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Could you hear the uproar from the soccer field 20 miles away on Pleasant Lake in Otisfield? Some wished it could be heard 'round the world.

The roaring cheers and subdued groans as the home team's fortunes rose and fell were the sounds of Arab and Israeli teenagers rooting enthusiastically for their team, Seeds of Peace, to trounce Camp Samoset.

	Tamer Sollman, an Egyptian teenager, led cheers, including, "We will, we will, rock you," his hands and fingers drumming out a rhythmic, stirring beat on his tabla (a bongo sized drum with a wide variety of tonal qualities). Another Egyptian, Amgad Naguib, followed Tamer's lead, cheering when an Arab or an Israeli, it didn't matter which, made a great move on the opponent. Amgad, at 18, having participated in Seeds of Peace since it began five years ago, is a veteran. Now a counselor to the 13 to 15 year old campers, he has keen insight into the camp's workings.

During a break in the game, Amgad allowed himself to be serious. He surveyed the players and spectators and with an accent, but perfect English, said, "The easy part of being here is having fun, playing sports, swimming, and enjoying yourself, but it takes a lot of courage for these kids to come here. Probably the hardest thing is, you are not only away from home, you are away from home with some of your enemies.

"I had some friends when I went home other years who called me a traitor, spy. Some said 'How could you do that, how could you become friendly with Israelis?' The hardest part is not what they say, it's how I feel about what they say. But I've been able to get over that. I really do believe in this.

"These kids are specifically picked because of their potential to become leaders in social and academic fields. Most of them are going into science, medicine, economy.

"And I know it does them good because it did me good, personally. I've experienced it. I'm not going to say I see all Israelis as peace loving. I can just say I am more open-minded to listen to other people's opinions ? not just Israelis or Palestinians, to all people. I no longer look at a person as a nationality, but as an individual and a personality."

Amgad's attitude grew from Seeds of Peace, a program requiring participating Egyptian, Israeli, Jordanian, Moroccan, Palestinian, Qatari, and Tunisian campers to eat, sleep, play, and attend religious ceremonies together ? and to attend "coexistence sessions" each morning and evening.

		"When you play sports," he says, "you show your surface. When you do the coexistence sessions, your inner feelings emerge. All the things you weren't allowed to say, you spill them out, and there are no consequences here for what you say, so you just let go. It's psychologically unburdening. That's when most of the conflict occurs because you are saying offensive things, and that's where you learn about becoming more open-minded because you start listening to this person. You realize you have things you want him to listen to, and you realize the only way he'll listen is if you listen to him. And that's the basis for peace. To be willing to sit down and listen."

Another break in the soccer game found two Israeli girls, Dana Haim and Shani Raz-Silviga saying there's nothing difficult about being at Seeds of Peace, "...because everything and everyone is so nice. Maybe the hardest part is with English. We became like one big family, like one big nation, the nation of Seeds of Peace. We really feel that way. It's not an accident, because you live with them, sleep with them, so you have to get along."

But as others joined the discussion, opinions clashed. Tal Neles said she found being away from home very difficult at first, and Nina Gonan said, "The hard thing is the coexistence sessions. You are three or four Israelis in front of eight or ten Arabs, and we have to talk about ourselves, about things we never talked about before. It's hard. We discuss important things and there can be arguments. But outside the sessions everything is like one big harmony."

Back home, friends and family had mixed feelings about the program, but a combination of acceptance and fascination seemed to predominate. "Some of my friends at first said, 'You are going to sleep with Arabic people? Ugh. How could you?' But when I was going to the airport, the same ones said, 'Wow, we're so jealous of you.'"

Most in the group saw peace between Arabs and Israelis as possible, but they voiced reservations: "In every society there will be people who object or who don't want peace." "There won't be peace in the next few years, but there will be in the future." "Territory is the problem." "It's a dream I don't think can come true, but we can try. We can make it better."

More kids joined in and a confusion of excited voices competed to tell what was best about camp: "Sports." "Water-skiing." "The mosquitoes. They're so big!" "The boys!" "The girls!" "The people are all so friendly." "Everything is so green, and the lake, and everything is so amazing." "Meeting people."

The soccer field clamor could be heard at the arts and crafts building where a small group was patching an old boat and cutting out life-sized plywood human figures. Yousa Dridi, a 15 year old Tunisian girl, and Yair Spira, a 15 year old Israeli boy, were working side-by-side sanding a figure labeled "Death." Neither commented on the symbolism, but Yair explained they were working on the "Boat of Peace," which will be used later, in dedication ceremonies.

Yousa is enthusiastic. "It is fun here. I like meeting new people from all the countries. Many new people all in one place. I don't find the coexistence sessions too difficult because we play first and that relaxes me. I like that I can express myself and everyone listens.

"Before I came here I had no idea of Israeli and Palestinian people. I am very interested. The only thing I knew is by the media and there is never any possibility of peace. There is always only war. I have completely changed my ideas. We live in the same bunkhouses, we eat together. We are so friendly."

Yousa and Yair look up from their work and turn toward the soccer field as a resounding cheer erupts, filling the camp. Perhaps Seeds of Peace will win.