NEW FRIENDS- Simi Valley resident Carolyn Gilbert, center, cherishes a few last moments with Haifa residents Eliana Hallocin, left, and Meirav Kaspari before their Project TRIUMPH graduation ceremony in Simi Valley last week. The teens, who spent the weekend with the Gilbert family, recently attended Project TRIUMPH (Today's Revolution Is Understanding; Make Peace Happen), a grass-roots effort to bring Arab and Jewish teenagers together in the spirit of collaboration to build a shared vision for a peaceful future. The project is sponsored by 11 local Rotary clubs and the Rotary Club of Haifa and Haifa District in Israel. SLYVIE BELMOND Acorn Newspapers "I have proof that a great friendship between Arabs and Jews is possible," said Amri Shaffer, a Jewish teen who recently spent two weeks at the American Jewish University Brandeis-Bardin Campus in Simi Valley as a participant in Project TRIUMPH. He lived with 19 other teenagers- some Arab, others Jews- from Haifa, Israel.

Now Shaffer is back home and in a stronger position to promote peace and cultural understanding among his peers in Haifa.

Ilan Migdali, a member of the Newbury Park Rotary Club, founded Project TRIUMPH about four years ago in an effort to improve relationships between Jews and Arabs.

The project's name stands for "Today's Revolution Is Understanding; Make Peace Happen."

"While here, the teenagers learned to identify their core qualities, such as honesty, optimism or compassion, so they can start approaching life from those places, instead of jealousy, fear and feeling small," Migdali said.

Suicide bombers, war threats and historical conflicts are serious causes for division among teenagers in the Middle East, but young people there still have much in common.

Since schools in Israel are segregated by religion, the lack of interaction between students can foster an atmosphere of distrust and fear.

Rabia Eghbaria, an Arab teen selected to attend the monthlong camp, said, "When I got here I didn't expect to meet real friends with whom I could discuss tough subjects, but I found that good friendships can develop despite differences. We can all discuss things, and even if we disagree we can still be friends," he said.

"I believe in the power of individuals who can start to make a change," said Rami Yahia, an Arab chaperone. "Everybody in his or her unique way can change others in their minds and respect others as humans." Change could be achievable in the long term, he said, if young people are provided with tools to plant seeds of goodwill.

Peace can only occur when people are willing to understand each other, Shaffer said. It can't be forced through treaties.

"Just getting a signature on paper isn't going to produce peace because people aren't prepared for that," he said.

Both Arab and Jewish people in the Middle East are inclined to dwell on the past, but the teenagers who attended Project TRIUMPH want to look toward the future, said Diane Rumbaugh, who handles publicity for the project.

Although both cultures will continue to exist, Shaffer and Eghbaria said, they want to introduce a new point of view to their peers in Haifa.

Shaffer plans to become an officer in the Israeli army so he can educate others on improving relations with people of Arab origin.

"These two weeks gave us a lot, and we can go back empowered to change, starting in Haifa," Shaffer said, adding that he and his fellow travelers plan to start a website and promote dialogue between Arabs and Jews.

"Now we know how to approach the subject and treat people," Eghbaria agreed.

The program emphasizes connecting with your own greatness and changing the trend, said Migdali.

"When you're more comfortable with others, you connect with your essence, and everyone can move forward," he said.

High school principals in Israel select the participating young adults based on their leadership skills. The students must speak English and have an open mind, Migdali said. Teens first attended meetings in Haifa to prepare for their time together in California.

They also committed to being involved in service projects in Israel to advance intercultural exchange and demonstrate that peace is achievable.

All the local Rotaries, including clubs in Camarillo, the Conejo Valley, Moorpark and Simi Valley, cosponsor the project with Rotary clubs in Haifa to plant seeds of goodwill for future generations.

"Project TRIUMPH tries to find common grounds between Arab and Jewish people," said Cliff Williams, president of the Moorpark Rotary Club.

To learn more about Project TRIUMPH or to contribute to the nonprofit endeavor, visit the website www.projecttriumph.org.