Teens bond over shared history of suffering from terrorism

The group first gathered at Colby College in Waterville on July 22 and will be staying there until Sunday. Participants hail from 16 countries and territories, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Israel, Palestine, Haiti and Northern Ireland. There also are students from the United States, including children of people who died on 9/11.

Project Common Bond is an initiative started by Tuesday’s Children, a group that formed after Sept. 11 to provide support for children and families affected by terrorism.

The project is in its tenth year and has taken place in several states, most recently in Pennsylvania. It is in Maine for the first time this year. The project is funded by a combination of private, foundation and corporate money as well as funds from Tuesday’s Children.

Tuesday’s Children partners with non-governmental organizations around the world to find young people to participate in the program, said Deirdre Dolan, a program manager for the nonprofit. Its goal is to create a “generation of peacebuilders” who “promote resiliency and long-term healing for victims of terrorism,” she said.

Despite their shared backstory of trauma and loss, participants spend much of their time in the program having fun.

Days are long, running from about 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily with activities ranging from playing Frisbee on the campus green to participating in drama therapy, art and music. They begin each day with “dignity sessions,” which resemble group therapy meetings.

Nineteen-year-old Sara Tumulty-Ollemar of Asbury, New Jersey, and her sister, 16-year-old Caroline, said the group sessions are integral to the experience. The sisters lost their father, who worked in the South Tower of the World Trade Center, on 9/11.

“We’re here to create a bond. To share our stories,” Sara said. “See how we can take all of the bad things that have happened to everyone and try to use that to make the world a better place.”

Patrick Whittle, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Teens bond over shared history of suffering from terrorism

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