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Seeds of Peace UK screens ‘SEEDS’ documentary, holds panel discussion

Dec 2, 2009 / No Comments

LONDON | On December 2, Seeds of Peace UK and the International Community Committee Film Club at the American School in London (ASL) screened the film “SEEDS”. The showing was followed by a panel of three Seeds, Patrick Cirenza (ASL ’11, Camp ’07, ’09), Sarah Khatib, (Jordanian, Camp ’00-’02) and Vivek Jois (ASL ’11, Camp ’09).

Following the powerful film, the Seeds who spoke of how Camp had changed their lives. As Patrick said, “Seeds of Peace is truly unique. I don’t know of a single other place in the world where teenagers of so many nationalities can have such a free exchange of ideas and culture. I believe to my core that Seeds of Peace changed me, changed the others who went to Camp, and is going to change the world.”

Vivek Jois spoke about his background: “As a British citizen, of Indian origin and educated at an American international school, Seeds of Peace provided the perfect way to express my internationalism. I feel indebted to Seeds of Peace because I truly believe that there is no other cause as big, no other experience as difficult, and no other place that can make people follow the true calling of their hearts over their blind loyalties.”

Remarks by Seeds

Patrick Cirenza

Patrick attended the Seeds of Peace Camp in 2009 and is currently enrolled at the American School in London.

When I knew I was going to Seeds of Peace I decided I was going to very prepared for the dialogue sessions. I read numerous books, read my news from Al-Jazeera English, and even learned a few phrases in Hebrew and Arabic.

I thought I was ready.

I wasn’t.

On the first day of orientation Tim Wilson, one of the founders of the Camp, talked to the American delegation in one of his famously to-the-point speeches.

He looked us all in the eye and said, “You know nothing, but you sure as hell will learn quick.”

Shaken, but resolved I began Camp.

My Israeli-Palestinian dialogue sessions are some of my most vivid memories of Camp. The first week was uncomfortable, to say the least. Trying to get a room full of unacquainted teenagers to discuss their personal beliefs and experiences in any situation is near impossible. Decades of conflict certainly didn’t help. I still wonder to this day how the facilitators got us talking. But when we did, the fireworks began to go off. Once they began, there was no stopping them.

Everything I had so carefully learned over the past couple months went straight out the window. All I could do was sit there and listen as they argued. I simply wasn’t able to relate to anything they talked about. I was completely out of my depth.

A girl from Sderot, “I didn’t go to school for two months because Kassam rockets were hitting my school and my bus route.”

I remember sitting there thinking, closest experience I have to that is a snow day.

A Palestinian boy said, “I was sitting in my basement with my family when my house was bulldozed on top of us.”

My jaw just dropped. My mind was blank.

The story I will remember the most, the one I will probably never forget is that of Janan. She was an older girl in the dialogue and usually quite quiet but responded to the question “What does the Occupation mean to you?”

She began her story by looking at the floor “I was sitting in class one day chatting with my best friend when an Israeli soldier burst into the room and opened fire. My best friend was hit and she died in my arms. There had been an IDF raid on school, which was suspected of hiding a cache of weapons. There were no weapons.”

Then she looked the Israelis right in the eye and said “this is what the Occupation means to me.”

While her story is tragic what was even more so was the manner in which she told it. She was numb, devoid of emotion. The conflict was a part of her life. She was born in it and, as she told me later with much conviction, she was going to die in it.

Stories like hers were just a currency at Seeds of Peace to exchange in dialogue in order to prove who had suffered more.

But it wasn’t always tense at Camp. Cultural boundaries were often stripped down in oddest of fashions, often in manners that would never occur in a dialogue room.

We attended a baseball game; as resident American I was expected to explain the rules to this truly bizarre game. After about 15 minutes of trying to expound the virtues of baseball and comparing it to every other sport on the planet. Israelis, Palestinians, Indians, and Pakistanis were united in telling me just how stupid they thought it was.

I made the mistake of insulting hummous one meal. Israeli and Palestinian alike leapt to defend the cause of one of their favorite foods. I never did it again.

I remember one American girl burst into tears when an innocently curious Pakistani boy asked, “Aren’t all Americans supposed to be fat?” a sentiment to which many other non-Americans seemed to concur with.

Seeds of Peace is a truly unique in that sense. I don’t know of a single other place in the world where teenagers of so many nationalities can have such a free exchange of ideas and culture. I know I walked out of that camp both vowing that I would return and with an entirely new view of my life and the world.

Since Seeds of Peace, I have taken up Arabic, attempted to start a youth interfaith council and raised money for organization by doing everything from growing my beard to racing in a triathlon.

The only reason I am sitting before you today is because I believe to my core that Seeds of Peace changed me, changed the others who went to Camp, and is going to change the world.

Vivek Jois

Vivek attended the Seeds of Peace Camp in 2009 and is currently enrolled at the American School in London.

I’m going to start today by telling you a little more about myself. I was born in London, a British citizen by birth. When I was 4, my parents, both admirers of the American education system, decided to send me to The American School in London, and I’ve remained here for the last 13 years.

To me, London is something special—it’s what I like to call, “the gateway of the world.” We’ve got America to the left, and the Middle East and Asia to the right.

I’ve watched the world change over the past 16 years of my life, and I’ve watched the international affairs brew, from the Kargil War between India and Pakistan to the Second Intifada, to the United States’ invasion of Iraq.

I’ve been the perfect outsider, as one might say: I’ve seen different societies interact with each other, in sometimes both positive and negative ways. But it wasn’t until this past summer that I asked myself the question: Who Am I? Because, clearly, I’m British by birth, American by education, and Indian by heritage. There’s no way I’m escaping my tri-national background—it follows me around everywhere.

But the real question to be asked here is, “Does it matter?”

The answer, realistically, in any case, is no. I, not being a citizen of the US, was a part of the American Delegation this summer, and it didn’t matter. Sure, I have an American accent so you might think I would fit in with everyone else in the delegation, but really, that’s not the case. The general concept of a delegation is one based on regional connections—which are why you have the Israeli, Palestinian, Indian, Pakistani, and other regional delegations at Camp.

But the American Delegation is not founded on regional ties—this year, we had one girl from an international school in Morocco, and Patrick and I from London. The American Delegation is founded based on common systematic thought—the Western upbringing, for students in westernized education systems, like all of you students here. In fact, it would be incredible if there were more Seeds from the UK—we could add so much more from our experience of being at the center of all the major world societies.

Let me just sum it up: anyone can apply for Seeds of Peace. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from when you arrive at Camp—all that matters is who you become after those three incredible weeks in Maine.

To go into my next point, I would just like to say how much I enjoyed Camp this summer. It was an enlightening experience, in which I got to spend three weeks in the middle of the scenic New England forest, isolated from the world outside. It definitely changed me—but when I returned, and soon as I left the gates of Camp, I had to face reality once again.

I received a lot of interrogation from my friends and teachers upon returning to London. All of them had tons of questions as to what I did, what I saw, what I learnt at Camp.

But what I found is that every few people I talked to asked me the same question, “Isn’t Seeds of Peace a Jewish organization?” That is, to say, is Seeds of Peace intended towards students of a Jewish background?

I personally feel that this stigma is incorrect. Yes, half of the American Delegation happened to be from a Jewish background, and the Israeli Delegation was the biggest at Camp, but what does that say about the organization’s tendency towards one group or another? Nothing. The conflict facing Israel is so current that it is only natural that people who feel a tie to one of the countries involved would want to do this in search of the truth in the matters pertaining to the “other side.”

Let me assure you, that no matter how many Seeds were from a Jewish background, there was equal representation from other delegations and points of view across the globe.

We had students from Palestinian backgrounds in the American Delegation, as well as others like myself from different and mixed cultural compositions.

I would like to conclude today by telling you about one day at Camp. It was during our daily two-hour dialogue session, and I was in a dialogue group of Middle Eastern kids. Our facilitators split us into two groups at random, not based on where we’re from or whatever. We then went to separate parts of the room. One facilitator came over to my group, and we were told to assume that we have a dying mother in hospital, and in order to survive, she needs the juice of a certain orange. Okay, easy enough, no one had difficulty imagining that.

Then, we were told that this certain orange was in the hands of the other group, across the room. What went through my mind in that instant was: Oh no. The other side needs the orange juice too. This is going to be difficult. Then we were each paired up with one person from the other group, and were told to negotiate the orange for ourselves.

So I sat down opposite Laila, the girl I was paired up with, knowing this was going to be hard if she needed that orange juice for her own reasons, as I had been told. But as we talked about it, she informed me about what her group had been told to assume: they needed the rind of the orange.

It was a key moment in my experience, because it highlighted the point of the Seeds of Peace: if you don’t talk to your supposed enemy, you make assumptions about their demands and needs, much like I assumed that Laila needed the orange’s juice as well. But it is only through talking to the other side, talking to the person who has been made your enemy by society, that you finally gain an understanding of what they have been told, and can thus make an honest decision on the peaceable outcome of a situation. This is the only way that our ultimate goal can be achieved.

The orange is what generations on either side of a conflict have called their Promised Land; when in fact, they have not realized yet that they can coexist if they were to just understand people from the other side—the people that their society terms as “the enemy.”

This is fully what the Seeds of Peace has taught me, and I hope, with the induction of many more future Seeds, we will be able to continue this process for the goodwill of our global community.

Sarah Khatib

Sarah attended the Seeds of Peace Camp in 2000-2002 as a member of the Jordanian Delegation. She is currently completing a Masters of Law at SOAS.

It is easy to manipulate nations into hating their enemies. It not at all easy to give the enemy a face, but this is what Seeds of Peace did for me and many others, and it continues to do so till this very day. The term “enemy” was not only toned down into “the other side,” but for me now the enemy has a face and a name; be it Elad, Rita, Hagar, Khen or Rony and whoever else I have met at Camp.

Seeds of Peace is a revolution against this manipulation. It is an international revolution for which I can find no counterpart. Tell me where else in the world could I have gone at the age of thirteen not only to familiarize myself with Israelis, Americans, and Greeks, etc., but give them a face after unmasking them every day at Camp.

In my personal statement for my master’s application I wrote “in the summers of 2000, 2001, 2002 I was one of the participants sharing space and dining with Israelis, Palestinians, Cypriot and Turkish teenagers, some of whom became my close friends. During camp time, we all took part in co–existence sessions. We all, at a very early age, sat down and talked about real life conflict issues and tried—hard—to reach common grounds, something only ten years prior to that my father was doing at Wadi Araba where the Israeli–Jordanian peace talks were concluded.” I do not think that any of us who participated in Seeds of Peace would have become the individuals we are now and who we will be tomorrow if the transitional force brought about by Seeds of Peace was absent.

Even at the peak of conflicts, I learned to narrow down my anger and frustration. During the horrific events in Gaza last year, it was common to hear people saying “the Israelis are ruthless, they have no hearts.” I was saying, but the Israeli government is ruthless and irrational, thinking that this is the way to deal with the conflict. It is not by any means easy to talk about peace in a time of war, of course it seems easier and inevitable for me to give up on my convictions; then I look at my Camp pictures and say “what a minute, but peace did happen, it happens every summer in Maine.” I have seen it with my own eyes, I felt it, and I lived it.

Ten years later, I need to admit that some things do as a matter of fact change. In one of my classes the tutor asked “what is the difference between a dispute and a conflict”? I said well it’s quite clear, your course is titled “dispute resolution and conflict management,” and therefore, disputes can be resolved, where conflicts can only be managed. The tutor nodded and smiled as if I made a point that was too clear, but was one that she failed to notice. It was then and there that I realized how far I have come from my time at Camp; now a bit more cynical but with a sense of realism. I know that I have not given up on my principles, I merely modified them.

Seeds of Peace rooted in me this notion of “selflessness”. We all develop our own narratives, and one of my own narratives is the idea of “transferability,” as in how transferable are the things that I learn? I think to myself why do not the parties of the conflict submit to arbitration or go to court to have their differences dealt with by a neutral third party? I know such ideas some ridiculous to many, but this is how I want to apply my area of specialization to conflicts; this is the selflessness that Seeds of Peace taught me, how could what I learn and posses help others? I really believe that at some point I will be able to pay Seeds of Peace back, if not in a strict sense then to assist in the concrete realization of our hopes and aspirations.

For so many years I was hoping that I would get the chance to talk about my experience at Camp and with Seeds of Peace. Now that I have this chance, I thought for a long time about the things I could talk about, but all my lawyering skills cannot come into play. Seeds of Peace raised me up; it taught me to differentiate between the right and wrong, between the moral and the immoral, between the norm and the exception, regardless of how blurred the lines between such can be. This is a virtue that I value, for it is one that makes Seeds all over the world stand out in their communities and countries, and it is one that makes as all as Seeds stand out in the world.

Ten Giving Tuesday #SeedsOfPeaceStories

Dec 12, 2018 / No Comments

On Giving Tuesday this year, we asked members of our community to share their #SeedsOfPeaceStory on social media.

Our goal was not just to spread awareness of our work, but also to celebrate the diverse voices of our family. And to be honest, we had no idea what to expect.

That day, hundreds of people shared poignant experiences, lessons learned, and moments of transformation—their reflections reaching far beyond our own social media following. To read this cascade of heartfelt testimonials was magical, and we were so happy to see the connections they fostered within our community. Hopefully, they even reconnected alumni to each other.

We’re happy to share just a few of these amazing journeys with you.

Rona, Israeli Seed

Over 24 years ago I heard about a summer peace camp in the US for kids my age. I thought it was a cool way to score a trip to the United States with other kids. I didn’t know it would be one of the most defining experiences of my life. I couldn’t imagine that I would make some of my best friends there, learn the most important life skills such as listening and being able to find common ground, even with the people I never thought I could.

I became a part of a living, breathing, constantly growing organism which is Seeds of Peace. That experience at 14 led to a second, a third, to different opportunities and even jobs over my teens and 20s.

Today, in my late 30s, I’m still proud of being a part of Seeds of Peace and I will do everything in my power to help it move forward and award many more kids (including my own!) to have this life-changing experience. This is my almost-quarter-century-long #seedsofpeacestory.

Syed, Pakistani Seed

In 2014, it was probably the best summer of my life. I interacted with more than a hundred people from all over the world. I played with an American, I dined with an Israeli, I swam with an Egyptian, I walked with a Palestinian, I danced with an Indian, I learned with a Jordanian, I shared the bunk with an Afghan.

Camp was a place where I was not treated by my national identity, but as a human being. I experienced diversity and coexistence, I heard people who came from different conflicts, I heard their different stories. It was an experience of a lifetime for me. My perspective of peace, war, and hate have all turned upside down into this idea that the world is a beautiful place to live.

Sophia, New York Seed

My #SeedsOfPeaceStory started only last July. Entering Camp for the first time, I had little idea of what would come next, and any preconceived notions I had coming in were quickly shattered. Quickly I fell into the routine of dialogue, group challenge, and other activities, and I found myself in a community as I had never experienced before.

At Seeds of Peace, I was free to express myself without limitation. The collective energy inspired me to do things I never would have thought I would do, like walking on a tightrope blindfolded. I made meaningful friendships and learned so much from a variety of perspectives I had never experienced before.

Overall, going to Camp was one of the best experiences of my whole life!

Luma, Jordanian Seed

My #SeedsofPeaceStory started more than 10 years ago in the summer of 2008. I was a 14-year-old shy, awkward kid that, for some reason, thought she knew more than enough about the politics in the region. I did not arrive at Pleasant Lake with an open mind—I went there to prove a point.

It took me two minutes after getting out of the bus to completely forget the point I was determined to make. I did not join Seeds of Peace with an open mind, but after the three weeks I spent in Camp, I left with an open mind, open heart, and an open soul.

Seeds shaped my life 10 years ago and continues to until this day. It shaped the way in which I think, I listen, and I speak. It opened my eyes to the world and helped me understand the power of dialogue. It made me wait for the other side’s perspective before formulating my own “point.”

Watching the news over the past 10 years, the only comfort is that “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field,” and I’ve been there. And I’m so grateful for that opportunity.

Netal, Israeli Seed

Seeds of Peace has given me so much more than I could ever explain. It has given me family, friends, unconditional relationships that I would have never found in other places in my life. More than anything, it has given me the option to live my life differently. And for that, I’ll always be thankful.

Sarah, Maine Seed

Nervously clutching my inhaler outside the Infirmary on my first day of Camp in 2006, I had no idea how this Bunk 5 family and Seeds of Peace would change my life. From camper to counselor to facilitator, I have continued to rely on this community for strength and hope as the world works hard to make us doubt everything we know about the power of empathy and love to create change. They tried to bury us but they didn’t know we were Seeds (even though all of my clothing says “Seeds of Peace” on it … they really should be able to tell).

Krisha, Indian Seed

I knew I was excited and yet I could feel a knot in the pit of my stomach. I was very nervous. I was going back after three long years. It had been difficult keeping in touch with everybody. Would people remember me after all? What was I supposed to say? What would people think? Would I be able to be there for my campers? Could I be a good PS?

These loud, rapid-paced thoughts clogged my mind as the bus headed towards Camp. I could hear the energetic chants as the bus rolled in. I could sense the enthusiasm in the air as soon as I stepped out. Passing through the human tunnel, there I was, in the line-up pit, jumping and dancing and celebrating togetherness with a hundred beautiful people I was yet to know.

That evening, as I was strolling through Camp, I noticed a plaque in the trophy room that read, “This is where we belong.” I knew I was home.

Seeds of Peace has been a process of great essence and transformation for me. I am grateful to Seeds of Peace for creating a community where vulnerability does not feel so uncomfortable; where differences are accepted and individuality is celebrated.

I have been able to witness and foster my rawest self at Camp by opening my heart and mind to people, embracing fears and insecurities whilst challenging myself to overcome them, understanding who I am and what I believe in!

At Seeds of Peace, I have learnt to recognize my voice and give it power not by undermining the voices of others but by standing by it when needed, for myself or for others. For the friendships, love, opportunity, and sense of purpose, Seeds of Peace, I am thankful!

Ameer, Palestinian Seed

Thank you, Seeds of Peace, for letting me know people from Gaza, Nablus, Bethlehem, Hebron, Nazareth, Tira, Arraba, Kofor Qassem, Ramallah, and Jerusalem. I never imagined the barriers between us would be broken, that we would gather in one place and be a family.

People from Cairo, Amman, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, DC, Morocco, Maine, Somalia, Pakistan, India, and many more places are all my family, too, and mean a lot to me.

I spent three weeks with them in a journey of finding ourselves, sharing stories and becoming more open-minded. The experience changed me to a better person, a person who now has a real passion about something, about giving back to my community, and Palestinians in general.

Now I believe in the change I can make and how I can be the change.

Thank you, Seeds of Peace, for giving me the space to share my opinions and to represent Palestine.

Habeeba, Egyptian Seed

At 14 years old, I struggled a lot with dialogue at Camp. It wasn’t until the end of the program that I realized why it was so hard—I just wasn’t communicating.

Seeds of Peace taught me what it means to truly communicate with others. We, I, often take communication for granted—it’s hard, it’s challenging, to pour my heart out to you, to tell you the reasons I stay up at night, to allow my body to showcase my insecurities. And that’s what I was asked to do at Camp: to shed all my exterior armor, to let down my guard, and just be human—fragile, open, loving.

And I learned to listen. I shared parts of myself I never knew I could put into words, and I listened, intently, to others do the same. I learned to be empathetic, and warm, and welcoming—to stop myself from falling into the cycle of indifferent and apathetic communication, one that we all know too well.

At 16 years old, back at Camp as a PS, I learned to question—question everything I thought I knew about myself, everything I’ve been told, everything that I believed to be a constant.

This questioning has stayed with me until today, and has transformed the way I carry myself and view the world.

Abukar, Maine Seed

Long before I discovered my passion for journalism, I was interviewed by the BBC, thanks to Seeds of Peace. It was August of 2012 and I was a 17-year-old activist. I shared how an identity I once considered a burden—being a black immigrant, from a Muslim background—turned into a source of strength, even in the whitest state.

I don’t know how that experience has shaped what I do now, but this I know: Seeds of Peace has given me the opportunity to learn more about myself and the world around me, so that today I am able to do that for others. And for that I am grateful.

This is only a small handful of the more than 400 compelling experiences our community shared during Giving Tuesday. You can search the #SeedsOfPeaceStory hashtag on Facebook or Instagram to see more. And if you missed posting on Giving Tuesday, we’d still love to hear your own #SeedsOfPeaceStory!

Leslie named Director, Seeds meet Abbas | Newsletter

Oct 7, 2009 / No Comments

Leslie Adelson Lewin next Executive Director

Leslie Lewin

Special message from Janet Wallach: On behalf of the Board of Directors it is my privilege to announce that Leslie Adelson Lewin has been named Executive Director of Seeds of Peace.

Over the past 18 months, we performed an exhaustive search that included candidates from all over the world. In addition to a deep understanding of our mission, strong managerial skills, and the other qualities we were looking for in our next Executive Director, one of the characteristics that set Leslie apart from all the others is an unwavering commitment to each member of our Seeds of Peace family. We are thrilled that she has accepted this role. No one is better qualified to lead Seeds of Peace into the future. Read more »

Spotlight: Seeds in the news

Joseph (Joey) Katona, a 21-year old Seed, was named a ‘Hero Among Us’ by People Magazine. Joey has raised more than $60,000 for his fellow Seed, Palestinian Omar Dreidi, to attend college in America. The two first met at Seeds of Peace Camp. Read the article »

Palestinian Seed Khadrah AbuZant writes an op-ed in Ha’aretz urging Middle East leaders to make even greater efforts toward revitalizing the peace process, even in the wake of the war in Gaza and southern Israel that began in December 2008. AbuZant writes, “Although many of us are frustrated with this 60-year conflict, we must set aside time for healing before starting the peace process again. This time, greater efforts must be made toward creating a solution that will bring lasting peace. The process cannot simply be forced into motion: People must be willing for it to continue.” Read the article »

Noorzadeh Raja, a Pakistani Seed, recently published an article in The Daily Times of Pakistan about her experience at the Seeds of Peace Camp this year. She writes, “It was amazing to hear their [Indian] side of the story, and learn about how what they’ve been told differs from what our history books say. The first step to making peace is, no doubt, clearing all misconceptions, and our dialogue sessions certainly served this purpose. It was an enlightening experience.” Read the article »

The Times of India recently profiled an Indian Seed, Gaurav Bhawnani, and the life-changing experience he had at this summer’s Camp. Bhawnani said, “The camp was an eye-opener as it helped dispel a lot of misconceptions about the two countries. Now, some of my best friends are Pakistani. And our friendship is life-long.” Read the article »

American Seed, Cobi Blumenfeld-Gantz, has co-founded a unique program at the University of Pennsylvania called Dorm Room Diplomacy, which aims to cultivate mutual understanding between students at Penn and college students in the Middle East. To do this, Gantz helped form a partnership with the University of Jordan, among other schools, and are leveraging technologies such as Skype. Read more »

Field Seminar

Field seminar unites nearly 100 Israeli and Palestinian Seeds

To conclude summer programming in the Middle East, nearly 100 Palestinian and Israeli Seeds who graduated from the Seeds of Peace Camp in 2007 and 2008 participated in a Field Seminar from August 14-17. Read more »

Jon Preddy at the Summit

Teen climbs highest mountain in Africa to support Seeds of Peace

Jon Preddy, a remarkable young teenager from London, decided to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro—the highest mountain in Africa—as a way to raise awareness and funds for Seeds of Peace.
Read more »

President Mahmoud Abbas

President Mahmoud Abbas meets with Seeds in New York

On September 24, 2009, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with Seeds of Peace to reaffirm his commitment to our conflict resolution and leadership programs for young people from throughout the Middle East. Read more »

Seeds lead community service projects during the holidays

Seeds of all ages led service projects in their home communities throughout the month of September. Read more »

Donate

To make a tax-deductible contribution to Seeds of Peace, click here.

Eid Mubarak & Shana Tova from Seeds of Peace | Newsletter

Oct 8, 2010 / No Comments

Dear Friends,

In celebration of Ramadan and the Jewish New Year, 86 Israelis and Palestinians from Camp 2010 met in Jerusalem over the weekend for a joint Iftar/Rosh Hashana dinner.

Before sitting down to share the meal, the Seeds had the opportunity to worship in the Old City and engage in dialogue with each other about the holy city’s personal and religious significance.

In Cairo and Amman, Seeds organized Ramadan Iftars to benefit local charities, while Palestinian Seeds engaged in a clothing drive for families in need.

And in Pakistan, Seeds mobilized in response to the country’s devastating floods and are working with their Indian counterparts and Seeds around the world to raise funds for relief aid.

I could not be more proud of their efforts.

On behalf of our Seeds and staff, Eid Mubarak and Shana Tova!

Leslie
Leslie Adelson Lewin
Executive Director
 
PS Please take advantage of an opportunity to help send more Seeds to Camp in 2011. Our exciting new partner Kiss My Face has issued a challenge via Facebook. For every 10,000 that pledge online, they’ll fund another “campership.”

Pledge by going to www.thepledgeforpeace.com. If you can, please share this with your friends on Facebook. We’re well over halfway to our first campership, but time is running out!
 

Kiss My Face
 

January 17, 2014 | Special Screening (New York)

Jan 17, 2014 / No Comments

Seeds of Peace is co-hosting a screening of “The Square,” an Oscar® nominated, award-winning documentary about the Egyptian Revolution (www.thesquarefilm.com).

There will be a panel discussion following the screening with the film’s Director Jehane Noujaim, Producer Karim Amer, and Seeds of Peace Graduate and New York Times reporter Mona.

ADDRESS: 22 E. 12th St. | NYC
DATE: January 17, 2014
TIME: 5:10 p.m.
LOCATION: Cinema Village
WEBSITE: www.16765.thankyou4caring.org/pages/events/2014-the-square-screening
CONTACT: Jen Lishanksy | jennifer@seedsofpeace.org

December 7, 2002 | T-Fense World Tour 2002 charity project (New York)

Dec 2, 2002 / No Comments

Featuring top international designers for a month-long international benefit exhibition including Adidas, X-Large, X-Girl, Stussy, 2K and other premier streetwear companies

New York opening, Saturday, December 7th at Halcyon in Brooklyn and simultaneously at five locations worldwide

NEW YORK | T-Fund is proud to announce the 2nd Annual T-Fense World Tour 2002, a charity benefit involving 18 hip streetwear labels, each designing a limited edition hand signed and numbered T-shirt around the theme of Global Peace with all proceeds to benefit Seeds of Peace, one of America’s most respected charitable organizations. The event will bring together New York’s top artists, designers, DJs, and urban trendsetters to help raise money and awareness for the cause.

The four-week exhibition will kick off with five simultaneous opening receptions on Saturday December 7th in Brooklyn, San Francisco, Pasadena, Berlin and Tokyo. At Brooklyn’s Halcyon Saturday night opening, top New York guest DJ Kenny “Dope” Gonzales will spin with other surprise guests throughout the evening. The exhibition will also feature one-of-a-kind pieces created by some of the world’s hottest artists and designers assembled by each host gallery. The $35.00 T-shirts will be sold at each location and available for purchase online at www.karmaloop.com.

T-FUND is a New York based not-for-profit corporation formed by halcyon owner Shawn Schwartz and T-Fense curator Ben Ewy. T-Fund’s mission is to finance and produce events like the T-Fense World Tour 2002 that raise funds and awareness for specific charitable organizations whose programs address the concerns of global youth culture. T-Fund projects draw together a worldwide community of small business innovators, independent artists, freelance designers and DJs. T-Fund serves as a facilitator, providing an inroad for established charities wishing to align themselves with the next generation of volunteers and donors.

HALCYON is Brooklyn’s world-renowned DJ Lounge/Coffee Shop/Record Store/Mid-Century Modern Furniture atelier. Halcyon has earned its reputation as an epicenter of NYC’s underground community since opening in 1999.

ADDRESS: Halcyon, 227 Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY
DATE: December 7, 2002
TIME: 7 p.m.
LOCATION: Brooklyn, NY
CONTACT: Jason Charles | (212) 614-1514 or jasoncharles@earthlink.net

May 9, 2017 | Spring Benefit Dinner (New York)

May 8, 2017 / No Comments

Join us in celebration of Seeds of Peace’s work with young people from conflict regions for an inspiring evening honoring Diane Rehm, host of The Diane Rehm Show, Kiss My Face founders Bob MacLeod and Steve Byckiewicz, and Seeds of Peace alumni.

ADDRESS: 583 Park Ave, New York, NY 10065
DATE: May 9, 2017
TIME: Cocktails 6:30 p.m. | Dinner 7:30 p.m.
LOCATION: 583 Park Ave.
WEBSITE: www.583parkave.com
CONTACT: Dindy Weinstein | dindy@seedsofpeace.org
TICKETS: www.seedsofpeace.org/dinner2017

Shedding light on Stolen Water: An interview with filmmaker Laila Khan

Mar 20, 2019 / 1 Comment

Director Laila Khan has spent the last several years focusing her lens on issues dividing communities around the world. Her most recent documentary, Stolen Water, explores the rampant theft from municipal water supplies in Jordan.

Restrictive water laws, leaking infrastructure, government corruption, the refugee crisis, and climate change have all played a role in making lack of water a flashpoint issue in one of the driest countries in the world.

Over the summer, Khan invited Jordanian Seeds to a screening and discussion of her film. We’re pleased to speak with her about Stolen Water, and her advice to the next generation of women filmmakers.

What first inspired you to investigate water theft in Stolen Water?

As a filmmaker, I’m always looking for subjects that have an element of social consciousness—for subjects that affect the lives of others. I’ve spent so much time in Jordan, and I wanted to do a film on something that matters there. So I was reading the local papers, and I kept seeing news about “water theft” and “water violations.” I had never heard of anything like that before, and I thought to myself, “how can one steal water?” You hear about people stealing physical objects, or even identities … but water? It piqued my curiosity.

Tell me about the process of making Stolen Water. What were some of the challenges? What are some things you learned from the experience?

We collaborated with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, as well as the national police, to make this documentary happen. They were hesitant at first, because they thought we would portray the government in a bad light. The truth is, there’s a lot of corruption in the system. But my job as a director was to portray all sides of the issue and remain neutral. It’s up to the audience to make their own decisions.

We interviewed some farmers who are stealing water, anonymously of course, to find out not just how they’re stealing water, but why. And they helped reveal some of the larger circumstances at play, like how oftentimes government inspectors won’t even check your meter. They’ll just stop you on the street and issue you a bill. So these people steal to save on the costs of water.

Of course, when I interviewed the minister, he was adamant that they check every meter. But we saw how that’s not true.

What makes water theft such a complex issue in Jordan? Can you explain how it affects the communities you documented?

The fact is, there just isn’t much water in Jordan, so people will go to great lengths to get it. Jordan doesn’t have many natural resources, so it relies on foreign investment. Salaries are low, income is low, social inequality is high. It’s difficult to survive.

And the water theft there isn’t a black-or-white issue. On one side there are these farmers who are stealing, and on the other there’s a system that is corrupt. We went along with the police to a couple of tip-offs; there was one incident on one of the busiest highways in Amman where we found someone had dug a tunnel underneath and had put in pipes to divert water from its source. A single farmer couldn’t have possibly done that. It was an inside job.

Another reason I wanted to make this documentary was to shed light on the plight of the refugees in Jordan, and the toll that it’s taking on the water supply. Refugee camps actually get more water than the average Jordanian, because of the UN and the NGOs based inside the camps helping refugees. So that’s one part of a larger story of the tensions that the refugee crisis is creating within Jordan. There are so many dimensions to water theft that make it a very challenging thing to unravel—and such a potential source of unrest.

Talk to me about your experience meeting with our Seeds in Jordan. Was there anything that you found surprising or thought-provoking?

I was really, really impressed by how, even though they’re young adults, they were so in tune with what is going on around them. And they had some really inventive, big ideas of ways to raise awareness of water theft and water conservation. At one point they were talking about how reforming the entire electoral system would help create a solution.

After filming this documentary, I was worried that maybe the youth of Jordan didn’t really care about saving water or fixing the system, that it’s not a “sexy” enough issue. But the Seeds were so engaged and knowledgeable.

A lot of them looked at it from a social justice perspective; I remember Seeds being critical of how media coverage portrayed all lawbreakers in the same light. It didn’t seem fair to them to compare farmers who need the water with people who steal it for their private pools, or with large companies that harm the environment.

Jordanian Seeds with Laila Khan after viewing Stolen Water.

In honor of International Women’s Day earlier this month, do you have any advice for women filmmakers who are just getting started?

On the most general level, this is such a cutthroat field that it’s really, really important to find your voice as a filmmaker. And that’s something that’s important irrespective of whether you’re male or female.

Second, a lot of people have this preconceived notion that women filmmakers only make films centered around so-called “women’s issues.” But the sooner you realize that you shouldn’t heed limits on yourself, the better. The truth is, you can make anything! The newest Marvel superhero movie is directed by a woman, and it’s on track to make a billion dollars.

The last thing I’d say is be confident. Filmmaking is still a male-dominated environment, but don’t let it bog you down. What matters most is to have a pure intent to whatever material you are approaching, and to believe in the subjects you have, and to stay true to what you believe.

April 28, 2003 | Concert for Peace in the Middle East (New York)

Apr 18, 2003 / No Comments

Honoring His Majesty King Abdullah II and Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

— Performances by Broadway’s top shows and stars —

NEW YORK | The Annual Seeds of Peace Concert for Peace in the Middle East attracts over 2,000 people to benefit Seeds of Peace, an internationally renowned non-profit, conflict resolution program.

The evening will include star-studded live performances and honor His Majesty King Abdullah II and Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Additionally, it will honor Ambassador Thomas R. Pickering, and Seeds of Peace graduates from the Middle East, India and Pakistan.

The concert portion of the program will include special performances from some of Broadway’s top musicals including Baz Lurhmann’s La Bohème on Broadway, Billy Joel and Twyla Tharp’s Movin’ Out with Elizabeth Parkinson and David Gomez, Chicago with Tony Award winner Bebe Neuwirth, Man of La Mancha with Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell, plus other surprise guests.

Tickets for the Seeds of Peace Concert for Peace in the Middle East start at $35. Gala packages with pre and post concert receptions begin at $250. Tickets can be purchased by calling Seeds of Peace at 212-573-8040 or online at www.seedsofpeace.org.

Since 1993, Seeds of Peace has graduated over 2,000 teenagers representing 22 nations from its internationally recognized conflict-resolution and coexistence program. Through these programs, at the International Camp in Maine and at its Center for Coexistence in Jerusalem, participants develop empathy, respect, communication/negotiation skills, confidence, and hope – the building blocks for peaceful coexistence. A jointly published newspaper, list-serve, educational conferences and seminars ensure year-round follow-up programming. For more information, visit www.seedsofpeace.org.

ADDRESS: Broadway and W. 65th Street, New York, NY 10011
DATE: April 28, 2003
TIME: 7:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center
CONTACT: Tickets can be purchased by calling (212)-573-8040

Virtually Together
Peace Watch (USIP)

Oct 19, 1997 / No Comments

E-mail and the Internet are keeping the hope for peace alive among Israeli and Arab teenagers who became friends through Seeds of Peace, says Institute senior fellow John Wallach

When a suicide bomb was detonated this fall in a Jerusalem shopping mall frequented by teenagers after school, a group of Arab and Israeli teenagers reached out to console each other via the Internet. A Jordanian youth wrote that at first the bombing seemed to threaten the friendships he had made with Israelis his age this past summer at the Seeds of Peace summer camp program in Maine. “I thought that all we did in the camp was gone with the wind,” he wrote. But then an Israeli camper e-mailed him that he knew terrorists were responsible for the tragedy and had urged his Israeli friends “not to blame the whole Palestinian people.”

“The Jordanian youth was reassured. He felt he could trust his new Israeli friend,” says John Wallach, a senior fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace and founder of the Seeds of Peace program, which brings together Arab and Israeli teenagers to help break the generational cycles of violence that sustain the conflict in the Middle East. “The common theme among the Arab and Israeli campers was that neither community would permit a desperate act of terror to destroy the friendships they had built at Seeds of Peace.”

Dozens of Israeli and Arab youths are determinedly maintaining friendships through e-mail discussions and an online “chat room” that was recently established by an Israeli girl who attended the camp last summer, Wallach says. After several weeks of bonding in the Maine woods, the youths returned to their homes in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with a strong desire to keep the friends they made while playing sports and games, and participating in organized discussions about the Middle East conflict.

“God bless the computer, e-mail, and the Internet ‘chat session,’” says Wallach. “Without them, hundreds of Seeds of Peace youngsters would have no way to maintain the friendships they worked so hard to forge during their five weeks in the United States.” The campers send messages to each other every day, “some filled with pain and anger, others with compassion, reassurance, and encouragement,” says Wallach, award-winning foreign editor for the Hearst newspapers in 1968-94 and co-author of several books on the Middle East. For his work at Seeds of Peace, he received the UNESCO Peace Prize in 1996 and the Legion of Honor of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan from King Hussein in 1997.

While at the Institute, Wallach will be writing a report on the methodology Seeds of Peace has developed to help young people develop the listening skills and empathic abilities that have helped them move from prejudice, misunderstanding, and hatred to understanding and trust. The goal is to share these methods with other organizations doing similar work around the world, he says.

In the last five years, almost 800 Arab and Israeli teenagers have participated in the Seeds of Peace experience. Many of the campers are chosen by their governments, but they come from a broad range of backgrounds, including prominent and refugee families. In daily 90-minute conflict resolution sessions, they learn how to disagree yet remain friends—in short, how to coexist, Wallach says. But when they return home, they confront the same physical barriers they left, closures that prohibit movement not only between Israel and the Palestinian territories but between neighboring Palestinian villages. “Armed troops and police—not to mention fearful parents—are a strong disincentive to venture across these geographic and psychic borders,” Wallach says.

Returning Home from Camp

Thus, the return home poses real challenges for the campers, says Wallach. “After a summer of sharing everything from shaving cream and showers to sports and sing-alongs, ‘reentry’ into hostile societies often is as sobering for them as it must be for astronauts returning from orbit. The life support system is gone. Caring counselors and trained facilitators are nowhere in sight. No longer are they in a ‘safe place.’”

The Seeds of Peace summer camp stretches along Maine’s Pleasant Lake, which takes its name from its remote and tranquil setting. The Palestinian and Israeli youths sharing canoes on the lake live less than a mile apart at home, but in the tormented Middle East those few hundred yards can be an insurmountable distance, Wallach notes. Indeed, their homes can be harsh and dangerous places where buses get blown up and stone-throwing melees often turn into violent bloodbaths.

“And even more intimidating than the physical dangers of going home are the emotional ones, the personal trauma of returning to places where your new friends are still regarded as enemies,” Wallach says. A Jordanian teenager wrote on the Internet that when he and other Jordanian campers got home, “I faced reality. We were rejected everywhere, we were traitors.” A Palestinian wrote than when she returned her refugee camp friends simply couldn’t believe she had bunked with and shared her meals with Israelis “and they didn’t shoot you.” An Israeli complained that his peers blamed the most recent terrorist bombing on “your new friends,” as if he were somehow complicit because he had forged friendships with the people he was supposed to hate.

Online Chat Room

The Israeli girl who organized the chat room wrote that “connecting … for the first time was a great honor. People from all over the Middle East … showed up [on the Internet] … [Everyone was] delighted and anxious to hear what the others had to say … Getting into one another’s sayings, experiences, etc. lasted two hours!” The chat room, which has become a weekly event, brings together online campers, counselors, and leaders from Jordan, Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and the United States.

The e-mail communication also continues, Wallach says. “Messages are sent daily. Many revolve around the normal, everyday things that kids have to deal with: struggle with schoolwork, feuds with friends and family, romantic flings and inevitable disappointments. But all are full of hope and convey a genuine caring about the Seeds of Peace community.”

Not everyone is yet connected to the World Wide Web. But, notes Wallach, the manifesto of Seeds of Peace is clear in the words of one Jordanian youth, who wrote, “People! We have to communicate, we have to know each other even better, we have to do what our leaders are not doing—and will not do if we don’t push them … All of us are so very lucky to be a part of the Seeds of Peace family; please continue fighting for what you believe in.”