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Euroasian Jewish News
The EAJC General Council Chairman Josef Zissels speaks at the opening ceremony of the second shift at the camp (photo by tolerspace.org.ua)
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The Second Shift of the Roots of Tolerance Summer Camp Officially Started in Vyzhnytsa
31.07.2012
On July 29th the second shift for teenagers in the International Children's Summer Camp “Roots of Tolerance” started at the Kremenitsy tourist camp in the Eastern Carpathians (Vyzhnytsa, Chernovitskaya oblast', Ukraine.) This is the 11th year that the Roots of Tolerance camp is held by the Congress of National Communities of Ukraine (CNCU, Executive Vice President – EAJC General Council Chairman Josef Zissels, Executive Director – Anna Lenchovskaya.)
The camp's attendees are teenagers aged from 13 till 16 years old, who represent various ethnic communities of Ukraine, Russia and Moldova. Besides children of refugees and asylum seekers from Central Asia countries are participating.
The idea of the camp is that each day is lived by the children as a member of a certain ethnic community. Thus, a strong emotional empathic bond with national minorities is formed in representatives of each ethnic community, including the national majority. The unique bonding experience with each culture forms a tolerant attitude to other cultures that lasts throughout the visitors' lives.
This empathic method is a unique know-how of the CNCU psychologists and teachers.
Many councilors of the Roots of Tolerance – 2012 camp were part of this unique school of mutual respect and understanding during their own teenage years. Upon getting an education, they decided to dedicate themselves to promoting tolerance in the next generation, and came to the camp to work.
The first younger group of campers from 8 to 12 years old concluded their shift earlier.
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