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Chicago Seeds take part in restorative justice training, action planning

Feb 27, 2017 / No Comments

CHICAGO | Eleven Seeds and peers took part in a two-day training on restorative justice that introduced them to supportive community members in order to deepen Seeds of Peace’s roots in Chicago.

The “Intro to Restorative Justice and Peace Circles: Transforming with Our Young People” program took place on February 25 and 26 at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law’s Center for Negotiation and Mediation.

Restorative justice in the school environment is a process that emphasizes community accountability, safety, and skill development in an effort to collaboratively create a more peaceful and inclusive climate.

Center for Negotiation and Mediation Director Lynn Cohn commended the Seeds on the important and inspiring work they are doing in Chicago.

The program also helped the group plan the next steps in the Chicago community action plan. The plan was formulated by the Seeds at the Seeds of Peace Camp last summer to spread opportunities for informal dialogue with their peers in neighborhoods across the city. The plan builds on the successes of the Lab-Woodlawn Partnership, a monthly gathering initiated by Seeds between students of different backgrounds from the University of Chicago Lab School and Woodlawn Charter School.

During the peace circles portion of the program, participants shared personal stories of struggle and resiliency and reflected on sources of inspiration.

“I heard so many eye-opening stories from the Seeds that attended, just by the way they described the current state of their neighborhood or a challenge that they had once gone through, said Jackson, a Seed from Chicago’s North Side. “I feel like the two days changed my perspective.”

India, a Seed from Chicago’s South Side, reflected on the safe space created during the program.

“It’s safe for me because [this] is a place you can be very vulnerable,” she said. “It’s a place that you can get many things off your chest and not be judged by it.”

Seeds of Peace Chicago Coordinator Ben Durchslag reflected on how he took the energy and empathy-building from the peace circles training into his life as a school social worker.

“I never realized that my school could benefit so much on such personal levels from the work I am doing with Seeds of Peace,” he said. “My school district supported me to become trained as a circle keeper in 2013, and since then, I have envisioned uniting Seeds of Peace and Restorative Justice Communities in Chicago.”

“They tried to bury us, they didn’t know we were seeds.”
Medium

Aug 19, 2018 / No Comments

As seen on Medium on August 19, 2018

Describing Seeds of Peace as a place where the magic happens is an underestimation of the amount of mesmerizing work that occurs within the camp because magic isn’t real.

Nonetheless, the love seed that’s planted in every camper’s heart is the most authentic feeling a person can experience. That love seed is not only planted but also watered every day by all of those who attend camp, from directors and counselors to other seeds.

When talking to a friend of mine whom I met at Seeds of Peace, Nghi, a Syracuse seed, she was talking about her encounter with the undiscovered side of her life at Seeds. She said, “It was as if my life was a coin and I just found the other side of it.” Using such intriguing words, I felt the urge to ask, “How did you feel about the other side getting flipped?” Nghi answered my question with a struggle she’s facing that I have been trying to deal with as well as other seeds, “It feels weird now that I’m home. At camp, I’ve been thriving on that side, but now that I’m home it seems like I’m juggling between my old habits and my new ones; my old mindset and my new one. It’s like when people spin coins,” and I couldn’t feel anything but a strong, aggressive sense of agreement. Acknowledging the inspiration that came from Nghi’s sense of experience, I felt the motive to share my similar feeling about being back home, “The world feels colorless; it feels like if my heart was colorblind for all the colors except green and blue.” After our brief conversation, I knew for sure that the counselors were right when they said that they “will make this place [our] home.”

***

For those of you who don’t know Seeds of Peace, it’s an international camp that was founded by John Wallach in the intention of bringing together young leaders, especially those from Israel and Palestine, to unfold conflicts and find a civil way to talk about them and suggest solutions to those problems.

The camp was founded in 1993, when 46 campers attended Seeds of Peace from the United States, Egypt, Palestine, and Israel. Seeds celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2017, and at the end of the 2018 second session, Seeds announced the completion of 7,000 alumni.

“I finally learned how to face my emotions, bring my opinions into the light and make friendships stronger than those ever before. It was life changing to be so vulnerable as I was, yet at the same time strengthened by the people around me in order to share my life story without censoring myself to what I thought society wanted to hear. Seeds of Peace gave me another home,” said Elsa DiGiovanni, a Maine seed.

As a first-year camper, I walked towards the coach bus going to Seeds with a nervous smile, sporty outfit, and heavy heart. I was thinking to myself during the approximately one hour drive to Lewiston, “Zainab, this is a big deal. Don’t screw it up!” At that time all I knew about Seeds was what I’d heard from the people around me. I still remember the minute I saw Sarah B. and Tim Wilson, current, and former camp directors, during the orientation in April I knew for a fact that this experience was going to be special. However, I was missing the emotional assurance of what life’s like at camp.

I was also frustrated because I was about to give Seeds my phone, and being without it for two and a half weeks was certainly a big deal for me. At that time I didn’t know that being without my phone was another factor of “the way life could be.”

I can picture myself waking up after a power nap to the Paradigm Shifters (PSs) teaching first-year campers Seeds of Peace chants on the bus, and how two minutes before our arrival they announced that first-year campers should get off the bus first because “the PSs have experienced this feeling during their first year.” I was thinking about what feeling they were talking about.

Minutes later, we arrived and people started getting off the bus. The second I put a foot into that place I felt a breeze of an enormous amount of love and happiness that I wasn’t ready for; a majestic feeling of the bodies around me dancing and singing. I was walking between a group of counselors who formed a line with their bodies, then Sarah, a counselor, and a lifeguard welcomed me with a smile and asked to take my backpack. I was worried that it was too heavy and I was asking her if she’s sure, but she answered me with an even bigger smile, “I’m sure. I’m happy to help,” and I thought to myself, “Apparently this is what it feels like to be at a peace camp: peaceful interaction and respectful communication.”

Today, on August 17th, I sit in my room writing this article, reflecting on what all of this meant. I’ve also been thinking about the differences in my life before and after camp, and many things come to mind. However, one difference has stood out to me: Now, I can taste, smell, see, touch, and feel the word peace whenever someone says it, while before camp it was only a word of five letters and one syllable. I can define peace from a different perspective, and instead of using Merriam-Webster to define it I can use my “experiences dictionary” to do so.

***

“Through dialogue SOP gave me the chance to understand that someone’s views and opinions may be different than my own views because of the experiences they’ve encountered, SOP also taught me a lot about neutral conflict and many spectrums revolving around gender, sexuality, and diversity,” Amina Salahou, a Syracuse seed said.

Seeds of Peace is a camp that focuses on personality and team building factors. However, its primary focus is unfolding conflicts during dialogue. Campers have two hours of dialogue every day, while PSs have dialogue all day long instead of going to activities that campers participate in besides having dialogue.

Dialogue is very much a safe space where campers can share their experiences. However, it’s a place where they can also stretch themselves mentally and step up; a place they can use as a learning platform to feel uncomfortable and be comfortable with that feeling.

Community norms are usually brainstormed on the first day of dialogue, and in my dialogue group, we needed to be reminded of those norms once or twice during the beginning. However, dialogue taught me in some way that those norms weren’t only a part of those two hours a day, but they instead became a habit that took part in our daily, breakfast conversations. Each norm became an action rather than remaining a sentence written on a brown paper that’s glued to a wall.

One of the most significant learning moments for me that resulted from dialogue is that those two hours are dialogue hours, not debate hours. Acknowledging such fact made it easier for me as a participant in dialogue to only discuss the issues, share my opinions, and present my side instead of trying to convince others that I am right.

My dialogue facilitators also taught me that now is the moment. They taught me that whatever I think and whatever I want to say now is the most important. As a person, I am vulnerable when my thought is still fresh and newly generated which makes it the most honest. I remember them asking us, “What’s alive to you now?” And I’m beyond grateful they put that emphasis on the “now,” because my experience wouldn’t have been the same if I wasn’t straightforward with those around me and honest with myself.

I always felt that dialogue was the mood-setter of the day. For instance, if I was frustrated in dialogue, usually during the rest of the day, I’d be thinking about what I said and what I heard, which could make me even more frustrated.

During those two and a half weeks, I learned that what I put in dialogue was what I took from it, even if that meant getting frustrated and angry.

Today, I can say that bringing my full self into the space (Chipmunk Dialogue Hut) and sharing personal experiences with other seeds even when no one was, made me feel more comfortable with my skin; it made me think that my existence is more relevant to what’s happening in the world I live in. I started feeling that I am one of the 7.6 billion human beings on this Earth, instead of feeling that I’m just one of the 7.6 billion humans.

While stepping up is the most common struggle among teens, I’ve always struggled with listening to others without thinking of a rebuttal in my head while they’re talking, and Seeds has definitely taught me how to actively listen without multitasking and forming an argument at the same time.

I still remember one of my table seeds once mentioned another concept of being engaged. He was talking about struggling with being involved in the sense of stepping back and listening, and I realized that I’ve never thought of listening as a form of participation. This is only one example of many moments when counselors, camp directors, PSs, or campers have taught me something new.

To me, Seeds of Peace is not only a place where campers come to seek peace, but also a place where they make peace. I believe that Seeds has taught me how to deal with the world when there’s peace and my role is to spread it, and when there’s no peace and my part is to create it.

Within the boundaries of camp, Seeds gave us various ways to express ourselves. Those ways can be activities and group challenges like sports and art, but they can also be during meal times in the dining hall.

Whenever someone wants to share something or express themselves, there’s always a time and space for them to do so.

Such an announcement or request can be as serious as sharing a poem about societal issues, and as fun as debating whether water is or is not wet.

The Talent Show is one event of many where seeds come as individuals or in groups to express themselves and share their journeys with others using their talents. The show included various performances: rap, dance, spoken words, original poetry, singing, comedy, and much more.

As a seed, every time I shared a piece of who I am during events like The Talent Show, I felt that I was heard loudly and who I am is someone important to this community and this world. I also realized that I cannot bring peace to this world if I’m not at peace with who I am, and every time I stood in front of other seeds and counselors I thought to myself, “You’re here. This is your chance. Make them remember you,” and every single time I felt at ease and peace with my soul.

What’s Next?

“When I told people about it, they didn’t understand. They said ‘it’s just a summer camp,’ but Seeds of Peace is so much more than that — it’s a safe space, a stretching place, and a home,” Amy Fryda, a Maine seed said during a conversation about what SOP means to us, seeds, and what it means to those who haven’t experienced the feeling of being there.

During the two and a half weeks, all of our attention, or at least my attention, was limited to what’s only in front of me at the present moment. I tried not to think about “What’s next?” However, the spoken words theme at The Variety Show was “What’s next?” And I had to brainstorm, feel, write, and share my answer.

I had no problem with the format or being on stage, but I had a problem with going back to reality. Even though during and outside of dialogue we discussed the most relevant issues about the world we live in, I focused on how to fix this world from an outsider’s point of view. I thought of Seeds as another world where I can live and look from where I am at the real world where five-year-olds alienate those who are different from them, and seventy-year-olds think that being Muslim is taking an oath to kill someone at least once in a person’s lifetime.

I thought about what’s next, and I found myself writing about the realistic ugliness of this world. The “cellular racism” and “ecosystemic sexism;” I found myself using science as a tool to describe how this wounded world treats me as an outsider, while even when I feel like one, I’m still trying to suture those wounds, to advocate for peace and keeping humans in one piece.

I wrote pages about how Seeds of Peace is a world of advocacy, peaceful leadership, and youth; a world of those who know that strength is next, problem solving is next because we are the ones who solve the complex.

“What’s next?
Next is me
Walking with my mom without someone holding tighter to their children
Without treating us like if we were vampires, carrying blood bags with our groceries”
— What’s Next? Original poem by Zainab Almatwari.

Back to this moment: I’m still pressing on the keyboard keys as fast as I can, so I can verbally hold on to every thought that has ever crossed my mind. Now, I know that Seeds isn’t another world, but it’s the version of this wounded, ugly world that I strive to live in; the version that every seed gets prepared to work towards.

The first time I read “the way life could be” on a wooden house on Seeds of Peace arrival day, I had no clue what that life was to me.

Today, I know that Seeds of Peace is the way life could and will be.

“There can be no more initiative than bringing together young people who have seen the ravages of war to learn the art of peace. Seeds of Peace is certainly an example of the world the United Nations is actively working for.”
— UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan about Seeds of Peace.

Read Zainab’s article at Medium â€șâ€ș

Letter to Egyptian Seeds

Feb 3, 2011 / 1 Comment

Dear Seeds in Egypt,

You have all been in my thoughts over the last week, and in the thoughts of your fellow Seeds around the world. I hope you and your families are safe.

We have all been watching closely as developments have unfolded, and while communication has been difficult, our staff are working on getting in touch with all of you.

Please let us know how you are doing when you can, and know that you will continue to be in our thoughts.

We talk a lot about leadership at Seeds of Peace. This is a pivotal moment in Egypt’s history, requiring true leadership. As tensions increase, I trust you will remember that respect and communication are signs of true leadership. I hope you are able to listen, hear opinions that are different than your own, and take responsible action.

I also hope that you will reach out to and support each other during these difficult and historic times. Please know that everyone in the Seeds of Peace family is here for you, worried about you, and hopeful that Egypt will emerge from this strong and united.

Stay safe.

With love and respect,
LeslieLeslie Adelson Lewin
Executive Director

Peace program joins U.S., Arab teens
Courier Post (New Jersey)

Nov 9, 2004 / No Comments

Seeds of Peace Camp

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first part in a series by Static Writer Kaitlyn McMahon that chronicles her experience at a unique camp this summer.

This summer, I had the remarkable opportunity to partake in an extraordinary, groundbreaking program. The program, called Seeds of Peace, has been working for the last 11 years to bring young people from all over the world together to learn about each other and erase ignorance.

Seeds of Peace was founded in March 1993 by the late John Wallach, an award-winning author and journalist. Motivated by the first attack on the World Trade Center, Wallach invited 46 future leaders from Israel, Palestine and Egypt to what would become Seeds of Peace International Camp in Otisfield, Maine, with the idea that these teenagers would be able to identify with one another and realize that the people they had been raised to hate had faces and much in common with them.

Since then, the group has expanded to include programs for Indians and Pakistanis, Balkan youth, Greek and Turkish Cypriots, and most recently, Americans and Arabs.

This inventive, ever-evolving organization has, on top of receiving numerous awards, honors and recognition, achieved some unbelievable goals. By setting up a safe, fun environment, Seeds transformed these students with predisposed hatred toward each other into friends; it allowed these teens who would never even have made eye contact to sit down across from each other and have a real, uninhibited conversation.

Seeds works on the principle that “treaties are negotiated by governments, but peace is made by people,” and for 11 years, Seeds of Peace has been working hard to change minds and change the world.

After founder and President Wallach died of cancer in July 2002, many were concerned about the future of Seeds of Peace. Would the program continue to be successful without Wallach, without his spirit, his enthusiasm and his tremendous presence?

Under the leadership of Wallach’s wife and senior Vice President Janet Wallach, Executive Vice President Barbara Gottschalk, Vice President and Camp Director Timothy Wilson and new President Aaron David Miller, Seeds did not just carry on with its crusade, it flourished.

Miller, in fact, had conceived an idea for a new element of Seeds of Peace—a program called Beyond Borders. The concept for Beyond Borders was to have 30 American and 30 Arab teenagers come to the International Camp for the Seeds experience: sports, music, drama and, most importantly, dialogue sessions. There was also to be a second piece to Beyond Borders—all of the students would travel to Jordan (six months after their first meeting at camp) to have a true exchange of cultures.

Essential in the implementation of Beyond Borders was the Seeds of Peace Director of Program Development Eva Gordon. Gordon worked to make Beyond Borders happen, organizing and instituting the program, considering and interviewing applicants, and contacting and establishing relationships with the students who were accepted.

Beyond Borders became a reality in August 2004. To ensure the perfect group for Beyond Borders, Seeds of Peace teamed up with LeadAmerica (a leadership conference program for young people in the United States, for which admission is based on academics and community activities) and AMIDEAST (America-Mideast Educational and Training Services Inc., a nonprofit organization that strengthens mutual understanding and cooperation between Americans and the peoples of the Middle East and North Africa) to complete the selections process.

To be eligible to participate in Beyond Borders, one had to be between the ages of 14 and 16, live in one of six areas of the United States (Massachusetts, California, Texas, Illinois, Georgia and the New York tri-state area) or one of six Middle Eastern countries (Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Yemen), be fluent in English, and be knowledgeable about current events and American-Middle Eastern relations. Applying to the program included filling out an application with personal information and achievements and writing short essays on news sources, current events and conflicts.

Seeds of Peace received hundreds of applications from the United States and the Middle Eastern countries. Once the candidates were narrowed down, interviews were conducted to finish up selections. At the end of the process, 33 American and 32 Arab teenagers were chosen to participate. These young leaders spent the last two weeks of August together at Seeds of Peace International Camp, with the experience culminating in a three-day trip to Boston.

The two weeks were monumental and life-changing for all the participants in Beyond Borders.

Seeds of Peace marks 20th Anniversary with Janet Wallach and Sen. Mitchell

May 21, 2013 / 1 Comment

NEW YORK | Seeds of Peace marked 20 years of empowering young leaders from conflict regions with a celebration on May 21 at 583 Park Avenue in New York City.

The evening honored Janet Wallach, President Emerita of Seeds of Peace, for her contributions to the organization’s success, and featured legendary peacemaker Senator George Mitchell.

Over 500 distinguished supporters, including politicians, diplomats, journalists, and policy-makers, joined Seeds from the Middle East and South Asia to celebrate the impact these Graduates are making in their home communities.

Speakers included Hashem, a Palestinian Seed from Arroub Refugee Camp and community organizer; Tal, an Israeli Seed and Knesset lobbyist; Warda, a Pakistani Seed who leads microfinance initiatives for women; and Mohamed, an Egyptian Seed who recently joined the staff as Director of Graduate Programs.

SPEECHES: SEN. GEORGE MITCHELL, JANET WALLACH AND SEEDS

MORE VIDEOS: Full 20th Anniversary Celebration â€șâ€ș | Growing Seeds â€șâ€ș | Clinton â€șâ€ș

20TH ANNIVERSARY DIGITAL JOURNAL

 
20TH ANNIVERSARY PHOTOGRAPHS

Janet Wallach Remarks

Senator Mitchell, distinguished diplomats, and all of you are here tonight:

I am deeply, deeply honored. But this is a night to celebrate John’s vision and the 20 years of hard work to carry it out. It’s a night to applaud the dedication of Bobbie Gottschalk and Tim Wilson, the leadership of Leslie Lewin, the passion of our staff, the commitment of our Board, the courage of our Seeds, and the generosity of you, our supporters.

In 1993 John, the son of Holocaust survivors, announced after the first World Trade Center bombing, that he would try to break the cycle of violence that had invaded our shores. He would bring together young people from the Middle East to a camp in Maine and let them see that the enemy has a face.

I listened to him. I smiled. I shook my head. It wasn’t only that as a kid, John never liked camp; but that it was that his optimism had really gone over the top this time.

But John was a journalist who had covered many conflicts, and he understood the need to give the next generation the tools for building peace. He understood that governments sign treaties; people make peace.

His simple message, the enemy is a human being just like you and me, captured the imagination of Arab and Israeli leaders who were willing to take the risk to send youngsters from their region to a camp in the woods of Maine. Not only that, they sent their own children to Seeds of Peace. Indeed, just a few of those who have done so:
The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the Chief Negotiator Sa’eb Erakat, the Former Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, the Egyptian former Foreign Minister Amr Moussa, the Israeli Prime Minister’s spokesman Mark Regev, the former army spokesman of Israel and Director of Channel 2, Nachman Shai, the Director of the Israel Museum, James Snyder.

And here in the US diplomats Jock Covey, Aaron Miller, Frank Wisner, journalists Tom Friedman, David Remnick and Esther Fein, and Congressman Robert Wexler.

And international business and social entrepreneur leaders: in Saudi Arabia Lubna Olayan, in the UK Sir Ronald Cohen.

It isn’t, though, just the offspring of the influential and the rich who come.

Seeds come from refugee camps in the West Bank and from settlements over the next hill, from Islamist homes in Hebron and from orthodox homes a few streets away. They come from families of hard working Arabs in Jaffa and from struggling Yemeni Jews in Tel Aviv, from families dodging bombs in Gaza, and from families ducking missiles in nearby Sderot.

Since those first Middle Eastern Seeds arrived 20 years ago, they have been joined by youngsters from divided Cyprus, from the Balkans, from the Gulf, from India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and from England and from the U.S.

Those 5,000 Seeds, and we, live in a world that sends us spinning in clouds of euphoria and then in cyclones of despair.

When Seeds of Peace started in 1993, it was illegal for any Israeli to meet with any member to the PLO (which in effect meant any Palestinian). It was illegal to show the Palestinian flag in any form, and it was illegal to sing the Palestinian anthem. All of which, by the way, we did at Camp.

We went from there, that same summer, to the Israeli/Palestinian accords and the signing ceremony on the White House lawn with Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat and the Seeds in the front row, thanks to President Clinton.

And from there we went to the 2nd Intifada, and to the continuous building of settlements, and now to the abandoned table of the peace talks.

We all felt exhilarated by the Arab Spring in 2010, and deflated by the disarray in Egypt, the wrenching horrors of the Syrian civil war, the sectarian violence throughout the region, and the overhanging threat of Iran.

And of course, we have witnessed the bloodshed in India, the chaos in Pakistan, the carnage in Afghanistan.

But if turmoil is churning up the lands, we in our organization, and you, our supporters, are planting and nurturing seeds. Just to give you a small sample of how they are bearing fruit:

In government, Laith, has worked as a senior advisor to the Palestinian prime minister.
Tamer, international lawyer, served as an advisor for the Egyptian constitution.
Gil is spokesman for the Israeli Kadima leader in Israel Tzipi Livni.
Parnian is on a commission to advise Afghan President Karzai on women’s issues.

With NGOs: Sandy, a Jordanian, served on the UN High Commission for Refugees.
Bushra, a Palestinian, is the EU advisor for the Palestinian Ministry of Justice.
Noa, an Israeli, is the CEO of Middle East Education through Technology.
And Aneeq founded an organization for leadership education in Pakistan.

In media, Ariel is anchorman for the Israeli Channel 10 News. Fadi is Director General of Palestine Note and a blogger for the Huffington Post. Mona, is a journalist covered events in Tahrir Square in Cairo for The New York Times

In Business: Palestinians Badawi and Aboud are building homes, kindergartens, and libraries across the West Bank. Yoyo is developing initiatives for a worldwide Israeli enterprise. Sherife teaches social entrepreneurship to Egyptian youth. And others are working as facilitators for Seeds of Peace in the Middle East, in South Asia, in Europe, and right here in the U.S.

On a daily basis, our organization engages in building peace. Within just the last three months, we initiated a project with Harvard University, convening 30 organizations to work together on peacebuilding.

And with Harvard Law School and funding from AID, 36 Palestinian and Israeli Seeds held a three day training program in mediation and negotiation, so they could lead community dialogue sessions at home. Ameen, a Palestinian, said, “It made me rethink everything I do. I’m able to reach a middle ground without anyone feeling as though they are on the losing side.”

Seeds of Peace organized over 50 Egyptian, Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian educators to increase religious and cultural understanding and integrate them into education. When Heba, an Egyptian, told Yehuda, an Israeli, that she didn’t understand a phrase in the Quran, he explained it with a sentence in the Talmud. “It was amazing, amazing!” she said.

A team of Seeds graduates from India and Pakistan have co-produced the History Project, a look at textbooks on both sides. Five Pakistani members traveled to India and presented the project to 1,100 students and educators in four different schools. When the husband of one of the Indian delegates read the contrasting texts, he said, “Now I know why they feel the way they feel, and why I feel the way I feel.”

That is the beginning of change.

Our graduates know that, as Emerson said, “Peace cannot be achieved through violence; it can only be attained through understanding.”

John loved to tell the story of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat who was stymied after a meeting with the Israeli leader Menachem Begin. Sadat couldn’t understand why Begin kept saying “pluff,” “pluff.” It wasn’t until later that he realized that what Sadat meant was “plough,” “plough.”

We know that as brutal events occur, and everything seems to go “pluff,” we can shake our heads, and we can shrug our shoulders, Or, we can plough, and we can lay the groundwork for peace.

A few days ago, Ambassador Dennis Ross told a group of people here in New York that he thinks it will take 10 to 20 years until we see the outcome of the new Middle East. Twenty years. It’s a dot on the pages of history.

The Bible tells us when the Jews who had fled Egypt complained that life was too difficult in the desert and they wanted to get to the Promised Land, God told them they weren’t ready. No. They would have to stay in the desert for 40 years. Forty years. Two generations. It would take two generations to develop a free, independent minded people who could establish a new society.

Two generations of Seeds, two generations of new thinking, will validate John’s optimism.
His dream was that someday an Arab-Israeli summit would take place and some of the leaders would be graduates of Seeds of Peace.

As I reflect on the achievements of our Seeds over the past 20 years, I am certain that John was right.

Even more than that, as we look forward, we can see, that whether at summit talks or seaside chats, high powered or low keyed, in large groups or small, global or local, that government leaders, media figures, educators, business leaders, technology innovators, Arabs and Israelis, Indians and Pakistanis, whites and blacks, religious and secular, will meet with dignity and they will reason with respect.

They will see the world not through their fathers’ and forefathers’ hostile eyes, but with the vision of tolerance, trust, and understanding that they gain from being part of Seeds of Peace.

“I have a dream,” said Martin Luther King.

John had a dream.

We all must dream. So dream with me, and together we can create a changed, and more peaceful reality.

And we’ll all sleep better at night.

Thank you.

Camp nudges youngsters closer to peace
The Advertiser Democrat (Maine)

Jul 30, 1998 / No Comments

BY CHARLES E. HOWELL | OTISFIELD Governor Angus King faced an audience last Thursday during his visit to the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Otisfield that was powerful and unique in Maine, if not the world.

King stepped before the 175 teenage Arabs and Israelis on their fifth day of a three week stay at the camp, during which they will try to find common ground for peace with the hope that they can have influence when they are adults. It was an audience skeptical and hardened after lifetimes of strife against the words of a politician, although they were polite, attentive and self-controlled.

After introductions, the audience, ages ranging from 13 to 17, sang their song, “I am a Seed of Peace,” which was delivered with a stirring power that can only be understood by the circumstance of their lives and their present mission.

The subtitle under a camp banner says, “Preparing Tomorrow’s Leaders/A Training Ground for Peace.” John Wallach, the founder of the camp, said that mission is carried out at the camp in two legs: regular daily camp activities like any other camp for teenagers and twice-daily “coexistence sessions,” one in the morning, one in the evening.

The camp director is Tim Wilson, the first chairman of the Maine Human Rights Commission, who served under Governors Curtis, Longley and Brennan. He views his job as having one more chance to reduce hatred and prejudice.

All the teens are thoroughly and continuously mixed in their cabins, their sports and other activities, said Bobbie Gottschalk, the Seeds of Peace executive vice-president. The teens come from Jordan, Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Morocco, Tunisia and Qatar.

In the coexistence sessions, while the group is mixed by country of origin, they continue meeting together for the entire three weeks. It is during these sessions that they talk about their issues, monitored by facilitators.

“We’re trying to give them the tools they’ll need to work for life for coexistence. We’re teaching them to respect each other,” said Gottschalk.

Graham Baxter, a counselor from Toronto, who is majoring in architecture at the University of Toronto, said that at the time of the governor’s visit, it may be the most difficult for the young people. They are just over jet lag and the excitement of travel, he said, and they want to express their feelings. They have not had time yet to work things out or even get a firm footing. Later, he said, they will have formed more bonds and found at least some common ground of agreement.

The need to be heard and the overwhelming influence of emotions and pain made interviewing a mixed group of teens a sometimes wild affair, in spite of their continual efforts of self-control.

After the talk by King, I spoke with Badawi Qawasmi, a Palestinian; Zeina Hassan, an Egyptian; Nadov Stark, an Israeli; and Inbal Shacked, also an Israeli. The group never failed in manners with the exception of frequent interruptions, which is remarkable considering the storms of emotions that each person felt. All had lost relatives, friends or homes in the conflicts of the Middle East. All had been in the middle of the conflict since birth and feel that the “other side” has put forward many lies. Each also hold separate reasons for anger.

During the interview, the talk constantly slipped back to the troubles in the past and present in the Middle East, even though all four tried to keep to the subject of the present at the Seeds of Peace Camp. Discussion was often heated, although calm would return after a minute or so. Their efforts at calm discussion and politeness were admirable, even though the efforts at calm discussion so frequently failed.

Shacked, an Israeli who lives on the Left Bank, gives her residence as one reason for her anger, but does see the possibility for progress.

Hassan, from Egypt, is no less angry than Qawasmi of Palestine, but she does see a window of opportunity. Yet, she said that her greatest feeling at the beginning of the camp was of Arab unity.

Speaking of her coexistence sessions, she said, “When I was arguing, it was very interesting, I wanted to really know who these Israelis are. I knew there was a stereotype about Israelis. [But] I believe some of them want peace.”

Qawasmi said that living in Jerusalem, he has “a lot of contacts with Israelis, some friendships, not only in business but soldiers and settlers.”

He said he is changing his opinions somewhat at the camp already.

Stark, an Israeli from Kibutz Yahel, agreed. He said he met a lot of friends, “yea, even Palestinians,” with a smile.

After one strong emotional but brief argument, I observed that they often had trouble hearing each other because of a wall, but was cut off by Qawasmi, who finished it with a hand gesture of a wall going us, “of emotion.”

It was remarkable that even in the short, often confused exchange, each learned a little about his or her historical adversary and their own side that they had not been aware of. Each side obviously had incomplete information about the small details of their own recent history. They surprised each other with small snippets of information that showed with comments like:

“The settlers, too? I didn’t know that.”

The mis-information also showed:

“The Arab people know about the Holocaust. Come on. Many just don’t believe the numbers, that’s all.”

At the end of the interview, despite their differences, they parted politely, shaking hands, having listened some, if not agreeing much. They were trying hard, so hard.

During the introduction of King, Wallach called the young people “unique in the world.”

Earlier he described the setting of the camp. His own children had attended the camp when it was just a regular kid’s camp, Camp Powhaten. Seeds of Peace started at the camp and had moved to Wayne for an interim before returning to the present site two years ago.

After six years total, the camp has a million dollar budget, all raised privately.

He said that the governments of each country choose the youths who attend. Each youth must be fluent in English, and they are all expected to speak English during the entire program.

The camp will soon start a very small radio station called “Peace Radio.” Wallach said that the camp will soon have had 1,000 young campers go through the program.

Does it work?

“We are successful,” said Wallach. “They’ve all been fantastic.”

In the Middle East, there is an eight page newspaper called “The Olive Branch,” with articles written by present or past Seeds of Peace campers, said Wallach. Former campers meet in their own countries.

In his speech, Governor King praised Maine’s neighborliness, citing the January ice storm and early Maine history.

“Hatred comes from differences,” he said. “Civilization is an unnatural act. It takes work, constant effort to succeed.”

King pointed to the German people’s mistake of being misled by “lousy politicians” before World War II.

“You,” he said pointing to the audience, “are in a unique situation. You can make a difference.”

Can Maine camp play role in Mideast peace?
Heritage Villager (Conn.)

Jun 19, 1998 / No Comments

BY LORE JAMUL | Is there anything in this world that the governments of Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Palestinian sector can agree on?

Indeed there is. It is the value of an organization of Mideast teenagers named Seeds of Peace, an internationally recognized conflict-resolution program. Yasser Arafat called it “the hope and aim which we are working to realize, namely just peace in the land of peace.” Benjamin Netanyahu said, “I wholeheartedly support your efforts,” and President Clinton agreed by saying, “I know Seeds of Peace will be remembered by an entire generation of children who have grown up in the shadow of conflict in the Middle East. The success of Seeds of Peace will mean a brighter future for the region and the world.”

Founder Speaks

Members of the Jewish Federation of Greater Waterbury and Northwest Connecticut learned about Seeds of Peace from its founder and president, John Wallach, when he spoke at the Federation’s 59th annual meeting on June 7. Wallach spent most of his career as a journalist and author. He served as foreign editor for the Hearst newspapers and appeared on the PBS program Washington Week in Review for many years. His books include Arafat: In the Eyes of the Beholder, Still Small Voices, and the The New Palestinians. He has been honored by UNESCO, B’nai B’rith, and the National Press Club, and received the Medal of Friendship from Mikhail Gorbachev and the Legion of Honor from King Hussein of Jordan.

In 1993, around the time of his 50th birthday, Wallach decided that he did not just want to record history, he wanted to help make it. It was shortly after the World Trade Center bombing, and Wallach felt a need to extend a message of hope to counteract the fear the bombing had created. He asked the men then heading the governments of Israel, Egypt and the Palestinians—Rabin, Mubarak and Arafat—to permit a group of teenagers from their countries to come together for three weeks at a camp in Maine. His theory was that if you get the kids to a neutral scene and permit them to coexist in an atmosphere of love and understanding, of getting to know each other as people, that they could learn to overcome the hate which is endemic in their home countries.

Alumni Gather

Wallach’s program has been enormously successful. This May, 72 alumni of the program got together for a week in Switzerland with the mission to negotiate a peace treaty. It was a time when the peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians were at a standstill, and the young delegates faced a daunting task. But they found points of agreement on each of the issues, and managed to come up with a 50-page peace agreement, copies of which have been sent to leaders of the countries concerned with resolving the conflict.

Wallach explained that the participants in the Seeds of Peace program each summer are chosen by the governments of their home countries. The guidelines are that the youngsters must know English, and submit an essay on “Why I want to make peace with the enemy.” At least a quarter of the places are reserved for kids from poor homes. This year there were 2,200 applications for 300 spots.

The participants spend three weeks together at the Maine camp, where they share all the usual camp activities as well as regular coexistence groups, which help them learn about each other and about conflict resolution.

“At first they have trouble listening to each other, each side thinking of itself as victims. But before the three weeks are up they bare their souls to each other and begin to understand their common humanity,” Wallach said.

Follow-Up

There is an emphasis on follow-up programs as well, so that the feeling of friendship is not dissipated. A newspaper published by the youngsters called The Olive Branch tells of visits across the border. Israeli youngsters visited friends in Bethlehem and in Jordan, while Palestinians came to a Purim party in Israel. Many of the young people stay in touch by email.

The program has been praised by many government officials, but nothing they said can equal the impact of a story told by Saeb Erekat, the lead Palestinian negotiator in the peace talks, which is quoted in the Wall Street Journal of January 22, 1998.

“My daughter attended an Israeli-Palestinian peace camp last year in Maine,” he says. “After the flood hit Jericho, not one of my Israeli friends or counterparts in the Peace Talks called to ask me about my family or how I was doing. But 21 Israeli kids, 13 to 15 years old, called her. Every single one of the kids from that camp called Dalal to ask if she was OK—to see if we were OK. This is the future. This is what I am working to build, the culture of peace.”

Egyptian Seeds respond to 2011 Revolution through media, activism, art

Feb 14, 2011 / 1 Comment

CAIRO | Whether by starting an NGO and engaging in dialogue with other youth, organizing events, or writing op-eds, Egyptian Seeds have been deeply engaged in many of the changes sweeping their country.

Mostafa Fahmy filmed a music video called The Voice of Freedom. The video has gone viral, receiving 800,000 hits in four days on its way to well over 1.75 million.

Another Seed, journalist Mona El-Naggar, has written or contributed to dozens of stories, many front page, in The New York Times about the protest movements in Egypt and Tunisia. Mona appeared on Charlie Rose on February 2 & 10, and authored a February 19 New York Times Week in Review piece, “The Legacy of 18 Days in Tahrir Square.”

Other Egyptian Seeds have initiated events ranging from fundraisers to information sessions and dialogue groups for young people.

Two Seeds organized a day-long clean-up community service activity in Cairo. They called on their fellow Seeds to join them, writing: “As you all know, most streets are not in the best shape it could be, after all the protests that took place. It’s going to take time and effort to rebuild everything that was destroyed.”

Egyptian Seeds have also been voicing their observations about recent developments. As one writes, “a healthy constructive dialogue is what we need now—we need to listen to each other.” You can follow more commentary from these young leaders on Twitter.

Read “Egypt’s New Era,” a Huffington Post op-ed by Egyptian Seed Ramy Nagy »
Read a letter from Seeds of Peace Director to Seeds in Egypt during the uprising »

Vote Leslie Nonprofit Leader of the Year | Newsletter

Jul 28, 2011 / No Comments

Dear Seeds, Counselors and Supporters,

It is our utmost joy, as two Seeds who are currently counselors at Camp this summer, to share with you the news that our beloved Leslie has been nominated as 1 of 25 finalists for the 2011 Young Nonprofit Leader of the Year Award! This is a great honor for Leslie, and an even bigger achievement for Seeds of Peace as an organization.

For more than a decade, we have had the enormous pleasure to get to know Leslie Adelson Lewin, first when she was a counselor, and now as our Executive Director.

She has an amazing way of energizing as well as nurturing our growing family of 4,500 Seeds, while sharing so much of herself with this organization and the world.

From the table cheers in the dining hall to announcing Color Games scores, from bringing new campers to Maine to visiting them as Seeds in their homes, from running the global offices and staff of our organization to raising a wonderful family—all at the age of 34—Leslie has a unique ability to inspire change and renew our sense of purpose.

We cannot think of a better candidate to win this award, so please join us now; VOTE LESLIE as the 2011 Young Nonprofit Leader of the Year »

To make sure your vote is submitted:

1) Scroll down to her “Young Nonprofit Leader of the Year” category.
2) Click “vote” next to Leslie’s name.
3) Click the “Submit My Ballot” button on the top right corner of the page to lock in your vote.

Thank you for voting, and for your continued support!

Dimitry Shvartsman & Hassan Raza

(Israeli Delegation 2003, 2005 & Counselor 2011)
(Pakistani Delegation 2002 & Counselor 2010, 2011)

PS Voting in the Classy Awards ends August 26, and we are up against strong competition. Please encourage your friends and family to add their votes today by joining our Facebook Event.

Seeds of Peace partners with mySomeday

Mar 29, 2010 / No Comments

NEW YORK | Seeds of Peace is very excited to announce a new partnership with mySomeday, an online goal achievement platform that empowers people to achieve all of those goals and dreams they plan to get to ‘Someday.’

“When individuals and organizations state a goal publicly and then break it down into a plan with small, achievable steps, they are much more likely to see that dream become reality,” said mySomeday founder Joseph A. Satto.

Seeds recently posted an Expert Plan to share with mySomeday’s rapidly growing community. The plan outlines the steps Seeds of Peace takes each year to run the Seeds of Peace Camp in Maine.

“It’s a great way for us to tell our story in a compelling fashion and it’s also the type of community with members that are likely to get directly involved,” said Seeds of Peace’s Tammy Sun.

If you have goals for the future, register on mySomeday and take the first step toward achieving those goals. And when you join, please be sure to add the Seeds of Peace Expert Plan to your profile page to help spread awareness about Seeds and to help us raise donations. A number of mySomeday members have combined a personal goal with a fund-raising component. This is a great way to make your personal goals count and knowing that your efforts will directly benefit Seeds’ charitable cause can also give you that extra bit of motivation to cross the finish line.