317th RCS spouse making changes on global level

Published April 7, 2015
By Lt. Col. Charity Hartley
317th Recruiting Squadron commander

OXON HILL, Maryland -- I am proud to highlight one of our Patriot Spouses who is doing big things on a global scale. Sarah Khan, wife of Tech. Sgt. Ernest Williamson, 317th Recruiting Squadron Military Entrance Processing Station Liaison, participates in an organization called Children's International Summer Villages.

CISV was started in 1950 by Dr. Doris Twitchell Allen, a psychologist who lived through World War II with her young son. Her goal for the program was to prevent the same atrocities from happening by building cross-cultural communication and understanding from a young age (11 is the youngest age of participants in the organization). Specifically, the organization aims to make a more just and peaceful world though programs that are targeted for each age group, 11-25, by "educating and inspiring for peace through building inter-cultural friendship, cooperation and understanding."

As part of her master's degree on conflict and religion from Harvard University, Sarah had the privilege to be a staff member last summer for the youngest program, The Village Program. She spent seven weeks in Norway and worked with 45 children from 12 countries for four weeks.

"It is extremely difficult to summarize the essential experience in DreamWork Village, but to put it simply, it was a camp that focused on fostering cross-cultural relationships and learning about difficult situations of the world through the eyes of an 11-year-old," Sarah said.

"We would have three activities a day, and as DreamWork progressed towards group trust and stability, the activities would bear lessons far greater than learning about different cultures or each other's names. For example, one day, our kids were given 'handicaps' in which eyes were covered, hands tied and not allowed to be used, ears covered, and legs were tied. Our day continued as normal, but ended with each kid learning first-hand what it is like to live with a disability - or rather, what it is like to be 'differently abled' as we liked to put it," she continued.

"Another activity, titled stereotypes, allowed us to honestly write down stereotypes and our thoughts about each delegation's countries and then face the stereotypes head-on, react, and create dialogue around them."

Of course, Sarah says it is impossible to describe the impact that this experience had on her. She will continue this work this upcoming summer as the team leader for a delegation of four teenagers from the DC Chapter. She will take her group to Romania as part of the Step-Up (14-15 year olds) program. The 317th Patriots could not be prouder to have her as part of our family and appreciate her efforts on making a difference in the world.