Peace Program brings Arab and Israeli students together for two weeks
BY JOHN CHASE | In the waning weeks of August before the fall semester began, more than 150 Arab and Israeli teenagers from the Middle East gathered for an orientation session at Harvard before heading off to Maine for two weeks of summer camp.
This was no ordinary summer camp, however, but intensive, innovative program called Seeds of Peace, which brings together students aged 13-15—many of whom have been brought up to hate each other—in a safe environment where they live, play, eat, and learn together.
They come from Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Morocco, and Qatar, with a common goal of breaking through the fear, mistrust, and inherited prejudices that shape their image of the “enemy.”
Founded in 1993 by author and journalist John Wallach, Seeds of Peace works to secure a lasting end to war in the Middle East by nurturing friendships and developing empathy, respect, and hope among its disparate participants.
It is daunting work to break the cycle of violence that has gripped generations and often claimed friends and family as victims, but the experiences of sharing cabins, meals, games, and deeply held feelings encourage the youths to bond and become the seeds from which an enduring peace can now grow.
The program is coordinated by the Kennedy School’s Institute of Social and Economic Policy in the Middle East.