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Seeds of Peace opens its 14th season

Jun 20, 2006 / No Comments

OTISFIELD, MAINE | Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian, Egyptian, Indian, Pakistani, Afghan and American youth will once again meet as Seeds of Peace opens its 14th season with a unifying flagraising ceremony at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 28, at the Seeds of Peace Camp in Otisfield, Maine. Over 150 campers along with their adult Delegation Leaders will be attending the first session which will include refugee and non-refugee Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank. Additionally, for the first time, many of the Camp’s trained facilitators will be Seeds alumni who graduated from a professional mediation and conflict management course run through the Seeds of Peace Center for Coexistence in Jerusalem.

Despite the Israeli and Palestinian governments refusal to engage with one another, Seeds of Peace has once again proven its program’s strength and capabilities in bridging borders by having Israeli and Palestinian delegations. The organization has successfully accomplished this feat throughout the Intifada and the deterioration of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

During the opening ceremony, each delegation will sing their national anthem and the ceremony will conclude with the Seeds anthem and raising of the Seeds of Peace flag. Seeds of Peace President, Janet Wallach and Camp Director, Timothy Wilson, will speak at the opening ceremony as will returning “Peer Support” campers. Newly-appointed Chief Operating Officer for Seeds of Peace, Steven M. Flanders, will also be on hand to witness the ceremony.

This first Camp session runs from June 26 to July 18, 2006. A second session of the Camp with delegates from the Middle East and the Maine Seeds Program will run from July 24 to August 15, 2006. Both sessions will include trips to Washington D.C. for “Peer Support” Seeds to meet with political leaders on Capitol Hill.

Special events this summer include the annual “Play for Peace” basketball clinic with players from the NBA and WNBA. This year’s basketball clinic will be held Monday, July 31. Players’ names have not yet been announced.

This season also will mark the opening of a brand-new multi-purpose sports facility “field house” that was constructed to help alleviate scheduling limitations that result due to bad weather or flooding. The field house was made possible through the generosity of Ross Perot, Jr., Liener Temerlin, and the Peter Sharp Foundation and an official grand opening ceremony is planned for the Camp’s second session.

Since 1993, Seeds of Peace has graduated over 3,000 teenagers from four conflict regions from its internationally recognized leadership program. Through its Camp in Maine, its Center for Coexistence in Jerusalem, international youth conferences, regional workshops, educational and professional opportunities, and adult educator programs, participants develop empathy, respect, and confidence as well as leadership, communication and negotiation skills all critical components that will ensure peaceful coexistence for the next generation.

The Seeds of Peace Camp is located at 183 Powhatan Road in Otisfield, Maine. For press opportunities, call Rebecca Hankin, Director of Communications or Nassim Majidi.

Camp Powhatan to become Maine’s Camp David
Lewiston Sun Journal

May 3, 1997 / No Comments

Seeds of Peace program finds home in Otisfield

BY GAIL ROSSI | OTISFIELD A classic Maine summer camp that has lapsed into disrepair is getting a new life and purpose this summer, as the home of The Seeds of Peace Camp. The internationally-recognized conflict resolution program serves Arab and Israeli youths.

Camp Powhatan this year will serve more than 170 13- to 15-year-olds representing seven Middle Eastern nations—and some U.S. inner cities—and be visited by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and other international dignitaries. The four-week Seeds of Peace program will run from July 20 to Aug. 16. Campers will spend a fifth week meeting dignitaries in Washington, D.C.

The program, in its fifth year in Maine, was held the first two years at Camp Powhatan but moved to Camp Androscoggin in Wayne after plumbing and sewer problems were uncovered at the Otisfield property. The camp is next to the town-owned beach on Powhatan Road.

“We’ll need a whole new sewer system just for starters,” said Bobbie Gottschalk, Seeds of Peace executive director. The program needs toilets, sinks, shower stalls, beds and mattresses, dishes and boats as well. Gottschalk said Seeds of Peace hopes to get some of the equipment through donations, the rest by making arrangements with other summer camps. The improvements must come soon: the waste-water system is inadequate to handle the 170 campers expected in a couple of months.

Seeds of Peace spokeswoman Larisa Wanserski said the directors of the non-profit international organization approved a 10-year lease for the property in February from its owner, Robert Toll, who purchased the camp from Dr. Joel Bloom two years ago. Toll lives next to the former boys camp.

Acquiring a permanent camp home was central to the vision of Seeds of Peace founder John Wallach, a former foreign editor for The Hearst Newspapers. He quit his job as a newsman to start Seeds of Peace in 1993.

Wallach’s idea, recognized internationally as a model for conflict resolution, was simple: Bring kids from war-torn countries together for a camp experience and combine it with daily conflict resolution session led by professional facilitators.

“There are a lot of conflict resolution programs out there, but we’re really creating our own model,” said Wanserski. “These kids are living together, and boy, does that get down to the common denominator real quick. All of a sudden they are living the vision instead of simply talking about it.”

Wanserski said Camp Powhatan, with its closely-spaced buildings and cabins and extensive water-frontage, seems to be the ideal spot for nurturing lasting friendships, trust and teamwork among campers. Fifty-two teenage boys attended the peace camp in its first year. Since then, the program has grown annually and last year welcomed 142 boys and girls.

“There was always an affinity for Camp Powhatan, because so many of the cabins are within sight of each other, providing a real sense of community,” said Wanserski.

Wallach, she said, “really has a vision of making this a summer long camp.” Eventually organizers hope to offer a three-month program serving 1,000 Middle Eastern youths.

Wallach will be in Maine the week of May 19 to seek support for the camp from state leaders, including Gov. Angus King. In the meantime, camp director Tim Wilson is enlisting support from as many people as possible to get the camp in shape by the time its guests arrive.

Rehabilitation work aside, Seeds of Peace estimates this summer’s program will cost $600,000. Nearly all campers are on scholarships, averaging $3,500 each. Seeds of Peace raises funds through private donations and at a dinner held annually in New York City.

Maintenance supervisor Glenn Pastore of Otisfield was working alone at the camp Friday, pounding nails into a new floor.

“This is really exciting, but there’s a heck of a lot of work that’s got to be done,” Pastore said from a slope overlooking a blue, sparkling Pleasant Lake. He said the camp can use as much volunteer help as it can get.

“This is what the leaders are talking about now, isn’t it, the need for all of us to volunteer,” he said.

A team of 20 Job Corps volunteers will arrive at the camp in early June to do maintenance work. Some will stay through the summer to help with daily operations, Gottschalk said.

Along with maintenance concerns is a pressing need for supplies.

“We need everything, linens, sports equipment, medical supplies, food, you name it,” said Wanserski.

Seeds of Peace has been run on a shoestring, she said, relying on private contributions and corporate donations from such companies as Coca-Cola and Dexter Shoe.

She said the group hopes to add other corporations to its list of contributors. People in the community can participate as well, providing escort services to campers for field trips away from the camp, among other functions.

Wanserski said youths are selected for the camp on the basis of recommendations from educational institutions. They must have a solid command of the English language as a basis for shared communication and must write an essay entitled, “Why I want to make peace with the enemy.”

“We’re trying to look for future leaders in these countries so that they can become the seeds from which an enduring peace will grow,” she said.

Once back in their own countries, the youths keep in touch via the Internet and a Seeds of Peace sponsored newspaper, The Olive Branch, published by youths at the Seeds of Peace Jerusalem office.

They get together for drama weekends and field trips and to work on an art project called Building Blocks for Peace. Several youths return to camp in Maine for several years in a row, reuniting to exchange stories and strengthen ties.

Summer of Impact: Convening 600 changemakers from Dubai to D.C.

Oct 6, 2022 / No Comments

Innovative, impactful, in-depth, and on a roll: this was one of the most far-reaching and action-packed summers in the history of the organization.

From Cincinnati to Cyprus, Maine to Morocco, we came roaring back with programs that brought together more than 600 young leaders across divides. As we enter the fall, these changemakers will begin to apply what they learned this summer in their relationships, schools, homes and workplaces. Below are some of the highlights of the summer.

GATHER Summit: Morocco (May 26-31)

In the serene desert of Marrakesh, some 50 people from around the world came together for workshops, personal and professional growth, and above all, community. This was the first GATHER event of its kind since before the pandemic began, and program organizers prioritized wellbeing—something often overlooked yet especially critical in the lonely and sometimes dangerous field of social change.

“At the Summit, we addressed that wellbeing isn’t just an activity you do once a day, it’s a lifestyle,” said GATHER International Director Pooja Pradeep.

Watch a video about the Summit ››

Seeds of Peace Camp, Session I: Maine (June 26-July 9)

The first of two sessions of Camp brought together youth from across the state of Maine. In daily Dialogue and Community Action sessions, youth developed a better understanding of themselves, one another, and how they can work together to make change in their own communities.

“I wanted to learn skills I need to impact change, and learn more about other people’s experiences,” said Ryan, a camper from Hampden, Maine. “And Camp has been a really great experience. I’ve gotten a chance to learn about how people live around the state, hear a lot of different voices from across Maine.”

Read an article about Camp ››

Kids4Peace Singing Camp: Jerusalem (July 3-7)

Music served as a cultural bridge at this weeklong camp, implemented by Kids4Peace and the Jerusalem Youth Chorus—which was founded by 2002 American Seed Micah Hendler—and supported by B8ofHope and the Jerusalem Foundation. Designed for youth ages 11-18, the program featured meaningful dialogue activities, singing, chorus, and songwriting workshops.

Each day also offered a chance to explore a different type of musical style and instruments, including from the Arabic oud and flute, African drumming, jazz, and even Aboriginal music from Australia. The camp culminated with a concert where participants performed the music they had leaned in Arabic, Hebrew, and English.

Watch a video about the camp ››

Global Institute: Washington, D.C. (July 13-27)

At one of the world’s biggest crossroads of power and influence, 42 Seeds ages 18-25 traveled from around the world to attend the first Seeds of Peace Global Institute, an advocacy and policy intensive in Washington, D.C. Hailing from India, Israel, Pakistan, Palestine, and the U.S., they each came with a keen interest in learning how to better effect change in their own communities.

Over the course of two weeks they lobbied lawmakers on Capitol Hill, met with journalists, exchanged ideas with leaders of think tanks and consulting groups, and discussed how to turn passions into policies with dignitaries like Amb. Katherine Tai, a member of the Biden cabinet.

Kitnay Duur, Kitnay Paas South Asia Film Initiative

Funded by the U.S. State Department, the project brought together 42 young and emerging filmmakers from India and Pakistan to use the latest technologies to promote a message of friendship and unity. Through COVID lockdowns, delays, and technical challenges, eight cross-border teams wrote, edited, and filmed eight short films entirely remotely.

In June, the films had simultaneous premiers in Karachi and Mumbai, and in July, the filmmakers finally had the chance to meet one another at a Seeds of Peace workshop in Dubai. (Above, participants with Haya Fatima Iqbal, a mentor on the project and Academy Award winner from Pakistan.)

The videos have collectively received over one million views on YouTube, and several have been selected for national and international film festivals.

Read more about the project ››

Core Leadership Program

The inaugural class of Core Leadership Program graduates included 178 youth from India, Pakistan, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and the U.S. Each of them took part in a leadership development program that met universal curriculum standards in dialogue, community-building and action, but the delivery method and specific activities were tailored to meet the needs of local youth.

Programs explored the deep divides within each society, around race, religion, and politics, and these newest Seeds learned the foundational skills they need to participate in our advanced global programs. These Core Leadership Programs occur on a rolling basis around the world. In early summer, for instance, the 2021 Palestinian and Jordanian participants graduated as Seeds, just as a new cohort of 2022 participants were beginning virtually in the U.S.

Read more about the program ››

Seeds of Peace Camp, Session II: Maine (July 17-August 3)

New delegations from Texas, Chicago, and Detroit joined youth from Washington, D.C., to Maine for the second session of Camp. For many youth, it was the first opportunity to truly engage with peers from different parts of the country, as well as from communities with socioeconomic and political standings that are vastly different from their own.

“Through dialogue I learned that you can never judge someone before you know them. It’s really important to learn about people and what they’ve gone through, because it’s so completely different from what you’ve gone through,” said Rebecca, a 2022 Seed from Baltimore. “I think that’s what this place is about—is learning from other people who are not like you and understanding that not everyone is going through the same things.”

Read profiles from Camp ››

Kids4Peace Interfaith Camp: Cincinnati (August 1-5)

Designed by youth (grades 9-12) for slightly younger youth (grades 5-8), this camp focused on skills like listening and teambuilding while chipping away at the walls that often stand between religious groups. Each day of the five-day camp gave participants the chance to visit a different center of worship—Bahá’í, Christian, Islamic, and Jewish—talk with their faith leaders, and develop a more intimate understanding of what it means to be a part of that community.

Read more about the interfaith camp ››

MEET in Cyprus (August 19-24)

Marking the first multinational, in-person seminar for youth since before the pandemic, this week-long program brought together 37 young leaders from the Middle East (Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Cyprus and Egypt). With twice-daily dialogue sessions, a special field trip to the UN Buffer Zone, group challenges, and teambuilding work, the weeklong program was designed to deepen their understanding of conflict, of one another, and of their responsibility—and ability—to change its course.

“In dialogue I started to understand what everyone is going through, what is right, what is wrong, and I better understand that what I go through on a daily basis isn’t right. I think now, I’m more passionate about this conflict,” said Adeem, a Palestinian Seed. “I have an urge to go home and educate other people I know who live through the same things, ya’ani, I have this urge to change the community, to make a difference—to be a changemaker.”

Read more about the program ››

Dharker’s Dilemma: Sowing the seed
The Times of India

Nov 20, 2000 / No Comments

BY ANIL DHARKER | The American summer camp is a great institution. In their school vacations, parents send their children to these camps all over the United States where they literally camp out (in tents and things) in the Great Outdoors. In this way parents solve the problem of how to channelise their kids’ inexhaustible energy when not at school. The kids, on the other hand, learn things like living with children they don’t know, they learn self-sufficiency, they learn to adjust—basically they learn to cope.

One American adult, perhaps looking back on his own Summer Camp days, zeroed in on one phrase in the above litany of virtues: children learning to live with children they don’t know.

The adult is John Wallach, a journalist with first-hand experience of reporting the Arab-Israeli conflict. He had this radical idea: why not bring Arab and Israeli children together in an American camp? Thus was born Seeds of Peace in 1993.

This appropriately named programme began with a camp of 50 Arab-Israeli children that year in the Maine woods; seven years later the number has grown to over 400, and the regional representation at the camps has increased: Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian, Jordanian, Moroccan, Tunisian, Qatari, Yemeni, Cypriot, Greek, Turkish and Balkan.

That’s taking in a lot of the world’s conflicts, with one notable exception.

No wonder the programme now has the support of the United Nations and world leaders like Israeli PM Ehud Barak, Yasser Arafat, President Clinton and others. This extract from a People Magazine story on Seeds of Peace conveys the flavour of what happens in these camps:

“Yasmin Mousa was frightened on her first day of camp in the Maine woods …Who could blame her, given the unfamiliar surroundings and the new faces … ? But Mousa’s worries ran deeper than the typical new camper’s. In all her life, the 15-year-old child of Palestinian refugees from Gaza had never socialised with Israelis. Even before her grandmother was killed by an Israeli solder, her Palestinian family had regarded Israelis as mortal enemies. But now, Mousa was about to share a bunkhouse—not just for a night, but for three weeks—with people she feared. ‘How can I sleep next to an Israeli girl?’ She asked herself. ‘She’s going to kill me!'”

Mousa, of course, wasn’t killed. In fact, she and her Israeli tent-mate became friends, playing games, comparing ideas on their religion, taking part in the formal conflict-resolution exercises organised by the camps where they discussed, and then discarded, their prejudices.

That, of course, is the key: the discarding of prejudices. It doesn’t always work so smoothly: recently Israelis, against camp rules, displayed their flag in a cultural presentation; Palestinians retaliated by raising their own flag. Slogans followed: in other words, the adult world of West Asia was replicated by their children in a forest in America.

But, then, who said prejudices die easily? They don’t. People die easily; and they die easily because of prejudice.

Seeds of Peace tries to get rid of the misconceptions that divide people: What an Israeli teenager finally sees is that the Arab is also a teenager like him. And if someone in the Israeli’s family has been a victim of Arab violence, someone in his new-found Arab friend’s family has been a victim of Israeli violence as well.

Why isn’t there a Seeds of Peace programme for India and Pakistan?

As it happens, as people Indians and Pakistanis are far closer to each other than other neighbours. It’s only politics and politicians who have made them feel like enemies, especially the political parties, both in India and Pakistan which thrive on hate and whose one point programme is to demonise the country across the border. These parties have been able to stop, almost completely, any non-political exchanges between the two countries: whether it’s in the field of the arts, literature, music and entertainment, or even in the field of sports, including cricket.

Luckily, satellite television jumps easily over borders, so we do get to keep in touch through our remote. What an appropriate word ‘remote’ is in the context!

And that’s something we’ve got to change through exchanges, and through programmes like Seeds of Peace. We have to do this not just for “goody-goody” reasons, but for reasons of sheer pragmatism: India’s military budget escalates every year and takes away allocations to what should be essentials, but are regarded by our planners as expendables: healthcare, education, public support programmes for the poor. Every new military boot steps on the stomach of the weak and the infirm. Every new gun takes away a class-room. Every new plane wipes away complete health care units.

That’s why we have to plant the ‘Seeds of Peace.’ And when that ‘we’ includes us and our neighbours those seeds will grow very rapidly into strong and nourishing trees.

War and Peace … and Footy
United States Australian Football League

Jul 23, 2012 / No Comments

The mission of Seeds Of Peace summer camp is simply summarized as, “Treaties are made by governments; peace is made by people”. The camp seeks to open the paths for communication, and eventual understanding, between the sides of conflicted regions. On an unassuming Sunday morning in July, a handful of Boston Demons and Lady Demons hit the road up to Maine for what can only be described as a once in a lifetime kind of day.

A few weeks earlier, a young Israeli by the name of Yonatan Belik […] wrote the USAFL asking if there’s a footy team somewhere near Maine. Yonatan, it turns out, is a two-time member of the infamous Peace Team, a combined team of players from the conflicted nations of Palestine and Israel. In both 2008 and 2011’s International Cup, Yonatan and his Peace Team teammates proved to the world that sports can cross boundaries, military checkpoints, racial tensions and outright war. It seemed almost fitting that Yonatan and former Palestinian teammate Leith Jaber would be co-counselors at this incredible summer camp in Maine this summer. It seemed even more fitting that Australian Rules Football should be the sport that these trailblazers for peace and acceptance should bring to camp. It didn’t take Demons president Joe Connor very long to jump on the opportunity to bring some Demons up there for a day of footy, fun and education.

We arrived at the camp on a picturesque lake in rural Maine around 10 AM. Yonatan, known as Koda at camp, greeted an eager group of Demons and we set out to prepare for a full day’s activities. On the walk from the parking lot to the field, Koda explained that the little huts we were passing by were known as Dialogue Alley. In these huts, campers from different nationalities, or both sides so to speak, are put together to start the dialogue of peace and acceptance. One of the Demons remarked that it’s probably quite tense in those huts during the first few weeks of camp, as campers are literally faced with “the enemy”, often for the first time. As we walked through here, it started to settle in what we were really doing there that day, and the reality of what we were playing a role in, if even for a day.

We were here to conduct footy clinics with the campers of many different nationalities, including Israelis, Palestinians, Indians, Pakistanis, Jordanians and Egyptians with a handful of Americans thrown in for good measure. These campers are known as “seeds”, because they literally become the seeds for greater understanding in their respective worlds. Seeds of Peace works with regional governments to select seeds from a huge applicant pool for the 3 week summer conflict resolution program. In addition to their dialogue and conflict resolution programs, the seeds are exposed to arts and crafts, music and other creative programs, and yes, sports. On our walk to the field we passed a group of seeds learning probably the most popped-collar, preppy sport America has to offer, lacrosse, and they weren’t half bad.

However, we were here for footy. And what a day of footy it turned out to be. The Demons worked with about 70 seeds in our three dedicated footy clinics. Some of these seeds had chosen footy as their special activity after being introduced to the game by Koda in the first week of camp. Others had never even seen a footy, let alone had a kick or the inclination to pick up a ball. We started out showing the seeds how to perform a handpass, and yes, this Demon can honestly say the refresher crash course she received that morning has served her well in subsequent trainings. But I digress.After handpassing fundamentals we moved on to some kicking lane work, and with footies flying everywhere, the seeds were off to a great start. To really get the competitive juices flowing, we moved right into a bounce relay. Now, if you’ve ever tried to bounce an oblong ball, on a hard surface, while running at a full sprint, you know that this is not for the faint of heart. The seeds put up an admirable effort though and we had a blast. We wrapped up each hour long clinic with a bona fide touch footy game and sent the seeds to their next activity dusty, sweaty, but smiling from ear to ear.

The bounce races were very competitive, and fun!

Between sessions we were shown every hospitality, served a delicious lunch with the counselors and co-founder of the camp, and even given a tour including a stop in Koda’s group’s bunk where we signed autographs, took pictures with the seeds and even got to leave a little reminder that we were there. Throughout this entire time, we were taught more and more about the process, the mission, the seeds and their potential impact on the future. You know how beauty queens always answer that their number one wish is world peace? Well, these counselors and campers were living the solution to that wish every day, and for one day, we got to live it too.

Our day wrapped up with a half hour of full on touch footy with the group of seeds who selected footy as their special activity. We saw some amazing plays, some incredible fouls, some huge passes and even bigger goals. We saw a group of young men and women no older than high school age, unified despite their prejudices and deep-seated fears and focused only one thing, to get that footy through those posts. The conversation in each of the cars on the way home centered around the camp, the seeds, and the seeds planted in our own lives. If sports are a metaphor for life, then the Boston Demons Australian Rules Football Club truly came alive that Sunday in Maine.

Read Andrea Williams’ (Boston Demons) article at USAFL »

Nurturing the Seeds of Peace
Detroit Jewish News

Jul 16, 1999 / No Comments

BY ARTHUR M. HORWITZ | Empathy. Webster’s defines it quite simply: “Intellectual or emotional identification with another.” Yet its absence has been a primary obstacle to peacemaking between Israel and its neighbors.

Israel Prime Minister Ehud Barak’s jump-starting of the meandering Middle East peace process, literally hours after taking office last week, is rooted in the understanding that both Israelis and Palestinians have suffered over the years. By acknowledging the mutual pain, Barak has suddenly put a human face on the enemy.

Similar pronouncements from Yasser Arafat, the chairman of the Palestinian Authority, are also needed to achieve the “peace of the brave” to which they both refer.

Empathy.

Thousands of miles away from their homes, Israeli and Arab teenagers, mostly Palestinians, are learning and living the language of understanding. At a camp in Maine, outside of Portland, Seeds of Peace is providing these teens with a glimpse of the future—one that their generations will help shape.

A group of 165, including a delegation of Turkish and Greek Cypriots, are currently completing a three-and-a-half week session that has changed them from enemies to friends. And it all started with getting beyond their respective “facts” and fears while feeling the other person’s pain.

Seeds of Peace is the brainchild of veteran Hearst newsman John Wallach. Since its inception in 1993, more than 1,000 “seeds” have graduated from the camp, returning to their countries and communities as beacons of conflict resolution. Seeds of Peace is the only people-to-people program that has the blessings of the Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian, Jordanian and Moroccan governments.

More than 4,000 teens are nominated each year by their governments to be among the 300-350 “seeds” who attend one of the camp’s two sessions. The camping experience is similar to many others on the one hand… pristine lake, sports, arts and crafts and bug juice.

On the other hand, it has daily conflict resolution sessions facilitated by trained staff and carefully planned integration of sports teams, bunks and other camp activities. The universal language of the camp is English.

A group from Detroit, headed by Seeds national board member Joel Jacob and including U.S. Rep. Joseph Knowllenberg, an important Seeds supporter on Capitol Hill, visited the camp last week. What they saw were the possibilities when fear and suspicion are overcome.

The teens stroll the campgrounds in identical, standard-issue green T-shirts. Girls are arm-in-arm with other girls. Boys throw their arms around other boys. Only after meeting them do you realize that they are Jewish girls holding hands with Palestinian girls; Palestinian boys throwing their arms around Jewish boys.

When this group of campers arrived at the camp less than three weeks ago, they were armed with anger, fear and their own set of “facts.” Also, many came following a final orientation from their host governments meant to reinforce their feelings of injustice.

“Freedom fighters” or “terrorists?” Six-million Holocaust victims or 10,000? “You mean I have to sleep in the same bunk with my enemy?”

Within a week, however, the campers begin to listen. And with listening comes empathy and humanity. A bomb in a market is not merely a strike against the Zionist entity. It is the maiming of the friend of a Jewish “seed” who was only looking to buy some food to feed her family.

A vigorous search by a soldier at a border crossing is not just a safety net for catching terrorists, but the humiliation of the grandmother of a Palestinian “seed.”

By sharing and hearing each other’s fears, the young people develop a remarkable bond. While the campers still engage in heated arguments about the final status of Jerusalem or the return of Palestinians from refugee camps, they disagree without being disagreeable and they remain friends.

The model created by Seeds of Peace provides a glimpse of how far the peace process can go. In his inaugural address last week, Israel’s Barak said he is “not only cognizant of the sufferings of my own people, but I also recognize the sufferings of the Palestinian people.”

It all starts with empathy.

Senator King Honors Wil Smith

Feb 23, 2015 / No Comments

In a statement submitted to the Congressional Record today, U.S. Senator Angus King paid tribute to the life of Wil Smith, a former associate dean at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, and a coach, mentor, and friend to countless people across the state. Wil lost a three year battle with colon cancer on Sunday morning. He was 46 years old.

Mr. President, I rise today on a sad occasion. Yesterday, Bowdoin College—indeed, the entire State of Maine—lost a truly great man. Wil Smith, who was a good friend to countless people in Maine, passed away yesterday at the age of 46 following a courageous three-year battle with cancer.

It is difficult to encapsulate in words the remarkable depth and breadth of someone like Wil. He grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, the youngest of ten children. His mother, Mildred, passed away when he was 15 years old. After high school, Wil briefly attended Florida A&M University before enlisting in the U.S. Navy and becoming an aviation electronics technician. He served in the first Gulf War and was later transferred to the Naval Air Station in Brunswick, Maine.

While stationed in Brunswick, Wil began coaching football at Brunswick Middle School. It wasn’t long after that when the coach of the Bowdoin College men’s basketball team spotted him and was impressed by his talent and natural ability to work with kids. He asked Wil if he had ever thought about attending college. After some convincing, Wil applied to and was accepted at Bowdoin.

It was also during this time that Wil became a father—and only months before his first semester began, he was granted full custody of his 11 month-old daughter, Olivia. To say the least, he was a nontraditional student in almost every sense. Matriculating at age 28, he was a decade older than most of his freshmen classmates. He was one of just three African-American students in his class. And he was the first single father in Bowdoin’s history to attend the college.

He worked tirelessly—carrying Olivia to class and then to basketball practice, taking evening shifts at the local Staples store, and volunteering at area high schools. He faced challenges unfathomable to most of his classmates at Bowdoin—struggling to balance a commitment to his daughter and his rigorous coursework. But Wil persevered—and he did so with a strength of conviction and determination that would come to define the influence he would have on students who would follow in his footsteps at Bowdoin.

Following graduation, Wil continued to devote his time and energy to his community, and in particular, to young people of nontraditional or underrepresented backgrounds. He continued to serve in the U.S. Navy Reserves, and joined the staff of Bowdoin College, serving as Director of Multicultural Student Programs. Driven to continue his education, he then enrolled in the University of Maine School of Law, where three years later, he would graduate with a law degree and once again return to Bowdoin.

At Bowdoin, Wil served as a beacon of light to so many students—many of whom, like him, toiled with the challenges of the transition to college. But as a gifted mentor and as someone who had the rare ability to genuinely connect with people, to understand them, and to relate to them, Wil inspired a newfound sense of hope in countless students, and his advice, unfailing support, and encouragement turned around the lives of hundreds and perhaps thousands of people.

And while students were away from Bowdoin during the summer, Wil dedicated his time to the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Otisfield, Maine. It was an endeavor that he joined in the summer of 1999, before he graduated from Bowdoin, and it was one he carried on until last summer. At the camp, he mentored children from across the world, and challenged them to look at and judge their peers not by their race, ethnicity, or differences—but by their thoughts and their merit. Will was truly a team player in this work, serving in numerous positions at Seeds of Peace over the years, from coach to counselor to associate director. But the title was always less important to Wil than knowing he was helping those he worked with at the camp. And true to the camp’s mission, Wil cultivated seeds of peace within the heart of every child he met—his reach and impact extending around the world.

That same spirit of mentorship drew him to the basketball courts of Catherine McAuley High School in South Portland, where he coached the girls’ varsity team for a decade, amassing nearly twice as many wins than losses and, in a testament to his talent as a coach, bringing home a prized State Championship in 2007. Through the game he loved, he taught young women about the power and virtue of leadership, character, and teamwork—the same traits he worked so hard to instill in students at Bowdoin, in young people at Seeds of Peace, or in anyone who came to him in search of help.

There is a hole in the heart of our community today. But while Wil’s loss is felt by countless people, his legacy will be carried on by the thousands who were fortunate enough to know him. Indeed, it is that legacy of caring, of hope, and of understanding which he has given to us and which we will give to future generations along with his story as proof that even the most unlikely of beginnings can yield remarkable outcomes. Today, the world is a lesser place for Wil’s loss, but we are all better for him having been in it.

My heart goes out to his daughter, Olivia; his partner, Maha Jaber, and her son, Nim; his family; and to all the people whose lives were touched by this extraordinary man’s unfaltering enthusiasm, caring, and generosity.

Seeds of Peace names Josh Thomas as next Executive Director

Aug 21, 2020 / 1 Comment

On behalf of the Board of Directors, it is our great pleasure to announce the appointment of Fr. Josh Thomas as Executive Director of Seeds of Peace!

Josh has served as interim Executive Director since February 2020, dividing his time between Seeds of Peace and Kids4Peace International, and serving as Board Chair of The Alliance for Middle East Peace.

He brings to us his years of experience working with nonprofit organizations in conflict regions and his first-hand knowledge of leadership development informed by decades of work in the fields of dialogue and social change.

Over the last five months, we have witnessed Josh successfully take on the challenges of managing Seeds of Peace during a pandemic while launching a strategic review of our organizational impact and vision. His clear ability to listen and lead across many spheres of thinking and translate learning into action give us further confidence in his leadership.

Josh is an Episcopal priest and a graduate of Dartmouth College and Union Theological Seminary. He has served congregations and campus chaplaincies in Atlanta, Boston, Seattle, and New Hampshire, and he taught courses in peacebuilding at Boston University School of Theology.

During his time at Kids4Peace International, Josh designed and managed projects funded by USAID and the US Institute of Peace which focused on empowering youth to be action-oriented, public leaders for peace.

In the coming months, under Josh’s leadership, we plan to integrate Kids4Peace programs into Seeds of Peace. We are excited about this opportunity to reach more youth and achieve even greater impact together.

We are honored to work with Josh as Seeds of Peace continues to develop courageous leaders who are creating more just and inclusive societies.

Steve Gruber
Board Chair

Janet Wallach
President Emeritus, Board Member

Shaiza Rizavi
Search Committee Chair, Board Member

Leslie Adelson Lewin appointed next Executive Director of Seeds of Peace

Sep 30, 2009 / No Comments

NEW YORK | It is my pleasure to share with you some exciting news. On behalf of the Board of Directors it is my privilege to announce that Leslie Adelson Lewin has been named Executive Director of Seeds of Peace.

Over the past 18 months, we performed an exhaustive search that included candidates from all over the world. Leslie was the only person who possessed the unique combination a deep understanding of the mission, strong managerial skills, and an unwavering commitment to the Seeds themselves. We are thrilled that she has accepted this role. No one is better qualified to lead Seeds of Peace into the future.

My late husband and the founder of Seeds of Peace, John Wallach, hand-picked Leslie over 10 years ago to be a counselor at Camp. Those who had the privilege of knowing John remember him as a charismatic, vibrant and inspirational leader.

John saw many of these same qualities in Leslie.

He asked Leslie to join Seeds of Peace because her passion, commitment and intellect were apparent to him right away. Until his death in 2002, Leslie worked by John’s side in Maine, New York and Washington, D.C., to help Seeds of Peace grow into an internationally recognized organization impacting the lives of over 4,000 young people around the world.

Since his passing, Leslie’s commitment to Seeds of Peace and John’s legacy have grown. Leslie became the Director of Camp where she developed programming to make the first, crucial step to becoming a Seed—being a camper—as challenging, effective and fun as possible.

As our earliest Seeds now come together as young professionals in media, government, business, nonprofit, medicine and education, Leslie will use the relationships she has cultivated with these Seeds over the course of 12 years to guide the development of powerful Graduate programming.

Please join me in congratulating Leslie as we embark together on this new and exciting chapter at Seeds of Peace.

Thank you for continuing to be our partner in peace.

Sincerely,

Janet Wallach
Janet Wallach
President Emeritus

Seeds of Peace honours King Hussein
Jordan Times

Jun 12, 1999 / No Comments

AMMAN | In tribute to the late King Hussein, U.S. President Bill Clinton, former President George Bush, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, Israeli Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak and U.S. Middle East envoy Dennis Ross honoured the memory of the King at an evening organised by the “Seeds of Peace” in New York.

In his video remarks, Clinton addressed the dinner gathering on Thursday saying, “the ideals that King Hussein lived by were embodied in the Seeds of Peace … He wore the Seeds of Peace tie the day we signed the Wye Accords and the last time he landed his plane in his beloved Jordan.”

U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, who the same evening was presented with the 1999 Seeds of Peace Award, noted that “we meet tonight still grieving for the loss of His Majesty King Hussein, who received this award two years ago … the peace we continue to build must be for him.”

Her Majesty Queen Noor, who received the Seeds of Peace sculpture honoring the legacy of King Hussein, thanked the dignitaries and celebrants for their moving tributes, adding that in the 47 years King Hussein reigned, he dedicated “all his heart, soul, and physical energy to peace, willing to sacrifice his life for the cause.” Queen Noor said King Hussein was constantly in search of partnerships, which he felt he found in the Seeds of Peace.

Seeds of Peace is a summer camp in the United States for 12 to 14-year-old children from countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

At the camp, Arab and Israeli children interact by participating in a variety of activities that range from team sports to theatrical plays and co-existence seminars.

The children also travel to Washington where they stay for a week during which they meet with the U.S. president, the vice-president, members of Congress and the Supreme Court.

The programme’s main goal is to introduce Arab and Israeli children to each other in the hope that their camping experience forges lasting bonds of friendship and understanding between them.

Since 1993, Seeds of Peace has brought teenagers from the Middle East, Bosnia and other troubled regions to its conflict resolution and co-existence camp.

The organisation plans to launch a programme for Greek and Turkish youth from Cyprus this summer.

King Hussein once said, “children are capable of achieving great things … give them a chance.”

Ambassador and Mrs. Hassan Abu Ni’mah, Ambassador and Mrs. Marwan Muasher, HRH Princess Raiyah Bint Al Hussein and Prince Zeid Bin Raad attended the Seeds of Peace dinner with the Queen.