dealing with conflict, then we build resentments."

 

Brooklyn said to the community, "We all need to be grateful for the privilege we have here to be together because there are others in this world who go to sleep at night not at peace." Brady added, "I learned last summer that listening to learn without any agenda or preformed opinions brings about a whole new level of learning."

 

Important learning for all of us!

 

Laura D. Gauld '76

President