Friendship Camps 2012

Send a Camp to Kids!

Friendship Camps 2012 - Break It Down, Build It Up

This summer the New Jersey Synod, ELCA, will host Friendship Camps throughout Bosnia. These camps are for children ages 10-13 (and anyone else who shows up!), and are intended to help bring Healing, Hope & Peace, into their lives and their communities. Each camp has anywhere from 60-350+ students, with 10-20 teachers present. We expect to serve at least 1,400 children this summer.

Our Friendship Camps will focus on teamwork, the strength found in a diverse group of people working together, and on the fun of tackling a shared challenge. We use music and drama exercises, conflict resolution and diversity training. We’ll spend the day with the children playing together, singing together, sharing stories, creating art, and eating and laughing together. We’ll give the children, the teachers in attendance that day, and the schools some gifts – including the gift of our time and love.

Every Friendship Camp needs to be Sponsored!

We'll be sure to bring back photos and and a gift to all Friendship Camp Supporters, Partners and Sponsors!

Friendship Camps

June 25 - Leptir Disabilities Friendship Camp (near Srebrenica)
June 26 - Jajce Friendship Camp
June 27 - Trnopolje/Kozarac Friendship Camp
June 28 - Sanski Most Friendship Camp
June 29 - Sipovo Friendship Camp
June 30 - Mostar (Croat curriculum school) Friendship Camp
June 30 - Mostar (Bosnian curriculum school) Friendship Camp
July 2 - Sarajevo Friendship Camp

FRIENDSHIP CAMP DESCRIPTIONS

Srebrenica (Leptir) Camp
June 25, 2012

Sponsored by Nancy and Cliff Konnerth (members of St. Timothy, Wayne)

Srebrenica is a small town in the far east of Bosnia – very near the border with Serbia. It is in Republik Srpska (the Serb-controlled section of Bosnia). During the war, Srebrenica was declare a UN Safe-Zone. Near the end of the war Srebrenica (with its large Muslim population) was overrun by Serb forces who, in their attempt to ethnically cleanse the area, massacred over 8,000 unarmed civilian men and boys. This is the largest massacre in Europe since WWII. Today Srebrenica still bears many deep scars from the war; psychologically, physically, socially, spiritually. At this Friendship Camp we'll hold a Friendship Camp with the children of Leptir (butterfly), a wonderful organization for children with disabilities. These kids are great! This will be our 6th year with these amazing children and some of their family members!

Jajce Camp
June 26, 2012

sponsorship for this camp is still needed!

Jajce is famous for its beautiful waterfall where the lake Pliva meets the river Vrbas. It is also home to the ruins of St. Luke's, a church that once held the actual bones of the Apostle Luke! At the beginning of the war, Jajce was inhabited by people from all ethnic groups, and was situated at a junction between areas of Serb majority to the north, Bosnian Muslim majority areas to the south-east and Croatian majority areas to the south-west. In 1992, after almost all Serbs left the city and fled to territory under Bosnian Serb control, Jajce was heavily bombed by Serb forces. Most of the houses and government building were totally destroyed. The city was under Serb control until the Croatian army retook the city in the summer of 1995. Recently this became a “two schools under one roof”, where they separate the Croat and Bosniak (Muslim) children into separate rooms, each with their separate curriculum. While this (illegal) situation is deplorable, it is all the more reason for us to be in this community, with these children. This will be our 8th year in Jajce.

˜Trnopolje/Kozarac Camp
June 27, 2012

partially Sponsored by St. Timothy Lutheran Church, Wayne, NJ partial sponsorship for this camp is still needed!

Kozarac is a small town in north-west Bosnia, near the larger town of Prijedor. Trnopolje is a village just outside of Kozarac. They are in Republik Srpska (the Serb-controlled section of Bosnia), though prior to the war it was 85% Bosniak (Muslim). During the war, Kozarac had a rape house set up by the Serb authorities; nearby was the notorious Trnopolje Concentration Camp, where detainees were abused, some tortured, raped or even killed. In Kozarac, our team stays in Srcem do Mira's (Through Hearts to Peace) remarkable House of Peace. This year we’re trying something new - we’re holding the Friendship Camp at the Trnopolje School (on the grounds of the Concentration Camp!) and have invited the children from the Kozarac School to join us. We don’t know quite what to expect, but are excited and a bit nervous. This will be our 9th year in Kozarac and our first camp in Trnopolje!

Sanski Most Camp
June 28, 2012

sponsorship for this camp is still needed!

Prior to the war, Sanski Most held large Serb and Bosniak (Muslim) populations. During the war, it was taken over by the Bosnian-Serb forces of the Republika Srpska, and was under Bosnian-Serb control from the spring of 1992 to 1995. During this time, large parts of the non-Serb population either fled or was forcibly expelled. In October 1995, the city was entered by the forces of the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina, shortly before the end of the war. This triggered a mass exodus of the Serb population. Today its population is primarily Bosniak. The teachers and students are very wonderful and so welcoming. We are very excited to be returning here for our 5th visit!

Sipovo Camp
June 29, 2012

Sponsored by Sandi and Neil Kessner

Sipovo is a small town in central Bosnia, in Republik Srpska (the Serb-controlled section of Bosnia). During the war no fighting took place in Sipovo, but for a time it was held by opposition forces, which expelled the local, mainly Serb, residents. Since the war it has struggled to recover economically, as Republik Srpska receives little international aid. This is one of the towns we visit where many of the children seem to suffer from significant poverty. Though our first Frienship Camp, in 2000, was met with some mistrust, the people of Sipovo have graciously opened their town to us for many wonderful years. This is our largest camps each year (320+ children!) where we often have to, regretfully, turn many children away because of their overwhelming numbers. This will be our 13th great year in Sipovo!

Mostar (Croat curriculum school) Camp
Mostar (Croat curriculum school) Camp
June 30, 2012

sponsorship for both of these camp are still needed!

Situated on the Neretva river in the south of the country, Mostar is the largest and the most important city in the Herzegovina region and the third largest in Bosnia-Herzegovina. During and since the war, it has been a city divided between the Croats in the western part of the city and the Bosniaks (Muslims) in the east. When we visit this city we stay with our dear friends at the Mostar Orphanage.

This year we are so excited to be able to hold two Friendship Camps simultaneously: one in the Mujaga Komadina School (a “Bosnian curriculum” school) and one in the Silvije Strahimir Kranjcevic School (a “Croat curriculum” school). This will be our third year at Mujaga Komadina School, and our first at Silvije Strahimir Kranjcevic School.
In the evening we hope to hold a concert in the center of the Old City, at the foot of the famous Stari Most bridge. We’ll invite the children and their families from all parts of the city for this very special event!

July 1, 2012
Worship in Mostar and travel to Sarajevo (3+ hour drive!)

Sarajevo Camp
July 2, 2012

Sponsored by Christ Lutheran Church, Paramus, NJ

Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia- Herecegovina, is the largest city in Bosnia (population of 300,000+) located near the center of the country. It is a beautiful, richly diverse city with a deep, important history in the region. The city was attacked in mid-1992 and was under siege from that time until the end of the war - making it the longest siege in Europe since WW II. The school where we hold this Friendship Camp is a rare (possibly unique) model of diversity in Bosnia, with Serb, Croat, Bosniak (Muslim) AND Roma (gypsy) children, as well as a number of children from our dear friends at “Joy of Life” program for children with disabilities. This is a trend that we want to support and encourage as much as possible. The children and teachers at this camp have a truly wonderful spirit. We’re so excited to be returning to this school for a 4th year!

Thank you so much for your support of this vital, life-giving ministry!

Download Materials

• 2012 Map & Itinerary (Adobe PDF file)

Posted by Jason on April 14, 2012