Please see the two poems below by campers Zaul Moayedian and Ashkon Rahbari!

Ayandeh, what a beautiful place,

The Iranian people, what a beautiful race,

Nothing can compare to my family’s accepting hearts and souls,

for in me all their love is what they pour.

While others may put one down,

no one here would do such a thing.

I am so lucky to be amongst you all,

You make my sadness shrink,

no one here judges, this camp just accepts.

For all of you, all I have is respect,

I never want to leave, for the love here is great.

In the world beyond all I see is misplaced hate,

sometimes I wonder, is this my fate?

To be the victim of senseless jokes, that do nothing but provoke a useless rage,

but then I tell myself no, this cannot be right,

because for my pride I will fight.

And this is just another example,

why this camp is best,

they teach us all we need to know here,

real life is our test.

One lesson I have learned is that.

As individuals we shine,

but as a group we are complete.

I wait for this camp 358 days a year,

24 hours a day, and 7 days a week.

-Zaul Moayedian

To say what has never been said
To explain this feeling as I arise from my bed
The dread, the people soulless like the undead
Born with a pure heart but all the news he’s read
and the things he’s seen, and the blood that’s been shed
by martyrs of a cause that’s lost to them
but found in dreams like REM
You see he lies to the world because the world lied to him.

He burned after he froze,
and so he turns on a pose
with the face of a man whose beard grew faster than his bones
he’s shown that he is content with being alone
perpetually hiding from darkness, the way that he’s grown
intentionally numbing his dome, he cannot cope
He’s lost his hope will he turn to dope
and not what’s packed into bowls and green
but what’s displayed on his television screen

Is he turning into another american friend
Where are his dreams, the gleam and spark in his eye
that comes from the girl that makes him naturally high
Yeah, she’s fly, meaning she uplifts him
meaning his heart gets offset in its rhythm
bum ba da dum and then it hit ‘em
that there’s no way she could ever feel the same
she’s a silly little girl with a really fickle brain
and so when her drunken lips were placed upon another’s
she wasn’t to blame, it was the world that’s
always spited him and now he feels drained
nothing sat right with him on the cusp of insane
and that’s the way it was explained to himself,
no he didn’t need help, wasn’t weak, wasn’t a victim,
wasn’t beat, wasn’t defeated.

He didn’t care but that was the same as hate
they said things would get better but he just couldn’t wait
the rappers talked about money, weed, and female dogs, he couldn’t relate
he lived in a material world where he’d never be great.

Pause. as our hero awakes from his slumber
contemplating thoughts that were as heavy as lumber.
It’s no wonder, he doesn’t say what’s never been said
because to reveal what’s in his head
is to say all the things that consume him when he wakes from his bed.
Resume.  Our hero is done with the silence
and so now he’s chosen all of you to confide in.

-Ashkon Rahbari

This morning, Haleh, the creator of a site known as Aks Bazi (http://www.aksbazi.com/), introduced a project that will bring together campers and people in Iran. The project lasts one week long, and each participant, living in Iran or the U.S., takes one photo each day.  At the end of the period, each person uploads there photos.  The idea is to see one week in the lives of people living in different places around the world.  A Facebook group will also be made between participants so they can have the opportunity to interact and share stories.

Haleh skyping about her website Aks Bazi.

Just before lunch, campers and staff faced off in an epic vasati match.  Both groups did really well, but in the end, as expected, staff prevailed.

The afternoon has been spent with plenty of free time for campers to socialize before leaving tomorrow. Campers place notes in each others’ paper bags, and listen to music.  Others play games. Everyone is preparing for the evening show, when counselors award superlatives, and we honor those graduating from high school.

After dinner, the group rearranged themselves on the quad for pictures.  30 minutes and hundreds of photos later, the group made their way down to the theater space where the ceremony took place. It’s difficult to describe the significance of the ceremony. But what may be difficult to describe was easy to see.  Some people smiling, others crying.  We still have a half-day of camp, but this evening really felt like the end. Counselors and staff shared numerous stories about how camp had changed themselves and others.  The campers left with a feeling that what they were a part of went beyond this single week, back in time to the first year, and into the Ayandeh forever.

Camper and counselor hug it out after a presentation.

Following tradition, we ended the evening with an incredible dance party.  Not much to say here, other than the fact that it was an absolute blast, and a great way to spend the final evening.

Campers and staff partying.

-Arman C., July 5, 11:59 p.m. Photo credits: Darya M.

Tonight was the second-to-last evening at Camp Ayandeh this year.  All week camp groups had prepared Teatro skits to share with one another, and tonight they showed them off.  The skits, which were a hybrid between conflict resolution and inside jokes, proved extremely funny.  They were all also extremely well prepared.  Each act featured three scenes.  The first introduced the protagonist, the second the antagonist, with the third scene being the conflict.  During the conflict scene, the audience was given the opportunity to jump in for the protagonist and help solve the conflict.  There were five shows, and while in reality each was quite long, it went by pretty fast.

A friend and supporter of IAAB reading the campers a short story before the Teatro finale.

Rodd and Danyal acting in their Teatro skit.

For more information on Teatro, check out Tina’s Podcast Below:

To finish the night off, DJ Rosa Rad threw on some tunes.  Dance has always been a big part of the culture here at Camp Ayandeh, and tonight was no exception.

Ashkon dancing after the Teatro finale.

Check out a photo reel of the day below!

-Arman C., July 4, 11:59 p.m.

The first activity of the day centered around the guiding question: “How can Camp Ayandeh be brought home?”  Rassah, Rosa, Shadi, and Mana spoke with campers about what techniques can be used for community organizing.  After the introductions, campers split into counselor groups, and without any help from their counselors, tackled a problem and how they would solve it. All of the propositions were very good.  One of them, “What we did to stop school budget cuts…” by Team Fesenjoon campers Kia, Roxanneh, Lily, Kayla, Darvin, Sohrob, Arman, Alborz, and Ava, developed a timeline of events that would help the proposition go through.  Another group, Team Ahoo, with campers Leila, Sepehr, Parissa, Marjon, Nakisa, Rodd, Mona, Ariane, and Giv, focused on the topic of current events.  They polled other campers and concluded that steps needed to be taken in the school system to allow Americans to be better informed regarding current events.  To this end, they developed a proposal for a state required current events exam.

Team Ahoo presents their idea about current events state exams.

Afterwards, camp staff went over several programs new to IAAB this year.  The first mentioned was Camp Javan, a program similar to Ayandeh, but for rising 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. The program is five days long, and will be at the end of August this year in Northern Virginia. Staff is offering Ayandeh campers a unique opportunity to work as counselors at this August’s camp. Another program new to the IAAB umbrella this year is known as I-CAN, which stands for IAAB Campus Action Network. The program allows Iranian organizations or representatives at schools around the nation to pool resources and plan activities.

Next the campers participated in the team challenge. This year’s challenge was particularly difficult, and required the campers to solve riddles to get further clues. Staff managed different stations, from a ta’arof station where the campers had to give up a plastic trumpet, to a Harry Potter station where campers had to chase down the golden snitch.  After each set of riddles, the groups received an alphabetical letter. Eventually, the groups were able to form words.  When the groups came together, the words combined to state the first sentence of IAAB’s mission statement.

Team Mars Kingdom pours over directions to their next clue.

Nima drinks water between activities.

-Arman C., July 4, 8:36 p.m. Photo credits: Darya M.

The campers had been enthusiastic when told we’d be trying out a basketball teamwork exercise.  But when Hamed Haddadi, the first Iranian NBA player, walked onto the basketball courts, they were absolutely ecstatic. He played games with the campers, handed out t-shirts, and posed for photos.  The session provided campers with a well deserved break, and it was for many, without a doubt, the highlight of camp up until this point. And the icing on the cake? He awarded IAAB a basketball signed by the entire Memphis team.

Hamed Haddadi relaxing with campers.

Campers were then regrouped in the main lounge where they were introduced to a discussion on gender and sexuality, led by Sam and Rassah.  The two led campers through a series of definitions, clarifying the meanings of many words campers may have been unfamiliar with or normally uncomfortable talking about. At the end of the discussion, the floor was opened up to Q & A, providing campers an opportunity to raise any questions or concerns.

Sam and Rassah leading a discussion on gender and sexuality.

Ending the day was another jam session. Sepanta played more tunes for us on a guitar. A friend and supporter of IAAB, Gerardo, did an incredible job pumping the campers up as he led salsa dancing and sang. Several campers also played the piano. Shipping the campers off to bed had never been so difficult.

Gerardo singing salsa music with the campers.

Check out an awesome photo recap of days 4-5 below by Darya M.:

-Arman C., July 3, 11:59 p.m.

The first activity of the day split campers into two groups, one older and one younger. Both groups had a workshop on educational access & equity, while the older group had a college workshop, and the younger campers, a high school workshop.  I sat in on the educational access & equity workshop, which I found did a good job of opening campers’ eyes to some of the inequalities different student groups face.  The campers first wrote some examples of experiences that made them feel empowered vs. disempowered.  The campers then shared their experiences before forming larger groups and creating a picture of what their perfect school would look like.  The college and high school workshops were also very well led, providing useful hints and tips for students on how to prepare a resume, engage in school activities, and make informed decisions regarding the college application process.

Campers work in groups to design their ideal school.

If you missed the post of yesterdays activities, or are looking for more content, here’s a podcast on hip-hop by Tina Safaie:

Arman C., July 3, 2:34 p.m. Photo credits: Rosa Rad.

Note*: Day 3 in podcast should be Day 4.

After some words of wisdom from returning camper Mateen Bouroujerdi during breakfast, Shirin posed the question of the day: “What is solidarity? What does it mean to be an ally?” The question of the day is designed to lead discussions, not only when it is asked, but throughout the day during different activities.  Rosa then introduced a Syrian-American rapper who would be visiting later in the evening, Omar Offendum, by showing campers a Youtube video of one of his songs, Destiny.  See the video below:

Following lunch, campers moved to the field where they enjoyed a game of vasati- part of one, that is.  About 15 minutes in, a group of staff members surprised campers with a hoard of water balloons and water guns. Campers quickly caught on, and by the end of the fun, everyone was soaked- including staff and counselors.

Gender discussions are always one of the best moments at camp. The discussions, as the name implies, separate the campers into two groups, one male one female, and furthermore, into older and younger groups. The discussions are especially important because they create an extreme version of a “safe-space”, where campers are able to readily open up and share meaningful stories.  When the campers emerge from their groups, the atmosphere of the camp often becomes even more inclusive and connected.

During dinner (kabob with rice, tomatoes, and onions) campers were treated to songs by Omar Offendum and his crew.  After the meal, he had campers crowd around as he sung his hip-hop beat- accompanied rap. Offendum, a Syrian-American, questions and stands in the face of more mainstream rap, offering a unique look into the lives of American immigrants.

Omar discussing how he got into hip-hop and rap.

-Arman C., July 2, 11:00 p.m. Photo Credits: Darya M.

Rapper Omar Offendum performs for the campers in the outside theater.

Not only did we see Omar Offendum rap his music for the campers, but also earlier in the day he had a workshop and Q&A with the campers about his experiences as a Syrian-American. He is not only an extremely talented writer and rapper, but is also very aware about global issues, particularly concerning the Middle East, which he focuses on in his music. The workshop was followed by an amazing performance and it was clear that he had won over the campers through their engagement in his workshop, the excitement during his performance, and the clear disappointment when he waved goodbye. It was great having him here at Camp Ayandeh and it really seems as though his work and passion really spoke to the campers and counselors.

-Darya M., July 2, 11:59 p.m.

Kayvon Sharif playing the guitar.

Arton Falahati playing the violin.

Saumi Shokraee (left) and Rameen Vafa (right) playing their guitars.

First off, I would like to say that these beautiful photographs are courtesy of the lovely counselor, Rosa Rad, who was readily prepared for the jam session. After witnessing the amazing performances of these four young and talented individuals, it was impossible to pick just one photograph. First, Kayvon got everyone in the crowd excited by playing popular songs, performing with a contagious enthusiasm that got everyone in the crowd singing along. Arton followed with one of the most beautiful performances I have ever seen, playing the violin and bringing some of the members of the audience to tears. Finally, Saumi and Rameen opened with a very impressive guitar medley and then proceeded to play individual songs. In the least, it was an exciting and moving set of performances and I know I can speak for all of us at Camp Ayandeh when I say that we were honored to be able to witness such amazing talent before our eyes.

-Darya M., July 1, 11:59 p.m.

This afternoon was filled with lots of activities, both mentally and physically challenging.  After Moustafa Bayoumi’s talk, campers were led through a writing workshop by Arash Davari.  The central question posed was: what does it mean to write about something that has not been said? The campers read a couple of articles to familiarize themselves with the idea, then jumped right in to answer the question.

Hedieh and Ashkon writing in their journals.

After dinner, campers got some additional time to work on their mentor/mentee group Teatro skit.  The skits, which promote audience and actor interaction, are a key aspect of Camp Ayandeh this year, allowing campers to role-play possible conflict scenarios that may arise during the coming years.  See Rassah’s podcast on the mentor/mentee program below:

Campers play a game.

To celebrate the campers’ hard work, the group convened to relax and listen to one another play piano, tombak, violin, and more. Dancing was ubiquitous, of course.  What a great way to end a full day!

Arash rapping to a beat dropped by camper Kayvon.

Check out Tina’s audio coverage of the day below!

And, another video reel!

Lastly, a podcast by Rassah on an Iranian poetry workshop from yesterday:

Arman C., July 1, 11:45 p.m.