If youâre in the Austin area, come join Seeds, parents, counselors and friends as we walk together in support and solidarity of Bridges to Peace, and the mission of Seeds of Peace.
ADDRESS:Â Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge
DATE: January 19, 2015
TIME: 11 a.m.
LOCATION: Austin
WEBSITE: www.crowdrise.com/AustinBridges2015
CONTACT:Â Caitlin Golub |Â caitlin@seedsofpeace.org
Join Seeds and supporters as we walk across the Brooklyn Bridge to celebrate the work of 5,600 young peacemakers around the world.
ADDRESS:Â City Hall Park, corner of Chambers St. and Centre St.
DATE:Â September 20, 2015
TIME:Â 12:30 p.m.
LOCATION:Â New York, NY
WEBSITE:Â www.crowdrise.com/B2PNYC2015
CONTACT: Caitlin Golub | caitlin@seedsofpeace.org
OTISFIELD, MAINE | Dozens of volunteer carpenters, landscapers, painters, plumbers and electricians affiliated with Toll Brothers are spending June 8 preparing the Seeds of Peace International Camp for its 21st summer of work with youth from the Middle East, South Asia and Maine.
“I am very happy with the work we accomplished on the 15th Toll Brothers Seeds of Peace day,” said Shawn Nuckolls, Senior Project Manager at Toll Brothers. “Our annual Camp clean-up day has become a great tradition for Toll Brothers and our subcontractors. We are extremely proud to support the Seeds of Peace mission and we look forward to continuing our support every year.”
Toll Brothers Inc. is one of Americaâs leading luxury home builders.
Volunteers this year removed debris from across the entire Camp, performed carpentry work in every bunk, and rebuilt many of the steps and railings leading to Camp buildings.
âOn behalf of our campers and staff, I would like to convey my deepest thanks to Toll Brothers and their incredible crew of volunteers,â said Seeds of Peace Executive Director Leslie Lewin.
âFor 15 years now, we have been honored to host what we call âToll Brothers Dayâ here in Otisfield. We are incredibly grateful to the hundreds of skilled volunteers who have dedicated their weekend to making our mission possible. We could not run this camp without their help.â
Seeds of Peace inspires and equips new generations of leaders from regions of conflict with the relationships, understanding, and skills needed to advance lasting peace. Toll Brothers is the nationâs premier builder of luxury homes. Toll Brothers, Inc., is the successor to three generations of home builders and is a publicly owned company whose stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:TOL, www.tollbrothers.com).
TOLL BROS. DAY 2013
PORTLAND, MAINE | Peoples Heritage Bank announced today that Seeds of Peace, an organization that promotes tolerance and understanding among youth around the world, has been chosen as the beneficiary for this yearâs Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race.
Peoples will provide a cash donation of $30,000 from race proceeds. Additionally, Seeds of Peace will benefit from fundraising opportunities and publicity valued at more than $40,000.
Seeds of Peace brings together youth from troubled regions of the world to co-exist in an internationally-recognized conflict resolution program at a summer camp in western Maine, as a way to dispel the hatred and misconceptions that divide them. Through the summer-long programs, participants develop empathy, respect, communication/negotiation skills, confidence, and hopeâthe building blocks for peaceful coexistence. Participants include Israelis and Arabs, Turks and Greeks, Indians and Pakistanis, and more.
For the past three years, Seeds of Peace has included sessions for local and immigrant teens from Portland â the organizationâs first effort to apply its methods of conflict resolution directly to an American contingent. The program is now open to teens all over Maine, including Lewiston, where an influx of Somali immigrants has sparked recent tensions.
There is no other such program available to and serving Maine youth.
âWeâve been aware of the work of Seeds of Peace for a long while, and can think of no better time to bring their mission to Maineâs forefront through the Peoples Beach to Beacon,â said Michael W. McNamara, president and CEO of Peoples Heritage Bank, the raceâs major corporate sponsor. âMaine is becoming a much more diverse state and itâs vitally important to find a way to increase understanding, especially among our young people, who represent the stateâs future.â
âLike the Peoples Beach to Beacon race, people from all over the world participate in our program,â said Timothy Wilson, Seeds of Peace Camp Director. âWe appreciate the bankâs generosity and are honored to be the youth beneficiary for this great international event. It is organizations like Peoples that make Seeds of Peace possible.â
The date for the 2003 Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race, which attracts elite runners worldwide as well as top road racers locally and across New England, has been set for Saturday, Aug. 2 along the picturesque shores of Maineâs rocky coast in Cape Elizabeth.
The field size, increased last year to commemorate the fifth anniversary, will remain at 5,000 this year for the popular race, which is expected to fill up by early summer. Registration will begin in mid-March.
Now in its sixth year, the Peoples Beach to Beacon has grown to become a top international road race and much more. Each year, for example, families in Cape Elizabeth open their homes to athletes from such countries as Kenya, Ethiopia, Japan, Russia and South Africa. The cultural exchange is another special aspect of the event.
That effort to promote understanding will be further enhanced this year by the selection of Seeds of Peace as the youth beneficiary, according to Joan Benoit Samuelson, Maineâs most recognizable athlete who founded the race.
âSeeds of Peaceâs formula for addressing ethnic and racial tensions is known the world over, and we look forward to assisting the organization with such a worthwhile and timely youth program,â said Samuelson, a 1984 Olympic gold medalist and two-time Boston Marathon champion.
Samuelson serves as a spokesperson for the bank during the year to promote the race and the bankâs âPeoples Promiseâ program, which benefits Maine youth with scholarships, sponsorship programs and charitable gifts. Last yearâs race beneficiary was Opportunity Farm, a long-term, family-style, residential facility in New Gloucester for at-risk Maine youth.
Seeds of Peace, founded in 1993 by award-winning author and journalist John Wallach, is recognized as the leading international conflict resolution program for youth. Each summer, hundreds of teens identified as their nationâs best and brightest spend a month at Seeds of Peace International Camp in Otisfield, Maine, living side-by-side with people they have been led to hate.
The Maine Project is a pilot program designed to address ethnic and racial tensions between diverse communities in the U.S. Immigrant and refugee populations continue to swell in Portland, Lewiston, and in other Maine cities, and schools and neighborhoods now more closely mirror the profound diversity so valued in America. Unfortunately, as diversity has increased, so too have hate crimes and discriminationâparticularly among youth. The Maine Project is a proactive measure to increase understanding, tolerance, and unity throughout the state. Past participants in the Maine program include teens from Cambodia, Rwanda, Somalia, Vietnam, Sudan and Uganda who have recently settled in Maine, as well as youth from European-American families whose Maine roots date back several generations.
For more information on the race, visit www.beach2beacon.org.
BY ZACH RUCHMAN | I admit it. Before this past summer, I had never actually opened the front section of The New York Times. Usually, I just scanned the front page headlines, then flipped to the Sports Section. However, after spending three and a half weeks in Otisfield, Maine, I not only read the newspaper every morning, I have a new mission: creating peace.
Otisfield, a town of about 1,400, is home to the Seeds of Peace International Camp, a conflict resolution program for teenagers from areas of violence throughout the world. The camp was founded in 1993 by an American journalist, John Wallach, who had a vision that one day an Israeli âseedâ and a Palestinian âseedâ would be the leaders of their respective nations and that they would cooperate to bring peace to the region. The very first Seeds of Peace summer hosted a total of 46 Israeli, Palestinian, and Egyptian boys. The program soon became coed and expanded to include delegations from other countries in the Middle East, as well as India and Pakistan, Greek and Turkish Cyprus, the Balkans, and most recently, Afghanistan. Today, each summer hosts 150 teens from these conflict regions in three separate sessions.
Seeds is not an ordinary camp as I quickly learned on a bus ride from Bostonâs Logan Airport to Otisfield. Seated beside me was a 16-year-old boy from Kabul, Afghanistan. During the three-hour trip, I learned more about Afghanistan than I could ever hope to discover sitting in a classroom at school for days. And, I learned, my new Afghan friend, Matiullah, was just as curious about the U.S.
When the bus finally pulled into Seeds, we were greeted with cheering and loud drum playing. I had been to summer camp before, but nothing prepared me for this.
You can imagine what it might be like to put teens who have preconceived notions of their enemies in Middle East together in a room. This actually happens in 90 minute âco-existenceâ sessions in which historical hatreds and other misconceptions can be aired. Each âco-exâ group consists of approximately 10 âseedsâ that represent both sides of a conflict. In a Middle Eastern co-ex, one might find about four Israelis, a few Palestinians, a couple of Arabs from other countries, and perhaps an American. The discussions range from who traditionally owns the land, to the right of return, to police brutality, or suicide bombing. No topic is taboo. Many âseedsâ have never met somebody from the other side of the conflict. The âco-ex,â forum enables seeds not only to reveal their feelings about the enemy, but they must listen to the other perspective. Understanding eventually wins out.
And as one Seed observed, âTeens fly thousands of miles, all the way to Maine, to meet and see that their enemy has a face.â
My very first day, one of my Israeli bunkmates asked me, âWhat is life like in America?â
I paused, thinking about how I could answer his question, but before I could say anything, another Israeli bunkmate answered for me, âItâs just like Israel but without the bombs.â I stood there, my eyes open in surprise.
The tone for my summer was set. Sleep was sometimes hard to come by, as the still air was occasionally punctuated by loud arguing from other bunks. Deafening quarrels occurred almost daily. Gradually, the thundering that had been so prevalent in the first week settled down and the seeds began to climb the walls that separated them, seeing the world in a different way. They dropped their baggage of prejudices and stereotypes of the enemy and became seeds of peace.
The Seeds still have their differing opinions on politics, but they no longer see things from just one perspective. The big question is whether Seeds will provide a solution to the current conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere. However, even if the program does not resolve the various struggles around the world, 2,500 Seeds have more tolerance and understanding, and their lives have been changed in radical ways.
As for me, I am no longer just another fairly apathetic teenager. I realize I have a personal stake in seeing peace brought to the areas where my friends live. We have come to learn that the enemy has a face, and those we are fighting could very well be our brothers or sisters. Together we can break the cycles of hatred and violence that has consumed so many peoples of the world for so many generations.
Tall pine trees, a fresh water lake, hundreds of kids in green T-shirts playing soccer, canoeing and singing together: It looks just like another summer camp, but the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Maine is more than that. Some people call it the âMiracle in the Maine Woodsâ because here 14- to 17-year-old teenagers from Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Qatar, Turkish and Greek Cyprus live together in peaceâa thing their countriesâ leaders just achieve on paper. As founder John Wallach points out, âitâs a conflict resolution program.â
âInna is my best friend. She is more my friend than the other Palestinian girls,â says 15-year-old Rahman from Palestine and gives her blonde Israeli friend Inna a big hug.
âTwo troublemakers found each other,â the bunk counselors comment, laughing. Both girls live in bunk nine with Amani from Palestine, Mais from Jordan, Marilena from Greek Cyprus, Fatos, a Turkish Cypriot, and the two counselors Suzanne from Canada and Amanda from Maine. They all got along from the first day of camp two weeks ago. With one week left they already started thinking how they could keep in touch with each other after they get back home. âWe want to stay friends forever,â the girls all agree.
You can feel the spirit when the kids sing the Seeds of Peace song at line-up in front of the Great Hall. One Friday night they had a big party where everybody danced. âThose kids have rhythm and soul,â counselor Amanda laughs.
There is a unique atmosphere in the summer camp which was founded by journalist John Wallach in 1993. The former employee of the Hearst Corporation says: âNothing was done to make real peace in the real world. Itâs one thing for leaders to sign peace agreements, but an organization was missing that makes peace in the peoplesâ hearts.â Since then more than 1,000 Israeli and Arab teenagers have stayed at the camp. This summersâ program consists of three consecutive sessions of three weeks with some 160 teenagers in each session. The cost for every participant is around $3,000; however, the participantâs family is only obligated to pay up to half the actual cost.
Seeds of Peace is an internationally acclaimed non-profit organizationâmostly funded by corporate, foundation, and individual donorsâreceiving worldwide press coverage and international attention and support. US President Bill Clinton visited the camp, as well as UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Former Israeli presidents Benjamin Netanyahu and Shimon Peres, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Queen Noor of Jordan as well as Saâab Erekat, Chief Palestinian negotiator, support the concept. âHowever,â stresses Vice President Bobbie Gottschalk who is a psychiatric social worker with thirty years experience, âthe governments just support us morally, not financially. We are an independent organization and we want to stay independent.â
Tamer from Egypt, now 19 years old, was one of the 46 participants from Israel, Palestine and Egypt in the first Seeds of Peace summer camp has since then been involved in the program. After just being a camper, then a peer supporter, junior counselor and youth leader, he is now a staff member.
To him, his first session was a great adventure, says Tamer. âWhen I first got here it was quite a new experience. The only thing I knew was that I was going to meet Israelis for the first time. We were brought up to learn that they are our enemies.â
Hence, he didnât expect to become friends with the Israeli kids. âBut once we starting sharing bunks and toilets,â he laughs, âI learned that I can get along with an Israeli teenager like he was a friend of mine back home in Egypt.â He still keeps in contact with the friends he met via email, telephone, the written word and even visits.
The Seeds of Peace program has the blessing of each of the ten governments who send a delegation. Through its Ministry of Education or Foreign Ministry, each nation conducts the selection process. Tamer, like all the other kids, had to go through a long and difficult procedure including several interviews and an essay on âPeace in the Middle Eastâ to come to the program. The aim is to find teenagers who have leadership skills and who are fluent in English because in the camp, English becomes the language they communicate in. Very seldom you hear a word in another tongue. Bobbie Gottschalk, a petite lady with short dark hair who was on Wallachâs side from the beginning, explains that this common language helps to build a community.
But at camp there are also moments when tensions arise. Counselor Suzanne tries to explain: âThis camp has worked like a progression. There is the first stage where everyone comes and no one really knows each other. So, everyone is having a good time and meeting new people. But you donât really know them.â
After the kids get to know each other on a personal level without being forced to think about the others as Israelis or Palestinians, the heart of the programâthe daily coexistence sessionsâstarts.
The success of the program depends on these workshops. Here the teenagers are placed in small groups of approximately twelve which are lead by professional facilitators. Says Bobbie Gottschalk, âHere they begin to trust their own experiences and comprehend with an insightful new perspective the old voices of hostility.â
Friday night all the kids from the Israeli delegation put together a Shabbat service dressed up wearing white shirts. But a girl of the delegation, an Arab-Israeli, didnât want to be a part of the ceremony because it was a Jewish service. So she asked to sit with the other children. The rest of the Israeli delegation accepted that yet they became quite upset when they saw her laughing during the ceremony. In one of the co-existence sessions the Arab-Israeli girls brought up the subject, initiating an intense discussion, during which one Israeli boy began shouting overwhelmed with anger.
Fortunately, the two facilitators Liz and Olga were around to steer the conversation in the right direction. âWe were just so hurt because we love you and we care about you. And we know that it is very difficult for you and that you try really hard,â said another Jewish girl from Israel to the Arab-Israeli girl. When the latter asked shyly at the end of the session, âSo, are we still friends?â and the Israeli boy answered hesitantly, âYes,â everybody in the circle witnessed a touching moment.
In another co-existence workshop in a tent on a tennis court Suzan and Reuven, a Palestinian and Israeli facilitation team, uses photographs to work with the teenagers. The teenagers in this session have reached an important point in their progression. The word they mention the most in the discussion is âunderstanding.â One girl puts the meaning of the word very nicely: âIt means putting yourself in the other personâs shoes.â Looking at the two photographs, âunderstandingâ becomes quite difficult because in one picture there is an Israeli soldier aiming his gun at a group of Palestinian demonstrators, in the other one there is a Palestinian throwing a rock. The Palestinian kids have a particularly difficult time attempting to understand the Israeli soldier. When the bell rings they havenât solved the problem yet, but they have made significant progress.
In bunk nine, counselor Suzanne talks to her kids about the co-existence sessions. Rahman recalls, âWhen we go to the coexistence sessions we look like enemies. Everyone attacks each other. We fight, shout and become angry. I donât like that. I cant remember that we are friends in those sessions. But when we start singing the Seeds of Peace song, weâre friends again.â Suzanne explains, âYou are probably at the third stage. In the second stage, once co-existence starts, people begin to realize, âthis person thinks a lot different than I, maybe I donât like them as much as I thought,â but then in the next stage people begin to realize, âHey, I have to open up my mind and realize that not everyone thinks the same way I do.â And thatâs when people start to like each other again.â Inna, Rahmanâs friend, brings it to a point: âYour friend is not the government of his or her country; he or she is a person.â In the woods of Maine there is peace. Yet how will they cope with life at home?
As they grow up, Arabs and Israelis learn that the other side is the enemy. Theyâre still being taught from textbooks that were made when the countries were at war with one another. âOne kid believed that the Holocaust was when the rich Jews killed the poor Jews,â says Wallach. This is because many Arabs only see the state of Israel as a threat and do not realize how much the Jews actually suffered. Therefore, John Wallach finds it very important to take the kids to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., at the end of the program.
When they go home to their respective countries, they arrive with new, liberal ideas which most of their friends have never heard of. Inna doubts that the program will really help the peace process in the Middle East. She says, âWe donât have much of a voice in our countries, weâre too young, we donât get to vote. We can weep, cry, it wont get through to them.â
But Seeds of Peace looks further ahead. The camp brochure informs: âBy teaching teenagers to develop trust and empathy for one another, Seeds of Peace is changing the landscape of conflict. It is equipping the next generation with the tools to end violence and become leaders of tomorrow.â
Tamer is already going this way. âWhen I went back to Egypt in 1993,â he recalls, âI didnât find a lot of agreement from a lot of my friends. Even though Israel and Egypt have a peace agreement since 1979, we didnât have real peace; it was just peace on paper. Some of my friends liked what I told them and came to Seeds of Peace the following year, but some of them didnât agree and some even stopped talking to me at all.â Tamerâs example shows that Seeds of Peace doesnât just end after the summer camp.
It also shows the difficulties the teenagers face when they go back to their home country. âWeâre putting the children at risk because Seeds of Peace causes dissonance with their immediate environment if they choose to think differently,â facilitator Reuven says. One former participant, Moran from Israel, writes in an email about a conversation she had with her friends back home: âI defended the Arab side, thinking that I was in for a nice long political discussion. But what did happen was my best friend got up and started shouting at me. He said that ever since I got back from camp Iâve been acting differently, that I forgot where I came from and where I returned.â
Luckily, those kids still get the support from Seeds of Peace after they return home. SeedsNet, the online website and chat room, enables the participants to stay in touch despite borders and checkpoints.
In October a Seeds of Peace center, the headquarters of the Jerusalem outreach project, will open its doors. Here the alumni will be able to participate in workshops and educational outreach programs in order to continue their commitment to peacemaking. The bi-monthly newspaper The Olive Branch written and edited by Arab and Israeli graduates already reaches thousands of teenagers beyond the alumni network.
New initiatives include graduatesâ conflict-resolution training such as the Middle East Youth Summit. Slowly but surely, Seeds of Peace and the children involved are making a difference.
Happy New Year!
At the close of my first full year as the Executive Director of Seeds of Peace, I couldnât be more proud to be part of this organization. In each corner of the world, there are remarkable people doing remarkable things, and holding on tightly to relationships and ideas that were created at Seeds of Peace despite the toughest of obstacles working against them.
For those of you living in conflict, and struggling to cope with the realities around you, I know how far away Camp can seem and how difficult it can be to imagine that a different way of life is possible.
For those of us lucky to be living outside of conflict areas, I know it can be hard to stay connected and translate your experiences at Seeds of Peace to your current lives. But we have built an amazing network over the past 18 yearsâa network of Seeds, as young as 14 and as old as 32, of educators, of counselors, facilitators, staff, and friendsâwho share the belief that peace is possible; that people do not need to live with violence, fear, and humiliation, but rather that we all have the right to live in safety and with dignity and respect. I know how hard it can be to keep focused on this path and admire your strength and determination to do so.
I am writing to you today from the shores of a very frozen Pleasant Lake, where our Camp is cold and snowy. Though it is empty and quiet here, the energy of this place and the impact of your time here is very much present.
As we start this new year, one of my resolutions is to strengthen our network as a Seeds of Peace communityâand key to that process remains communication. So as we say goodbye to 2010 and hello to 2011, I wanted to share a few highlights from last year (beyond our summer in Maine) and things to look forward to in the year to come. This is the first of a regular series of newsletters from me that will share organizational and program updates with you. Consider this the first edition:
1) A Junior Leadership Program (for Seeds aged 14-17), which starts with their experience at Camp and continues through year-round activities at home, focused on progressively building and applying four key assets and abilities needed for effective leadership in peace-building: strong relationships and mutual understanding across lines of conflict, a sophisticated knowledge of core conflict issues and the steps needed to create change, critical thinking and communication skills, and an ability to take responsible action and influence others to engage in peace-building;
2) Senior Seeds (for Seeds aged 18-21), offering alumni advanced leadership training suited to their new networks and life phases;
3) and the Graduate Association (for Seeds aged 22+) that serves as a vehicle for alumni to sustain their connection to Seeds of Peace and each other while focusing on high impact local and regional initiatives designed to end conflict and promote lasting peace. More on this to come, but I am excited about our new programmatic outlook and measures of accountability. If you have any questions or want more info, please feel free to be in touch with Eva, our Director of Strategic Initiatives, eva@seedsofpeace.org.
I only wish there was a way for all of us to come together at line-up to share and discuss these achievements in person, but I donât think our benches (or even the town of Otisfield!) could accommodate the 4,300 Seeds, 500+ Educators and Delegation Leaders, and the countless counselors, facilitators, and staff that make up our Seeds of Peace family. So weâll continue to use the tools we have to keep our community connected in every way that we can. And as always, I would love to hear from you with thoughts, questions, concerns and ideas.
Thank you for your leadership, dedication and spirit. Thank you for being a Seed, and thank you for being a part of our family. On behalf of the wonderful Seeds of Peace staff (who I am grateful to be working with), we look forward to supporting you in the year ahead.
Sending much love and warm wishes to you and your families for a more peaceful new year,
Leslie Adelson Lewin
Executive Director
The season included two sessions, each three weeks long. By the end of August, Seeds of Peace had empowered 332 young people to be peacemakers from some of the most troubled areas in the world.
Many of the most difficult moments of Camp program occur in the daily dialogue sessions. Guided by the help of a professional conflict resolution facilitator, Seeds were encouraged to be honest in dialogue sessions and think for themselves, rather than sticking to old arguments that had been handed to them by others. They are also taught the art of listening to those from “the other side” of the conflict.
Leslie Lewin, the Director of the Seeds of Peace Camp, said: “This has been an extraordinary summer. The young people from every delegationâEgyptian, Jordanian, Israeli, Palestinian, American, Pakistani, and Indianâwere incredibly inspiring and hard working. They took full advantage of this opportunity and have no doubt they will go on to be our future leaders.”
Now that the Seeds have returned to the Middle East, South Asia, and across the United States, they prepare to do the hard work of leading positive changes to their communities. They join a network of nearly 4,000 young people around the world working in government, medicine, business, nonprofit, media and as community organizers. Seeds of Peace is dedicated to supporting them in their efforts to create a more peaceful future.
During the program, young teens from India and Pakistan collaborated to develop and implement their own social ventures aimed at generating progressive change in their home communities.
The “I, Changemaker” program incorporated a series of seven, ninety minute workshops on topics ranging from how to craft a mission statement to budgeting techniques and marketing strategies. As Seeds of Peace campers, the young “I, Changemaker” participants also engaged in team and trust building exercises on the camp’s high ropes course and daily dialogue sessions where they are able to openly discuss the history of the conflict between India and Pakistan, as well as some of its present day implications.
As program coordinator Ben Losman stated, “When young people unite across international conflicts to solve the same social problem, the implications for peace are tremendous.” Together, these youth created five Social Venture Projects, including a street theater group that seeks to educate slum communities in Pakistan about HIV/AIDS prevention and a group that plans to host low-cost conferences on renewable energy to promote the adoption of solar energy and bio-gas. Equipped with training, detailed Action Plans, and $250 of start-up funding, participants are now well prepared to implement these projects in their home communities and take the first steps down the path to collaborative social change.
This was the Seventh Annual ‘Play for Peace’ basketball clinic. During the event, players worked with campers on basketball fundamentals and teamwork drills that help them understand the value of cooperation, In return, the players got an up-close and personal view of the nature of conflict, challenges to peace in the Middle East, and the possibility for lasting coexistence. The campers were thrilled and grateful for the opportunity to interact and learn from leaders in the world of professional sports.
In addition, Seeds of Peace partnered with the Interfaith Youth Corps this year to build capacity at the staff level to facilitate interfaith dialogue sessions. Drawing from their pre-camp training Seeds of Peace counselors taught this year’s campers how to exhibit respect and tolerance for fellow Seeds from various religious backgrounds while engaged in the interfaith dialogue sessions. Often, the key to successful in these sessions is opting for instructive phrases, such as “in my experience,” as opposed to rigidly declaration “my religion says”.
Also, various religious services were held throughout the camp experience. Muslim, Jewish, Christian and Hindu services were held weekly and were open to all campers. In this way, the campers and Seeds of Peace staff had the opportunity to learn about one another’s religious traditions first hand. A religious dialogue session was held during the second session. The discussion was introduced by a group of counselors, drawn from diverse religious backgrounds, who modeled a respectful discussion in which they talked about the role of prayer in their lives; telling their personal stories. Campers were then divided into small groups that were facilitated by counselors. Guided by open-ended questions such as “how does your family celebrate holidays?” or “how does your religion influence your values?”, campers were given the time and space to ask questions of one another. Given the loose format and the potentially controversial nature of this topic, they responded respectfully and with genuine curiosity. Many asked to continue this conversation past the hour allotted for this dialogue.
After the end of their camp session in July, the delegation of Indian and Pakistani Seeds traveled to Washington, D.C., to discuss the issues facing both countries and the possibility of peace. Their trip included a reception at the Department of State where they were welcomed by Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Assistant Secretary Richard Boucher.
Deputy Secretary Negroponte said: “The young people we celebrate today will bring skills, perspectives, and experiences gained over the past three weeks back to their homes in India and Pakistanâtwo countries that are important friends and partners of the United States, and two countries we want to see succeed. You are a group of extraordinary young people with the courage and the imagination to look beyond decades of conflict and envision a peaceful, hopeful future.”
Two Seeds also spoke at the event. Maria, a Pakistani, said: “Before coming to camp, I wrote something and I would really like to share it with you all. It goes like, ‘We have one world to live in, one world to share, one world to care for, and our one world is here.’ So Seeds of Peace basically highlights all of that. It brings us together to work for a better, peaceful tomorrow.”
Parikshit, an Indian Seed, said: “Before coming to camp, I had a different mindset about the conflict between India and Pakistan. I had read stories and books, I had heard from the media, from my parents and relatives their versions of the conflict, whose fault it is, who is right and who is wrong. Well, I can say that after spending three weeks with so many people, so many friends over there, the one thing I’ve learned is that what I think is not true, not necessarily true. You know, I must always broaden my mind, accept what the others are saying, though I may not like it.”
Recently, more than 140 Israeli and Palestinian Seeds from the 2008 camp experience met for a day of follow up programs at Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, a community of Jewish and Arab Israelis. It was their first reunion since leaving camp in Maine. They shared their experiences upon returning home and planned, along with the regional Seeds of Peace staff, how to move ahead as peacemakers.
To make a tax-deductible contribution to Seeds of Peace, click here.
This edition of What Weâre Reading is inspired by the desire so many of us have to seek out new horizons in the summer. And though travel is a privilege thatâs not always attainable, the beauty of books is that they allow us to explore all kinds of new terrains, no matter the status of our passports or bank accounts.
From the Amazon to Turkey; the Caribbean to Iraq to the Arctic Circle, these books open up new worlds for both the characters and the readers. Regardless of what the rest of the season holds for you, we hope one of these works will be a suitable sidekickâor navigatorâfor your next adventure.
Exit West, by Mohsin Hamid
A young couple, Saeed and Nadia, live in an unnamed city undergoing civil war, from which they are finally forced to flee. Using a system of magical doors, they find themselves searching for sanctuary in Greece, England, and eventually, the United States. This book is as timely as it is eye opening into the experiences of those seeking asylum around the world today. As described in The New York Times, âHamid does a harrowing job of conveying what it is like to leave behind family members, and what it means to leave home, which, however dangerous or oppressive itâs become, still represents everything that is familiar and known.â â Dindy Weinstein, Director of Individual Philanthropy
Notes on a Foreign Country, by Suzy Hansen
In this insightful and provocative book, Suzy Hansen interrogates her own narrative and the narratives of America and Americans. Recounting her own experience as a journalist living in Turkey, she uses this book as an opportunity to look inward at her own experience and the myths that make up the American experience. Hansen unpacks the shortsighted and ill-informed conceptions she once held of the Middle East and Central Asia as well as her own misguided conceptions of self, people, and country. Hansen brings to light the overt and subtle ways in which American culture, governance, and military forces have shaped regions and places that she once knew nothing of, but that, for decades, have known a great deal about her, her country, and her people. Her book pushes us to question ourselves and our narratives as a result of being confronted with the often uncomfortable realities of the world we live in and our roles in that world as citizens of the United States of America. â Kyle Gibson, Deputy Director, Global Strategy and Programs
Washington Black, by Esi Edugyan
This book takes the reader on a journey across the world, and to a bleak past, with a slave boy named Wash and his masterâs brother, a naturalist and explorer. By boat, by horse, and by hot air balloon, they voyage throughout the Caribbean, then to the Arctic Circle, London, and Morocco. The story explores the fraught relationship between those who are free, and those for whom the color of their skin prevents them from truly experiencing freedomâdespite what local law may or may not proscribe. â Deb Levy, Director of Communications
State of Wonder, by Ann Patchett
Here is a beautifully told story of a scientist who travels to the Amazonian jungle, in part to research a new fertility drug that allows women to bear children until old age, and in part to figure out the truth of the assumed death of a fellow scientist whose visit preceded hers. Of course, the larger mission becomes peppered with vivid stories of life deep in the jungle and unforeseen discoveries along the way. A joy to read.
â Eliza OâNeil, US/UK Programs Manager
The Flying Camel, Edited by Loolwa Khazzoom
In this anthology of essays and stories by Jewish women of North African and Middle Eastern heritage, each chapter opens a window into the Mizrachi and Sephardi communities, which are often overlooked/erased/discriminated against in the Ashkenazi world. These women challenge the dichotomy of “Jewish” vs “Arab,” bring to light experiencesâboth positive and negativeâthat are not associated with the mainstream Jewish narrative in Israel, America, and around the world, and explore their struggle to define themselves in terms of gender, religion, race, culture, and the intersection between them all. In the work that we do, it is critical to constantly reexamine the lines society has drawn between people, and to continuously open our minds to the nuance and complexity of human experience.
â Emily Umansky, Development Associate
The Book of Collateral Damage, by Sinan Antoon; translated from the Arabic by Jonathan Wright
We begin with an Iraqi scholar, who finds his American life interconnected with his homelandâs past and present after he encounters an eccentric bookseller in Baghdad. A work of fiction loosely based on Antoonâs return to his homeland (Antoon is a professor at New York University) after the devastation of the 2003 Iraqi invasion, it is ultimately a story of all that is lost in war, and I’ve never read anything quite like it: The chapters alternate between the professor’s life and the bookseller’s writings, each of the latter telling the first minute of war from the viewpoint of a completely different being or object, such as a boy who spends his days scavenging among trash; an overworked, aging horse that is nostalgic for the loving care it received as a young racing champion; a living-room wall that witnesses a family grow up and move on. At first the bookseller’s excerpts felt distracting from the scholar’s life, almost like commercial interruptions during a television showâuntil you suddenly find yourself fast-forwarding to get to the commercials. These chapters made me slow down, look up from the book and take stock of what was around me, and I think that’s the point. Coverage of a war and the concept of collateral damage, as Sintoon told NPR, “makes the massive destruction of lives just an abstract concept. And it becomes like a black hole into which humans, lives, houses, objectsâentire lives and potential livesâdisappear.” This book does not let them disappear.
â Lori Holcomb-Holland, Communications/Development Manager
What would you add to this list? Any recommendations for future editions of What Weâre Reading? Let us know in the comments below, or send your picks to lori@seedsofpeace.org.
SALT LAKE CITY | Gerald Elias, associate concertmaster of the Utah Symphony, and local pianist Marjorie Janove will present their third concert to benefit Seeds of Peace, an international organization that seeks to empower the children of war to break the cycle of violence.
The Salt Lake City âConcert for Peace,â which follows the national benefit gala recently held in New York City, will be Saturday, May 31, at 7 p.m., at The Cathedral Church of St. Mark-Episcopal Diocese, 231 E. 100 S. Tickets are $25 for the concert and $35 for both the concert and post-concert reception. Food will be provided by Mazza, which specializes in Middle Eastern cuisine. For more information, or to make advance reservations, call 801-328-5043, or e-mail lbarlow@saltlakechamber.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the door.
Seeds of Peace offers one-on-one interaction for teenagers from 22 war-ravaged nations at an idyllic lakeside camp in Otisfield, Maine and runs follow up programs through its Center for Coexistence in Jerusalem. Through the creation of open dialogues, team building, group projects and activities and conflict-resolution sessions, the teensâor âseeds of peaceââbegin the difficult process of developing the mutual trust, respect and empathy needed to break the cycles of hatred and violence. The organizationâs goal is to humanize âthe enemyâ by breaking down barriers and by building bridges, all in a neutral, safe and supportive environment.
âThis year the message of peace is more relevant than ever,â notes Elias, adding that his visit to the Maine camp and observance of the emotional and passionate âcoexistenceâ sessions was a life-changing experience.
Although Seeds of Peace founder John Wallach passed away last year, the organization has been busier than ever. Over the past 12 months 450 teens, representing 22 nations, graduated from Seeds of Peace camps; over 150 Israeli and Palestinian alumni held a reunion through the Seeds of Peace Center for Coexistence in Jerusalem and ran leadership programs and coexistence dialogue groups; over 100 Seeds of Peace students were on scholarships at U.S. universities; and an Afghanistan program was initiated.
Current Seeds of Peace President Aaron David Miller writes, âNo matter how compelling the terms of any agreement or treaty, peace will not be secured without an effort to break down barriers of suspicion and mistrust and create normal relations between people. Indeed, if peacemaking remains the purview of the diplomats alone, it will not succeed.â
Last yearâs Salt Lake City Seeds of Peace Concert, played before a capacity audience at Gardner Hall, raised $11,000 in two hours. The 2002 event featured music by Tartini, Gershwin, Chopin, Deberiot and Strauss. This yearâs concert, part of a larger community outreach effort, will surprise music lovers, as the eveningâs program will not be announced in advance. âWe are calling this a command performance,â notes Lizzie Barlow, one of the event coordinators.
Commenting on why he and Janove have decided to keep the program a secret, Elias explains, âWe want the audience to be even more excited about the music when they hear some of their old favoritesâand some soon-to-be favoritesâpop out of our hats.â
Two representatives from the national organization of Seeds of Peace, Amy Baroch, senior event coordinator, and George Atallah, development associate, will attend the concert and will accompany two Seeds of Peace alumni. They are Malvina Goldfeld, a 21-year-old Israeli who is a sophomore at Princeton, and Mohammed Matar, a 17-year-old Palestinian from Gaza who, through a scholarship, is finishing his senior year at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts.
âThis year our goal is to be able to send six teenagers to the Seeds of Peace camp, which costs $2,500 per student,â notes Barlow, adding that the national organization is funded through individual donors, foundation and federal grants, and corporate giving. âWe hope to raise $16,000 through this event, with $9,000 of that donated outside of ticket sales.â
Deseret News music critic Ed Reichel has called Elias âan exceptionally talented and sublime musicianâ and Janove âa marvelous pianist and first-class accompanist.â
To schedule an interview, contact Ann Bardsley at 801-466-1127 or at annjb@xmission.com. Photos available upon request.
Seeds of Peace was founded in 1993 by award-winning author and journalist John Wallach. Foreign Editor of the Hearst Newspapers for 25 years, Wallach covered many regions of war and terrorism, including the Middle East. After the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center, Wallach decided to reach out to the children of war and terror to find and nurture hope. Wallach created the organization to provide an opportunity for these children to plant the seeds for a more secure future. In its first year, the Seeds of Peace International Camp brought 45 youngsters from Israel, Palestine and Egypt to live together side by side.
Now, more than a decade later, almost 2,000 teenagers from the Middle East, the Balkans, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, India and Pakistan and the United States have graduated from the Seeds of Peace International Camp. In 2002, 12 Afghan youths attended the program. Seeds of Peace has created a variety of follow-up initiatives worldwide, including the Center for Coexistence in Jerusalem, which offers year-round activities for Seeds of Peace alumni to sustain their relationships and commitment to coexistence.
Seeds of Peace has achieved broad-based international recognition as a âbest methodsâ conflict resolution program and has been featured on 60 Minutes, Nightline, Good Morning America, The Today Show and on CNN, PBS and NPR. Seeds of Peace received the UNESCO Peace Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Nonviolence in 2000.
Gerald Elias, associate concertmaster of the Utah Symphony since 1988, first violinist of the Abramyan String Quartet and a faculty member of the University of Utah, has performed in Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand as well as in the United States. He has composed many works including “Conversations With Essie,” which was performed at the 2002 Moab Music Festival. He has been commissioned by the Utah Symphony to compose a piece for its chamber orchestra series in 2004. Elias is also the author of the mystery novel Devilâs Trill.
Marjorie Janove is an active soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. She has appeared with the Utah Symphony, NOVA Chamber Music Series, Temple Square Concert Series, the Vivaldi Candlelight Concert Series, the Maurice Abravanel Distinguished Composer Series and the Madeline Festival of the Arts and Humanities Series. She completed a Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree with distinction in piano performance at Indiana University, where she studied with Karen Shaw and Menachem Pressler and where she taught as an associate instructor.
ADDRESS: 231 E 100 Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
DATE: May 31, 2003
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
LOCATION: The Cathedral Church of St. Mark-Episcopal Diocese
CONTACT: lbarlow@saltlakechamber.org
