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Pakistani Seeds break digital, cultural boundaries with EPIC programming

Jun 23, 2020 / No Comments

LAHORE | Even in the best of times, it takes a lot of planning, care, and skill to create a space where people can grow; where they can challenge their perspectives, make mistakes and know that their peers—even those whom they barely know—will pick them back up.

To build that type of trust across lines of difference, and hundreds of miles of distance, is a whole other challenge.

This spring, eight Pakistani Seeds from Lahore and Karachi showed that not only were they up for the task, but they were ready to take on more. In April, they held the first edition of Evaluating Perspectives, Identities, and Cultures (EPIC), a free of cost, Seed-led program centered around dialogue exploring different provincial identities in Pakistan. It went so well that they’re currently planning a second edition for July, 2020.

“The first successful run of the program was mind blowing to me,” said Ali Haris, a 2018 Seed. While he said he previously believed that dialogue couldn’t effectively be conducted online, “seeing people’s lives impacted and changed toward the end of the program broke the false notion I held.”

Over the course of five days, the Seeds led participants in activities and dialogues that were designed to help participants engage with their identity and question their preconceived notions.

Approximately 150 teenagers applied for the April program, and the selected 28 attendees spanned different socio-economic lines and identities from four different provinces in Pakistan.

“We live in an environment that heavily affects who we are and who we become,” read the students’ description of the program. “Our identities are a reflection of not only the micro environment, but also the macro environment, and it’s absolutely essential to understand who you are through the lens of culture, values and norms that are shaped provincially and nationally. We invite you to have a dialogue around it, and do it, the Seeds of Peace way!!”

Despite the students having schoolwork, internet connectivity issues, other personal commitments, and even family members battling COVID-19 infections, the Seeds worked tirelessly to pull off the program, and the students showed up every day to delve into difficult questions.

“It was one of the better virtual programs I’ve seen among 14- to 16-year olds,” said Hana Tariq, head of curriculum for Beyond the Classroom, which partners with Seeds of Peace to run local programs in Pakistan. “I feel that it started with awkwardness on the first day and ended with hope to meet each other as soon as the lockdown ends. There was willingness to learn, to experience, and to open up.”

While having to run the program virtually came with its challenges, it also made the program accessible to students who might not have been able to participate otherwise.

“Probably 70 percent of the participants wouldn’t have come had it not been online because they would have had to travel so far to attend,” Hana said.

Highlights of the week included learning directly about what it means to live in Kashmir under occupation from a student who had spent much of his life there, as well as a day where Seeds from India were invited to participate in dialogue.

For Ali Haris, another particularly impactful moment brought him back to Seeds of Peace Camp in Maine.

“One of the participants who previously held a conservative view about an issue actually challenged herself and went to educate herself on the topic,” he said. “That was one moment when I realised how similar it was to the light-bulb moments that happened to me at Camp, and showed me that you can definitely make a huge impact through a virtual connection.”

If the participants’ feedback were any indication of the program’s success, the Seeds, who attended the Seeds of Peace Camp in Maine in 2015-19, clearly hit the mark. Multiple participants thanked the Seeds for creating a safe space, “where you can talk out your heart and without fear,” wrote one participant.

“The facilitators did such good work in collaborating with us and making us think critically and innovatively 
 the way they made us question ourselves—our perspectives, identities, conscience, and ideas—it has made us more confident about our true identities,” the participant wrote.

The team members (which includes nine Seed this time: Xainab, Awais, Ali Haris, Fatima, Mariam A., Mariam R., Samir, Rameez, and Taniya) were part of a group of Seeds that traveled to Turkey last year to participate in a facilitation and mediation course.

The EPIC course was formed out of a desire to pay forward what they learned from that four-day workshop, Hana said, as well as an exercise in leadership: a chance to see how projects come together, to learn how to express an idea, to work through disagreements within a team, and to try —and succeed—in challenges they previously didn’t think possible.

“Neither me nor any of the team members had any prior experience designing curriculum,” said Xainab, a 2017 Seed.

“We had to be thorough and careful. It required long hours and re-reviewing everything a 100 times! But our expectations were exceeded in terms of how much the group grew in only a span of five days! Seeing those speak up who didn’t speak as frequently and seeing some of the participants who did speak frequently create space for others, for example, was something that was very rewarding for us to see.”

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Seeds of Peace: It’s not just for kids
Washington File (US Department of State)

Aug 21, 2002 / No Comments

SUSAN DOMOWITZ | OTISFIELD, MAINE You’re never too old to go to camp, at least not when the camp is Seeds of Peace, in Otisfield, Maine. Seeds of Peace, founded by American journalist John Wallach in 1993, provides a peaceful place for teens from conflict areas to learn how to coexist. Every summer some 450 young people from conflict areas around the world, including the Middle East, the Balkans, and South Asia, come to Maine to participate in Seeds of Peace. They are accompanied by adult delegation leaders who come to Maine with them, and who share many of their camp experiences.

The young campers do all the usual things that kids at any summer camp do—sailing, tennis, swimming, and getting to know each other. But at Seeds of Peace, summer camp also includes sessions on learning to coexist and resolve conflicts, and both campers and delegation leaders participate in this process.

For the delegation leaders, who are appointed by their governments, the encounter with the enemy is an uncomfortable, but ultimately transforming experience—much as it is for the teen campers. Two delegation leaders—one Palestinian and one Israeli—readily agreed to talk to the Washington File about their experiences at Seeds of Peace. But because the delegation leaders have professional and family responsibilities in their home countries in the conflict region, they said they prefer not to have their names used when sharing their experiences.

“I was scared about coming to camp,” admits an Israeli delegation leader, “and I didn’t really know what to expect. But meeting Arabs was a good experience. This was a great opportunity to talk with each other.”

To the Palestinian delegation leader, Seeds of Peace is a unique experience. The conflict is still there, he says, but he now sees possibilities. “The walls are still there, but now they’re a little lower.”

“Look,” he says, “fifty-five years of fighting have brought no solution. It’s time to try another way.”

While the teen campers are learning to share a bunkhouse, meals, and activities with “the enemy,” the adult delegation leaders are going through much the same process. They share meals and cabins with the delegation leaders from the other side of the conflict. They participate in coexistence sessions. They learn to trust and help each other through the grueling group challenge of the Outward Bound program on Hurricane Island. And at the end of their three weeks in Maine, like their teen charges, they must cope with the return to a region in conflict.

“We live with a lot of tension and fear,” says one of the Israeli delegation leaders. “This (coexistence) is not going to be easy. But we’ve been breaking down stereotypes at camp, and I hope we can spread these new insights to the people around us.”

During the three-week camp session, in addition to their own coexistence activities, the delegation leaders are also serving as advisers to the teens, and liaisons to their governments. The adults hold bi-weekly delegation meetings with the campers from their country. These meetings are the only occasions at camp where English is replaced by the campers’ own languages, and they provide an occasion for the teens to air their concerns within their own country delegation. The delegation leaders also provide a helpful reality check to the teens, who will confront very difficult and dangerous situations when they return to their home communities.

The coexistence sessions, they say, are difficult. But they agree that the results are worth it. One of the Palestinian delegation leaders says he would like to tell both sides in the Middle East that “we can have a dialogue. There is another way to resolve this conflict.”

The delegation leaders’ program is coordinated by Dr. Barbara Zasloff, a clinical psychologist who specialized in child custody issues for 25 years before becoming full-time Vice-President of Seeds of Peace. Zasloff sees similarities between child custody battles and the hard issues dividing Israelis and Palestinians. “For these parties (Israelis and Palestinians), the fighting is as intimate as a family fighting over the children. And in a sense, the adversaries in these conflicts are ‘family,’ too.”

The Outward Bound survival course on Hurricane Island, which teaches trust and team building to the delegation leaders, is really an opportunity for the adults to realize that “you can do things you never thought you could do,” Zasloff explains.

At the end of the three-week camp session, Zasloff says, the delegation leaders are ready to discuss the most difficult issues. During the course of these discussions, they must explain to the other side why it is so difficult for them to compromise on a given issue. Each side gains an understanding of the other’s view of the situation. Delegation leaders are given a specific topic to work on during camp.

As an example, a Palestinian and an Israeli delegation leader described a project in which all the delegation leaders were asked to see if they could agree on “what is needed for a safe, decent life in the Middle East.” Arab and Israeli delegation leaders found that they agreed on 20 of their 24 requirements for “a decent life.” These 20 common points included such things as open borders, democracy, the rule of law, free access to holy sites for all religions, safety and security. The four points on which they differed included—to no one’s surprise—some of the major sticking points in the Middle East conflict, among them the status of Jerusalem, and the right of return.

The delegation leaders say that because they realized that they already agreed on so much, they could begin to discuss the more difficult issues. And while they did not come to any final agreement on these hard issues, they felt they had learned to understand the other side’s point of view.

Delegation leaders have a role to play after camp, too. They help develop an infrastructure of support for the teen “graduates” of Seeds of Peace, and they stay in touch with each other through workshops at the Seeds of Peace center in Jerusalem, and through annual delegation leaders conferences.

An Israeli delegation leader said that staying in touch with delegation leaders from the other side was important, and that she hoped Seeds of Peace would support their efforts to maintain contact. Her Palestinian counterpart agreed, and said he hoped Seeds of Peace could support follow-up in neighborhoods and local associations on both sides of the conflict.

“You have to have hope,” he said. “We hope we can eventually get our political leaders to follow us.”

Nomar, Mia visit Seeds of Peace: ‘You see the joy’
Portland Press Herald

Jul 30, 2010 / No Comments

Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra are among this year’s guest stars at Seeds of Peace Camp.

OTISFIELD | Cool sunglasses masking his eyes, microphone in hand, Wil Smith worked his audience, priming them with introductions of the visitors. By the time Smith reached Mia Hamm, his campers at Seeds of Peace were beyond delight.

Teenage boys and girls, mostly from the Middle East, were heading to a new level of excitement. Waiting for his wife after his own noisy welcome, Nomar Garciaparra didn’t try to hide his smile.

So this is why his agent kept inviting him to this former boys camp on the pine-lined shore of Pleasant Lake. Actually, Arn Tellem’s reason was only beginning to reveal itself.

“You know the lives they’ll go back to, but you look in their faces and see the joy,” Garciaparra said Thursday morning. “They’re giving me much more than I can give them.”

This is Seeds of Peace, the oasis away from the world’s centuries-old battle for hearts and minds and land in the Middle East. Children from other places where fear and danger are constant companions also arrive here each summer.

It’s a universal mission: Dialogue can affect peace better than terror. Plant that seed.

“I go to sleep, thinking of my problems,” said Brian Scalabrine, a free agent after four seasons with the New Jersey Nets and the past five with the Boston Celtics. “What’s my future hold? Where will I play? Will my kids be safe? And then I think of the kids I’ve met here. What are their futures?”

Scalabrine was a rookie in 2001 when he first came to Seeds of Peace with Tellem and another rookie class of the agent’s clients. Unlike most of the others, Scalabrine has returned every year since. “In my lifetime, I want to see peace in the Middle East,” he said.

On Thursday, Nets rookie Brian Zoubek unfolded his 7-foot-1 frame from the SUV that also brought Xavier Henry (Memphis Grizzlies) and Scottie Reynolds (Phoenix Suns) to this place. Teresa Edwards, the forever young, 46-year-old Hall of Fame player from Georgia, also came. She was a five-time Olympian, winning basketball gold four times—the youngest at 20 in 1984, and the oldest at 36 in 2000.

“I’ve been blessed with a career that’s allowed me to travel the world,” Edwards said. “I know what’s out there.”

She didn’t know what to expect Thursday. Breaking for lunch, she was still trying to get her arms around the hellos and the smiles and a growing feeling of wonder. That she was able to get her arms around individual campers went without saying.

The task wasn’t to solve problems, but to let young men and women know they mattered. A smile works. Simple questions and simple answers, the tools of conversation, work too.

This wasn’t a USO troupe dropping in to entertain the troops. Believe it or not, March Madness and Major League Baseball don’t reach deep into the Middle East. The campers understood and appreciated that these men and women were stars. Wil Smith, the camp director, told them that.

The campers reached out to their guests on a far easier and more relaxed level. Nomar and Mia, Scalabrine and Edwards and the others responded the same way.

Maybe an American Seed, as they’re called, or an American counselor asked Garciaparra what he thought of the Red Sox chances this year. Maybe not. Those Seeds from Gaza or Jerusalem didn’t care. They were more interested that the man helping Hamm was her husband.

Some Red Sox fans saw Garciaparra in one dimension: He could play shortstop better than most and he could certainly hit. If they bothered to peer into his soul, they would have found an intelligent, compassionate and friendly man.

“I kept telling Arn I wanted to do this, but after I retire. Well, I’m retired.”

Tellem was a camper here more than 40 years ago when Seeds of Peace was Camp Powhatan and Tim Wilson was his counselor. Wilson was the first Seeds of Peace camp director. He’s retired but that doesn’t keep him away.

“We look for people who can make a difference, even if it’s just for one day,” Tellem said.

Someone came over to tell Garciaparra he had been picked for a soccer team for the next 15 minutes. The Yankees. He grimaced. And laughed.

“This is all hard to put into words,” Hamm said during a break. “It’s beyond my expectations. Everyone is so committed. Watching (the Seeds) talk to each other, play together … it’s emotional.”

Nearby, Zoubek, the former Duke basketball star, left the court to sneak into the soccer net to play goalie. Someone lined up to take a shot. The laughter was loud.

Read Steve Solloway’s article and view John Patriquin’s photos at The Portland Press Herald »

Game Changers brings 60 Seeds to Ireland to explore conflict transformation

Jul 15, 2012 / 3 Comments

DUBLIN | This July, approximately 60 Seeds from the Middle East, South Asia, and the United States are coming together in Ireland to learn about past approaches to international conflicts, with an emphasis on peace-building processes between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland.

While focusing on the people, events, and ideas that lead to a “game-change” in situations of conflict and war, delegates at the week-long international conference consider practical ways to apply the lessons they are learning to their own regions. The program represents the first collaboration between the Irish American Peace Foundation and Seeds of Peace.

Daily Schedule

Arrival at Headfort School | July 10

After many hours of travel—many of our journeys were over 24 hours—and a few glitches, we all made it safely to Headfort School, our host institution in the beautiful countryside of the Republic of Ireland where we are to spend most of our time. The family estate, built in 1770, was transformed into a private boarding school in 1949. A small and welcoming staff team is taking good care of us, and Graduate Seed and counselor Ghassan has been keeping everyone energized and entertained with different team-building activities throughout the day.

Exploring conflict past and present | July 11-12

The first full day of “Game Changers” started with introductory remarks from former Irish Minister of Education and European Commissioner Richard Burke, who was kind enough to deliver a few words of welcome and provide us with an overview of Irish history and identity, setting the context for the rest of our week: an exploration of the lessons of past peace processes and a consideration of practical steps that could move Seeds’ communities toward peace.

The 60 participating Seeds, who hail from the Middle East, South Asia, and the United States, continued the morning with an opportunity to learn about the different conflict areas Seeds come from. Graduate Seeds Sawsan and Tal presented their respective national perspectives and personal experiences regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; Yama, Shyam and Sana, from Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan respectively, also shared their narratives on the conflicts that touch their communities. The Seeds took advantage of this unique chance to ask each other questions, learn about other conflicts, and understand and reflect on their own conflicts more intimately.

We then divided the Seeds into inter-delegation working groups of about 15 each, which rotated between four workshops aimed at exploring some of the root causes of conflict and building an understanding of history and current issues. Seeds of Peace’s current director of Israeli programs, Eldad, himself a Graduate Seed, led a workshop on the historic role that foreign involvement—such as colonization and military interventions—has played in sparking or perpetuating conflict around the world. Tamer, another Graduate Seed and Israeli program coordinator, and Feruzan, director of Indian programs, jointly led a workshop focused on rights and civil justice.

Mohammed, a Graduate Seed and current director of Palestinian programs, explored the ways in which media can perpetuate or mitigate conflict, focusing in particular on the use of enemy images, censorship, propaganda, and political agendas. Lastly, Ashleigh, director of Graduate programs, and Yama, an Afghan Graduate Seed, presented a workshop on the role that resources—both natural and human—can play in relations between communities. Each encouraged the Seeds to critically assess the roles that different forces and concerns have played in the history of their conflicts as well as how they continue to shape present-day reality.

On Wednesday night, we were lucky enough to tour the capital city of Dublin. The rain did not stop us from enjoying the downtown area and spending an hour in a souvenir shop buying all things green!

The next morning, Professor and Director of the Master of Arts Program in Coexistence and Conflict at Brandeis University Mari Fitzduff delivered a remarkably engaging talk on the historic conflict between Protestants and Catholics in Ireland, theories and models of conflict transformation, and the connections between diverse cases of intra- and international conflict around the world. She left us with a renewed sense of hope, civic responsibility, and passion for change.

Belfast | July 13

Armed with a basic understanding of the historic conflict on the island of Ireland as well as with new insights into sources of conflict, we set off to Northern Ireland. Friday brought a tour of Belfast; we saw everything from the construction site of the infamous Titanic to the murals on the wall separating the predominantly Protestant Unionist Shankill Road from the majority Catholic Nationalist Falls Road.

We were privileged to hear from a diverse range of speakers during our stay in Belfast. Tommy, a former member of the Ulster Defense Association, shared his personal experiences and journey from being a UDA member to becoming a community peace worker, while Michael, a Republican Parliamentarian, touched on how the conflict continues to play out in government offices. Adree shared her work with a community foundation in underprivileged neighborhoods of Belfast, Michael spoke of the role that education can play in perpetuating or mitigating conflict between divided communities, and Gareth, a former Loyalist combatant, shared his story of transformation and the work he continues today with ex-combatant youth.

Our hosts are all active in their communities, and while they remain in profound disagreement about certain issues, they insist on the importance of cross-community work and the necessity for a peaceful transformation of the conflict. Their life stories and words of wisdom and encouragement left our Seeds with deep insight into the type of work that diverse communities undertook in Northern Ireland as part of the peace process—one that we have come to learn is multifaceted and continuing even 15 years after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, the peace agreement that officially ended The Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Engaging with narratives | July 14

An early Saturday wake-up and a short bus ride soon had us in the beautiful northern town of Derry/Londonderry, where our exploration of the conflict in Northern Ireland—and of our own conflicts—continued. We learned about the dynamics of division and unity that exist within the city through two guided tours, one with a Protestant Unionist and one with a Catholic Nationalist. The two narratives of identity, struggle, and power had the Seeds in genuine reflection about the roles that narratives play in their own lives.

We spent the afternoon at The Playhouse, an arts space in the old downtown area, hearing from a group of three community activists who spoke on the value of working across divides and engaging with the most difficult issues and constituencies. The day in Derry/Londonderry ended with an interactive workshop where we explored the power of personal storytelling and witnessing through theater.

Our ride back to Headfort featured beautiful scenery, farm animals left and right and, finally, some singing and dancing as we drove through the gates of a place some of us now refer to as our Irish home.

Reflections | July 15

We used our first morning back at Headfort to debrief our packed two-day trip in Northern Ireland. Through quiet personal writing, one-on-one sharing, and larger group processes, we reflected on the many things we learned, saw, and felt in Belfast and Derry/Londonderry. Seeds shared that beyond just learning about the conflict in Northern Ireland, they also noticed similarities and differences when comparing it to their own conflicts. This prompted a diversity of complex feelings and questions and, for the most part, left our Seeds feeling hopeful about the situations back home.

Our afternoon consisted of delegation meetings, a good long game of Capture the Flag, and an Open Space session that encouraged our Seeds to organize and lead their own activities. These ranged from lessons in basic German, traditional dances, world accents, and martial arts to a discussion about the importance of education and a time for ‘honest conversations.’ Open Space allowed the Seeds to share their many talents, to learn from each other, and to demonstrate and enhance their leadership skills.

Looking ahead | July 16

With only one full day left together, we made the most of our collective brain power to start talking about a difficult yet crucial question: What comes next? What do we do after the seminar? How do we take the lessons learned here and apply them to our own contexts? What are some concrete ways in which we can engage one another and our communities and create positive change?

During a group brainstorm session, we looked back at the many concrete measures of peace-building that were taken in Northern Ireland and categorized them into five main groups. These diverse players and fields—media, politics/economy, the public, youth, and outside influencers—have the potential to positively affect conflict and bring about comprehensive peace. We thus deemed it important to explore them more profoundly. Seeds chose the committee of most interest to them and, in inter-delegation groups, came up with different project ideas within the field that could potentially bring about change in their own communities. They then presented these ideas to the larger group and received applause, positive critique, and encouragement. Some of the ideas presented included mixed schools in Israel and Palestine to combat the discrimination and stereotypes children learn at a young age, a video campaign featuring people’s stories about meeting ‘the other side’ for the first time, and many other context-specific projects our Seeds plan on starting soon or sometime further down the line.

After another creative Open Space session, we were ecstatic to video chat with Leslie and Wil from Camp. Camp and lake nostalgia settled in under sounds of ‘awww’ from the 60 Seeds and 15 staff members present, many of whom are Graduate Seeds themselves. Especially happy were members of the Blue Team after Wil announced who had won Color Games. (N.B. the author of this post maintains the inherent superiority of the Green Team, regardless of who jumps in the lake first.)

We celebrated the end of our week together with a big BBQ outside, for which the sun and rain were pleasantly cooperative. One of our Irish host’s children treated us to a stunning bagpipe performance, the chef made Neveen, a Jordanian Seed, a large chocolate cake for her birthday, and Seeds took the time to spark conversations they hadn’t had yet, to take pictures, and to simply enjoy one another’s company.

Departure | July 17

Departure days are always difficult at Seeds of Peace. Our day started with the American delegation leaving us on a 6 a.m. bus and ended 12 hours later with final goodbyes to Headfort as a bus of Pakistanis and a few staff members drove away. It’s hard to believe that the Game Changers Seminar is over. We are grateful to have learned all we did and to be returning home with newfound knowledge, insights, skills, and friendships. We’ve had an incredible experience and hope you’ve enjoyed it vicariously through these reports and pictures of us. This is what 80 members of the Seeds family learning about comparative conflict in Ireland looks like!
 
GAME CHANGERS PHOTOS

Solutions exist, peace is possible
The Jewish Journal (New Jersey)

Aug 20, 2012 / 1 Comment

BY VILMA FIRCE | “Treaties are negotiated by governments; peace is made by people” reads the mission statement of Seeds of Peace, a non-profit international organization that since 1993 has set the standard in international peace-building by providing exceptional young people and educators from regions of conflict with an otherwise impossible opportunity to meet their historic enemies face-to-face at its International Camp in Otisfield, Maine.

This summer Andrew Singer, 15, of Toms River, was one of the 211 campers representing 8 delegations: Afghan, American, Egyptian, Indian, Israeli, Jordanian, Pakistani, and Palestinian. Andrew was part of the American delegation.

“It was a deep and moving personal experience,” said Andrew, who knew about the Camp through his father and grandfather, both funding partners of Seeds of Peace since the early 1990s. “I created strong friendships with people from far away countries.”

The selection process to become a “Seed” as campers are called, is very competitive. Through written essays and an interview the applicant must demonstrate proficiency in English and leadership skills.

For three and a half weeks the Seeds are given the opportunity to confront their prejudices and fears through a conflict-resolution program that tackles the issues that fuel violence, hatred and oppression at home.

According to Seeds of Peace, “Every aspect of the program fosters trust and respect and challenges assumptions. The program’s intensity is deliberate.” By the end of the Camp, every Seed had participated in over 25 hours of facilitated dialogue.

“I did realize that as an American Seed we know very little about the conflicts and countries I learned about,” said Andrew.

The campers are grouped by the conflict region they live in. This summer the regions were the Middle East and South East Asia. The Seeds of the same group share a bunk and participate in the same dialogue sessions. American campers are divided into the different groups. Andrew was assigned to the South East Asia group that included campers from India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. “There were 15 Seeds in our group.”

Meals and recreational activities are encouraged to be shared among members of all delegations. “We were encouraged to meet and develop a relationship with as many Seeds as possible, doing activities that build trust, communication, and understanding with each other,” said Andrew. “We spent a lot of time outdoors, playing cricket, soccer and Frisbee. I was also able to attend Muslim and Hindu services, besides a Jewish service.”

A typical day at the Camp included 90 minutes of dialogue sessions between members of the same group to discuss their conflict region specific issues. Guided by professional facilitators, Seeds were encouraged to tackle the most divisive issues defining their conflict, share their personal experiences, compare competing historical narratives, and challenge each others’ inherited prejudices. “The set-up was very casual. We seated in plastic chairs around a circle.”

“In my group we discussed the Kashmir conflict and the Durand Line, among other heated topics, but always with respect,” said Andrew. “We also talked about women’s issues and religion. No subject was off-limits.”

The immediate goal of the Camp’s dialogue sessions is not necessarily agreement of consensus, and there isn’t any expectation that the campers should adopt or embrace each other’s viewpoints. “I believe the goal was to plant the seeds of peace within each community allowing them to then spread the knowledge they have learned,” said Andrew.

To the question, “Did you come back a different man?” Andrew replied quickly, “Absolutely,” and then added, “Being at Camp made me realize new ideas and new perspectives; that one should actually listen and to not just hear what someone has said. I know what I have experienced and more importantly felt created a bond that can’t be broken.”

Regarding political views, “My ideas of the conflicts in the Middle East and South East Asia are completely changed since I left for Camp,” affirmed Andrew.

Finally, to the question of what would he tell a disenchanted adult who doesn’t believe there is a resolution in sight for these conflict regions, Andrew responded, “There are always two sides to a story – listen to the other side. I don’t know what the future holds for these regions in conflict, but like everyone else we can hope that together we can try to create a better future. I would tell him what we were told by the camp head, Will Smith, the first day, “You must first go to war with yourself before you can make peace with anyone else.’”

Seeds of Peace does not prescribe or advocate for particular political solutions, nor are they affiliated with any political party or religious institution. The organization was founded in 1993 by journalist John Wallach.

Selection of American Seeds is conducted directly with participating high schools, and usually begins in March. For details and more information send an e-mail to: camp@seedsofpeace.org

December 1, 2015 | VOICES 2015 (New York)

Oct 9, 2015 / No Comments

VOICES 2015 will feature the inspirational voices of Seeds of Peace alumni, along with rousing comedy performances from the likes of Negin Farsad and Dean Obeidallah. The event will include food, drinks, comedy and a glimpse of the crucial work that Seeds of Peace does in empowering young peacemakers around the world!

ADDRESS: 333 W. 23rd St, New York, NY 10011
DATE: December 1, 2015
TIME: 7:30 p.m.
LOCATION: SVA Theater
WEBSITE: www.seedsofpeace.org/voices2015
CONTACT: Clarke Reeves | clarke@seedsofpeace.org

April 10, 2014 | TRANSFORM (New York)

Apr 10, 2014 / No Comments

On Thursday, April 10, join the Seeds of Peace Young Leadership Committee in an evening of dialogue, music, and impact as we showcase the Seeds of Peace experience. Featuring dynamic and inspiring Seeds of Peace graduates, short films, a musical performance, and a special talk given by Ami Dar, Founder and Executive Director of Idealist.org. This event will give meaning behind our mission, relaying the transformative power of social change.

ADDRESS: 333 W. 23rd St. (between 8th & 9th Avenue)
DATE: April 10, 2014
TIME: Doors Open at 6:30 p.m.
LOCATION: SVA Theater
WEBSITE: www.seedsofpeace.org/transform/
CONTACT: Jenn Lishansky | jennifer@seedsofpeace.org

Maine Seeds help host New England Youth Identity Summit

Apr 8, 2018 / No Comments

PORTLAND, MAINE | Over 300 high-school students, educators and supporters from across New England gathered for two days of inspiring speakers, student-led workshops, performances and dialogue sessions at the 2018 New England Youth Identity Summit.

The event, themed “Reshaping Communities: Finding the Courage to Talk to Each Other,” took place April 6-7 at Wayneflete High School in Portland. Keynote speakers included former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick and the American-Somali poet Ladan Osman.

Largely organized by about two-dozen Seeds, the summit focused on sparking meaningful conversations about identity, diversity, and community. Topics ranged from the role of young people in social changemaking, to navigating the fine line between calling people out versus calling people in for problematic behaviors.

In one workshop that focused on intersectionality in feminism, a young woman remarked on the responsibility of those with privilege to build bridges: “Allyship means taking risks where it is unsafe for others to do so, and utilizing your privileges for the benefit of those who do not have them.”

Sowing the Seeds of Peace: Israeli and Palestinian kids refuse to give up
Ha’aretz

Jun 20, 2003 / No Comments

Ten years after the first “seeds” witnessed the historic handshake between Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and prime minister Yitzhak Rabin on the White House lawn, Seeds of Peace—an organization that brings Israeli and Palestinian children together in order to promote peace, coexistence and mutual respect—today finds itself swimming upstream in a region often fraught with despair and mistrust. Still reeling from the untimely death of its founder and visionary John Wallach, Seeds of Peace is continuing and expanding its programming in the U.S. and here in Jerusalem at its Center for Coexistence.

Children around 15 years of age enter the program through International Camp, in Maine, U.S., where they spend three summer weeks together in a “neutral, supportive environment” living in cabins, sharing meals and participating in activities such as canoeing, arts and crafts and computer classes. The core of the three-week program is the coexistence sessions—led by professional facilitators—where the teens have a safe space for expressing themselves while gaining a deeper understanding of the other.

But International Camp is just the beginning. While the camp provides kids with the basis for coexisting and mutual understanding, those skills can be difficult to put to use upon returning to the region. That’s where the Seeds of Peace Center for Coexistence in Jerusalem comes in.

The Center’s co-Director, Suzan Khatib, explains: “The camp does great work. There is a good mix of the fun and the serious, but when they come back here they’re coming back to reality. For the Israelis that means suicide bombers, for the Palestinians its closures and curfews. Sometimes when the kids come back they are frustrated, they are not connected, they think camp was a dreamland. Here at the Center in Jerusalem, we help them and support them and give them a secure environment where they can discuss tough issues and continue connecting [with the other side].”

The Center is a safe, neutral home base where Israeli and Palestinian seeds can meet. But the main event at the Center is the coexistence sessions that consist of 12 three-hour long meetings every other week. “Usually we have twenty kids—10 Palestinians, 10 Israelis—and two facilitators—one Israeli and one Palestinian,” Khatib explains. “We help them understand the other side without giving up their identity. They’re learning how to have sympathy and empathy for the other side.”

Aaron Miller recently left the U.S. State Department—where he helped formulate U.S. policy on the Middle East and the Arab-Israel peace process—to become President of Seeds of Peace. He sees the coexistence sessions as an essential component of the ongoing peace process. “All the peace processes we know of—even the peace made between Egypt and Israel—are transactional; they are deals made between governments, not between people. We need a peace process that is transformational, which means people need to build relationships with each other so they understand the needs and requirements of the other side. Breakthroughs are always made by a leader coming out ahead of his people. In a generational conflict such as this one, it’s important that we have young leaders with the skills critical for making connections that are beyond the transactional level.”

Walking in to the Center leads through a photo gallery of what seems like an era gone by: images of that handshake at the White House in 1993; Jordan’s King Hussein and Queen Noor happily chatting with children; kids enjoying a trip to Egypt. It’s a timeline that abruptly stops in the late 1990s. But the determination of those inside the building belies what at times has been a conflict that has challenged the most hard and fast optimists.

While the intifada affects the programming at the Center, it also motivates the staff to double their efforts. Program Coordinator, Jen Marlowe, says that when the intifada began “all our programming here at the Center went out the window. It was a tidal wave of crisis. One of our seeds was killed in the first few days of the intifada. So for the first six months of that year, we completely abandoned our programming and did a lot of trauma counseling. We spent hours a day calling kid after kid talking to them trying to help them through the fear and anger.”

Sixteen year-old Israeli Adir Yanko had his own doubts over the past year. “During the year I questioned why I am involved with Seeds of Peace. Camp was great, but was it a fantasy? When I came back, it was still the Middle East, you know. But I concluded that I have to continue. I have to be a dreamer, if I dream, maybe we can make the camp’s reality here.”

Amani Zuater, 15 from East Jerusalem agrees, “the escalation of the conflict doesn’t make me want to leave Seeds of Peace. If I don’t stay, how will we come to understand each other?”

Even with the progress made at camp and at the Center in Jerusalem, the facts on the ground still often dictate the relationships between the kids. Yanko says he made good friends at camp but only keeps in touch with them via sporadic e-mails and at the sessions at the Center. “I don’t have a chance to see them because I’m afraid to go there. I know the Palestinians I know aren’t average; anyway, my parents would never allow it.”

As the intifada vacillates between war plans and peace plans, Marlowe says “it’s still a lot harder to bring the two sides together, both psychologically and logistically [than before the intifada]. It’s getting better as the kids’ coping skills have kicked in and this reality is not so new anymore. There was a period of time when they needed to retreat into themselves. But more and more I’m getting calls from kids who two years ago said `I don’t want to talk to anyone from the other side,’ now saying, `hey I want to come to the Center, I want to help plan an event.'”

New this year at the Center in Jerusalem are coexistence sessions for parents. “The kids asked for this,” says Khatib. “The parents want to not only understand what their kids are doing but they want to experience it for themselves. We had a Hanukkah-Ramadan party at the Center this year that included the parents, and everyone learned about the traditions of the other side.”

Ten years after he started Seeds of Peace, the last thing founder and visionary John Wallach—who passed away a year ago—would have hoped for was an escalation in the very conflict he so yearned to see end. In a letter just days after his death, John’s son Michael wrote the Seeds of Peace staff: “Now the job lies with all of us. We are his life continued, and more than that we are his dream.”

Miller says he’s pleased that Seeds of Peace has been resilient over the past few difficult years. “Of all the organizations that sprang up in the hopeful 1990s, Seeds of Peace is the only one that is continuing to grow. These kids just won’t give up.”

In the end, the success of Seeds of Peace comes down to the seeds themselves becoming leaders and spreading the ideal of coexistence in their own communities. Amani Zuater says she believes in the “whole idea of dialogue; not like the politicians making deals. Even before I started Seeds of Peace I knew that there would be differences. I knew that what I call a freedom fighter, they call a terrorist. But I also know and understand now, that when I hear Israelis’ feelings and ideas and worries, it’s a good thing.”