OTISFIELD, MAINE | Over 150 Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian, Egyptian, Indian, Pakistani, Afghan and American youth will open Seeds of Peace’s 18th season with a unifying flagraising ceremony at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 24, at the Seeds of Peace Camp in Otisfield, Maine.
Each delegation will sing its national anthem, and the hour-long ceremony will conclude with the Seeds of Peace anthem and raising of the Seeds of Peace flag.
Leslie Lewin, Seeds of Peace Executive Director, and Tim Wilson, Director Emeritus of the Seeds of Peace Camp, will deliver opening remarks, followed by addresses from representatives of each delegation.
The delegations, along with their adult leaders, are arriving in Maine against the backdrop of continuing violence in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
As in years past, many of the Camp’s trained facilitators will be Israeli and Palestinian Seeds alumni who have graduated from a professional mediation and conflict management course run by Seeds of Peace in Jerusalem. The first Camp session runs from June 24 until July 13. After the first session, the South Asian delegation will participate in a special trip to Washington, D.C., to meet with US State Department officials and political leaders on Capitol Hill. A second session of the Camp with over 150 delegates from the Middle East and the Maine Seeds Program will run from July 19 to August 9.
Since 1993, Seeds of Peace has graduated over 4,000 teenagers from four conflict regions from its internationally-recognized leadership program. Through its Camp in Maine, youth conferences, regional workshops, educational and professional opportunities, and adult educator programs, participants develop empathy, respect, and confidence as well as leadership, communication and negotiation skills—all critical components that will ensure peaceful coexistence for the next generation.
Our mission is made possible by our sponsors and countless donors and benefactors. We are especially excited by our recent partnership with Kiss My Face, the leading natural personal care company, as we both share the goal of ultimately helping people be as good as they can be and spread the message to future generations whether it be of peace or promoting a greener/healthier planet.