By Dewirini Anggraeni and Siobhan Hagan September 2013
Launched
in 2008 by Long Island-based organization Tuesday’s Children, Project Common Bond is the only international program
that unites children directly impacted by acts of terrorism. In July, the 6th annual session of this week-long camp
for teenagers was held in Bryn Mawr, PA. The teenagers who attended hailed from
12 countries, including Indonesia, Algeria, Nigeria, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Spain,
Palestine, Croatia, and the USA.
Originally
inspired by its work with the children of 9/11 victims, Tuesday’s Children
initiated Project Common Bond as a means of support for young people who share
the ‘common bond’ of losing a family member to violent extremism, terrorism, and war. The
students come together to take part in a week-long interactive curriculum including panel discussions, workshops, and
team-building exercises that focus on the concept of dignity and its role in
conflict resolution.
Most
importantly, the camp provides a feeling of that comes from shared
experience. Many of the teens feel
isolated from their peers at home, who might not be able to relate to their
loss. For some, Project Common Bond is the first time they are able to talk
openly about what has happened to themselves and their families. The
connections they form with each other help reconcile the feelings of sadness
that lie beneath their everyday lives; it helps to know they are not alone. Teenagers
who have attended past sessions of the camp have said that going there made
them feel more in control, and that it was more than beneficial – it was ‘essential.’
We are
thrilled that Project Common Bond’s Director, Kathy Murphy, connected with Edit
Schlaffer and SAVE Indonesia’s Dewirini Anggraeni to bring two boys from Jakarta to participate in
this year’s camp. Kathy says, ‘These
young adults really have a message that they want the world to hear; they are
not angry, they do not wish for revenge or more violence. Their message is
about creating peace in the future, and the hope that they have for solving the
conflicts they were directly impacted by.’
