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Middle East goes East
The Jerusalem Report

Jul 1, 1993 / No Comments

BY JONATHAN BRODER | In the first-ever program of its kind, Israeli and Arab children will attend a camp in Maine later this summer as part of an effort officially sanctioned by Middle Eastern governments to build bridges of understanding among the region’s next generation.

Entitled “Seeds of Peace,” the camp will bring together 11- to 14-year-old boys from Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Egypt and Morocco for three weeks in August on the pine-studded shores of a lake near Portland. The camp’s American organizers say that if the next round of peace talks goes well, the participants also will include children from Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Oman and another North African country that has asked to remain unidentified.

“We want to create a relaxing environment for young Arabs and Israelis to learn to understand and trust one another,” says the camp’s founder, John Wallach, a veteran Washington journalist and author.

Although similar efforts have been made in the past, this is the first time that Arabs from countries technically still at war with Israel will participate, and with the blessings of their leaders. In fact, Wallach says he found Israeli and many Arab leaders eager to cooperate. Arming himself last March with endorsements for the camp from a variety of U.S. officials, Wallach was able to secure the green light from several Middle East governments, as well as more than $75,000 in private funding, including contribution from a Saudi prince, in just four months.

Camp organizers say they decided to host only boys to avoid any objections by Islamic fundamentalists. U.S. officials say Syria, Lebanon and Jordan have quietly signaled their desire to send delegations but are waiting for more progress in the peace talks.

For now, each bunk house will sleep six children—one Palestinian, one Arab each from Egypt and Morocco, two Israeli Jews and one Israeli Arab. If the other countries decide to participate, additional beds will be added. Wallach says he deliberately kept the age of the campers below 15 because “we wanted to get them here before they’re politically indoctrinated.”

After the camp session ends on Labor Day, the children will spend a week in Washington, where they will tour museums, including the new U.S. Holocaust Memorial, eat lunch with law-makers on Capitol Hill and meet President Bill Clinton. They will also attend a Baltimore Orioles baseball game, where they will be introduced on the field to an expected 45,000 fans.

Wallach, though, denies that the camp’s goal is to make the boys ambassadors of peace. “I’ll consider it a great success if each one goes back to his country and says, ‘For three weeks, I had a great time at camp with some Israelis and Arabs, and you know what? It was cool.”

Egyptian Seeds react to Morsi ouster

Jul 3, 2013 / 1 Comment

CAIRO | Egyptian Seeds—from Cairo to Camp in Maine—have taken to social media to share their reactions to the news today that the Egyptian military was ousting the country’s leader, President Mohamed Morsi.

“The potential our generation has and its passion for change is unbelievable,” said one. “I hope for a leader who accommodates the rights of everyone.”

Some Seeds struggled with the non-democratic means in which the military was taking over.

“It’s the best thing that could have happened, in the worst way possible,” said a Seed at Camp.

“I don’t think ousting Morsi was the best solution,” said another Seed in Cairo. “I was hoping that a solution to the political situation in Egypt would have somehow fulfilled the aspirations of both [the pro- and anti-Morsi] groups, since they are both Egyptians demanding legitimate rights.”

“I believe that the best solution would be to hold a referendum on whether or not Morsi should continue his term, and for the Egyptian people to decide their fate through the ballot box.”

“I’m still optimistic—I hope there are early elections,” said a Seed at Camp in Maine.

Other Seeds have spent weeks participating in anti-Morsi protests and celebrated today’s events.

“What you saw was not a coup,” said a Seed who had been demonstrating against Morsi in Cairo.

“It is the outcome of a grassroots initiative that grew exponentially and bypassed all the politics and traditional frameworks to speak directly to and for the people.”

While some Seeds celebrated, others were cautious, warning against alienating Morsi supporters.

“We’ve been calling out for true democracy, and it wouldn’t be true democracy if we decide to exclude a group of people who have the right to be heard. Let’s be smart and break out of this vicious cycle.”


Video taken July 3 by Egyptian Seed of crowds celebrating in Cairo.

Egyptian Seed Mona examines the lack of political leadership in her country.


NECN Video: Egyptian campers attend Seeds of Peace camp in Maine.

More reactions from Seeds to events in Egypt

  • “Here’s to a brighter future.”
  • “Egypt: a place where internet and traffic is achingly slow. But we create history instantaneously.”
  • “The Egyptian revolution continues.”
  • “I’m hopeful that we have learned a lesson and things will improve for my country from here!”
  • “Today, Egyptians made history—again. It’s not a coup. It’s democracy in its truest sense.”
  • “My parents are on the streets. I’m anxious to hear their accounts.”
  • “A great number of Egyptians have been alienated by the political decisions recently made, and this could be very dangerous.”
  • “We have to unite to run the country wisely.”
  • “Today marks another achievement in Egyptians’ efforts to take matters into their own hands and bring an end to decades of exploitation and corruption. I’m glad to have taken part of every part of this wonderful process.”
  • “These so-called “Islamists” violated every single principle that Islam stands for.”
  • “The ouster of former president Morsi is the direct outcome of a people’s revolution.”
  • “The president of the Supreme Constitutional Court will lead an interim coalition government, followed by the drafting of a constitution and early presidential and parliamentary elections. The military is obviously not taking over.”
  • “I don’t oppose the fact the he is no longer the president, but I have problems with the way it was done, and the negative impact it might have on the country as a whole.”
  • “I am thrilled by the lessons Egyptian citizens are teaching the world in determined and just civil movements. I’m hopeful the spirit of change and justice will spread as fire in a summer wheat field.”

Follow reactions by Seeds about Egypt on Twitter ››
Read a letter from Seeds of Peace Executive Director to Seeds in Egypt ››
Read an Egyptian Seed’s New York Times profile on Egypt’s new president ››
Read an Associated Press story about Egyptians at Camp ››

Three essential tips from SEEDesign

Nov 13, 2018 / No Comments

An accelerator for female Palestinian entrepreneurs to help them develop their businesses.

A platform that brings together Israeli and Palestinian teachers in Jerusalem for professional development workshops.

A destigmatizing sexual education program for both Israeli and Palestinian teenage girls.

These are just some of the project ideas that Seeds and Educators brought to SEEDesign, our design thinking workshop that took place in Haifa on October 3-4. The workshop was created to help these leaders shape rough ideas into practical action plans. This year, SEEDesign was led by Nitzan Waisberg, a design thinking expert at Tel Aviv University.

But what is design thinking, exactly? It’s a solution-based method to solving problems focused on three principles: empathy, ideation, and experimentation. Here’s a quick synopsis of what we taught in SEEDesign.

EMPATHIZE WITH YOUR AUDIENCE

Design thinking is called a “human-centered” process, and so the first step to solving a problem or developing a product is to walk in the shoes of the people you’re trying to help. That means not just understanding their needs, but also their physical environment, how they use products and services, how they experience things, what their lives look like, and what motivates them. In this way, you ask questions and observe in order to set aside your own assumptions of what would be best for someone else. This should be familiar to anyone who has gone through dialogue at Camp.

Ashraf Ghandour, our Alumni Engagement Manager who helped organize SEEDesign, spoke of an Israeli Seed who came to the workshop with a project idea that would expose Jewish Israelis to Palestinian culture in Tel Aviv. The other participants helped her work through not just what the most effective version of this exposure would look like, but more importantly how it would be received by Israelis and what social and political sensitivities she needed to take into account. If she hadn’t considered these nuances, her end product simply wouldn’t resonate with its intended audience.

DEFINE THE PROBLEM

After gathering your data and observations as described above, the next step is to ask yourself, “What is it, really, that I’m trying to solve?” You may find yourself thinking something very different from when you began, or find that you never formally thought about what the problem itself was in the first place.

The best way to define the problem, according to Nitzan, is to create a human-centric statement. For example, instead of setting a goal to “Increase mental health coverage among trauma survivors by 15 percent,” design thinking suggests a framing such as, “Trauma survivors need access to affordable mental health care so that they can thrive, grow, and develop resilience.”

Doing so will make it easier to ask questions that lead to ideas for solutions. With this example, the problem statement lends itself to consider challenges such as how to encourage trauma survivors to seek out help or ways to make mental health care more easily accessible to trauma survivors.

We saw this process in action at SEEDesign, too. One participant was a Palestinian Seed in university who is struggling with whether or not to defy his parents’ wishes for him to study medicine and instead pursue a discipline he was passionate about. In discussing his predicament with the group, he realized he needed to ask himself why his parents disapproved of his choice. Was it because of family tradition? Was it that they considered what he was studying to be lesser than other fields?

Eventually, he concluded that his parents were worried he would not be able to achieve success, independence, or financial stability through his chosen field of study. With this in mind, he was able to ideate with the group ways to show his parents opportunities for success beyond traditionally acceptable professions.

WORK WITH A GROUP TO IDEATE SOLUTIONS

A big part of all these examples, and of design thinking in general, is people working together with peers from across disciplines and experiences to share ideas. Nitzan refers to this as “multidisciplinary collaboration.” The purpose of SEEDesign is exactly that—to provide a space where participants could bring up challenges they’re running into and receive input from the rest of the group.

One Israeli Seed wondered, “How can I incorporate learning from other projects in the Seeds community within my own work?” For her, the most helpful part of the program was getting to hear from others in the group and helping to build on their ideas and initiatives.

Another Israeli Seed wanted to develop a women’s empowerment coalition out of her former Scouts group members. So she and the other participants brainstormed ways to get them involved, eventually coming up with the idea to contact the Scouts’ parents.

Sometimes, even just working with one other person to generate ideas is enough to make a big difference. Ashraf told us one of the most exciting moments of the program was seeing experienced Seeds acting as mentors for younger ones they had never even met before.

“We had a Palestinian Seed from ’94 and a Palestinian Seed from 2015,” he said. “The dynamics between them were wonderful—the more experienced Seed put her project aside, realizing the importance of mentoring the younger Seed and helping him [figure out] his project … It was teaching through modeling in its best version.”

At the end of SEEDesign, participants shared how excited they were to apply design thinking moving forward. A Palestinian Seed told us, “The program provided insight not only on the specific project I am currently working on, but generally in my daily life,” while an Israeli said, “It amazes me how we can use this method for anything in life.”

Perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise that SEEDesign’s emphasis on community, asking difficult questions, and working together to tackle challenges resonated with participants. Those are, after all, what Seeds of Peace is all about.

GATHER Summit 2018: Community and connection in vivid colors

Jan 10, 2019 / No Comments

The “YES” sign, built from dozens of illuminated light bulbs, may have been an uncommon, perhaps even questionable, choice of hotel lobby decor, but it served as backdrop—and the perfect metaphor—for the 2018 GATHER Summit.

More than 70 entrepreneurs, artists, educators, activists, and policy makers joined together in Athens, Greece, in the middle of December to reflect in their work, share best practices, and dig into questions around the systemic levers of change. From the wee hours of morning until late at night, a vivid brightness and endless buzz of positivity emanated from everyone involved.

The Summit was shaped around four tracks: economic, political, social activism, and arts and education. Changemakers from Palestine, Pakistan, Israel, India, Cyprus, the Balkans, Egypt, the US, Jordan, Afghanistan, and the UK built skills around storytelling and resource development.

But more than that, they built and strengthened community.

“How amazing it was to be from different countries, different backgrounds and many other differences, and to be able to work in one business mind and systematic goal in less than a week. We are leading the change,” one participant from Palestine reflected.

An asset mapping session kicked off a slew of networking opportunities, with participants posting services they sought and skills they could share. From there, individuals met up in pairs over the course of the Summit for ‘brain dates’—where they could learn from and advise each other.

Workshops led by experts in the field included introductions to impact investment and nonprofit fundraising, effective negotiation, putting the ‘story’ back in storytelling, using narrative to move from ‘action-inhibition’ to ‘action-enabling,’ and rethinking for-profit biases.

An open-space activity allowed the nearly 60 changemakers to suggest topics of discussion and move freely from one conversation to the next. Groups explored ways to support women in traditionally patriarchal societies, tackled notions of identity and how to instill that in our children, and discussed what to do about Gaza, to name a few. Not surprisingly, we had to extend this session, because people could not be pulled away from each other.

There was even time to explore the city of Athens—visiting local social service, political, or economic organizations to learn more about systemic change, and, of course, climbing the hill to the Acropolis.

Connections were formed, skills solidified, and participants left the Summit renewed in their conviction to lead change, in a myriad of thoughtful and impactful ways.

Said one Israeli participant, “The most important thing for me that I can apply are the relationships I gained and the knowledge that people support my unorthodox path toward contributing to peace in the world. I have more confidence, and I feel like I have a larger and more supportive network.”

What does it mean to be ‘transformed’?

Aug 13, 2019 / No Comments

We talk often about Camp being ‘transformational’. This is the word our newest Seeds use to describe their experience, and it’s how Seeds who are well into their careers reflect upon their time from decades earlier as teenagers in Maine.

But when a word is used over and over, it can lose meaning. So we asked counselors at the end of each session this summer to share specific examples of moments they have witnessed among their campers that shed a light on what it means to be transformed.

Perhaps you might find yourself changed after reading these.

• I worked as a group challenge counselor, and we had a female camper of color who was also Muslim and wears a hijab.

During our first couple of Group Challenge sessions, it was very visible how—I don’t want to say intimidated—how aware she was of the group dynamics, given that we had at least two very masculine white, male campers.

She was very aware of herself, the way she presents and carries herself. And she was very silent in these first two meetings. But starting in the third session, she began getting more vocal.

We got to the point where we had this challenge called “The Islands.” There are two islands where you need to be silent if you’re stepping on them. At some point, she was advised by one of the male campers to go on one of the silent islands. But her reply was, “We’re not gonna complete the challenge without my voice, and I have the advice and knowledge we need to complete this challenge. I’m not going to go to any of the silent islands.”

Her voice eventually turned into a group agreement that one of the two white male campers should be on the silent island. She ended up leading the whole group activity and completed the group challenge. I was very inspired by that moment, and the many conversations that the group had starting from that moment.

• I had a girl in my bunk last year, who had a really difficult time at Camp for most of the session, until we entered Color Games.

That really shifted things for her. She had been feeling really lonely, but then she started interacting with people during Color Games. That was what motivated her to come back as a PS, finally feeling that connection and that she was really contributing to Camp in an important way. I saw her now this summer and she feels empowered here, she feels as if she is making a difference, and that her voice is heard.

• I had a camper from Jerusalem, who, at the beginning of Camp, was really shy and really scared about talking in big groups.

He never wanted anyone to take his picture and he thought that he didn’t have anything useful to say in dialogue. He would come back to the table every day and report that, “I didn’t say anything today; I don’t think I have anything good.” And he was also really nervous how much everyone danced at Camp. He was like, “Why are you guys chanting all the time?”

But about two weeks in, he came to the table and said, “I just spoke for the first time.” He said that it felt good to speak in that space. Just seeing him around Camp toward the end too—he was always asking Bobbie to take pictures of him. He was dancing around Camp, he was begging me to go to the Small Hall for the dance party because he was so into it. And even when he left Camp, he was like, “I wish that I had taken more pictures.”

So just to see that transformation from “I don’t want anyone to see me” to “I deserve to be seen” was one of the most powerful experiences I’ve seen from a camper.

• I had a camper in one of my Group Challenge sessions who said his favorite part of Camp was being there after dialogue, when everyone comes out.

He liked checking in on them to see how they are doing and to take care of them. He was clearly the leader of the group, and in group challenge we were very frequently telling him that he wasn’t allowed to speak, or that he had to wear a blindfold, to give other campers the opportunity for leadership. He always complained about that and didn’t like it.

Near the end of Camp, I saw him sitting by himself, and asked him what was going on. He started talking about how he was realizing why he was always silenced or blindfolded, and what it meant for him to be a leader. And how all of the times that he spent taking care of other campers, he wasn’t taking care of himself—or there was no one to take care of him.

It was a really powerful moment to see him finally acknowledge that there are times when he needs to take care of himself, or be taken care of, and that he cannot always be the leader. There are other people who have those capabilities, and so it’s okay if he steps back to take care of himself, because other people will still be taken care of.

• I came to know this particular camper during Color Games, and the ways that she grew were through sports.

I think she is a very quiet person by nature. I saw her during bunk rotation and how she kept to herself. The growth I saw in her during Color Games was insane.

I chose her to come play basketball, and she didn’t believe it at all. She came to the court saying, “I’ve never played basketball before.” But during Color Games, she did wonders. In the Hajime run, she ran from the soccer field lap to the main gate, and I happened to be the one who was running behind her. Once she finished the race, she just hugged me, and told me how my being there meant a lot to her. It made me think about how little things can make people realize that they are a small part of a big dream. That they’re contributing to something larger than themselves. The change I saw in her was really magnificent.

A shared vision for change at the 2019 UK Reception

Nov 25, 2019 / No Comments

“When change is structural, people powered, and seeks to name and shift power, we get to some place real,” Kiran Thadhani, Seeds of Peace Director of Global Programs said last week at the 2019 United Kingdom Reception.

The power of people-to-people work and a shared vision of conflict transformation were key points of the annual event, which for the first time featured a formal partnership between Seeds of Peace and the peacebuilding organizations Solutions Not Sides and the Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP). Held on Nov. 18 at the Berkeley Hotel in London, it was attended by over 100 alumni and supporters of the three organizations, as well as politicians and local philanthropic and business leaders.

The evening opened with remarks from Alistair Burt, who, after nearly 32 years of public service, stepped down earlier this month from his role as a Member of Parliament and Minister of State for the Middle East. He spoke of the the importance of hope in dealing with the seemingly impossible, and whether it was the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany or the end of apartheid in South Africa, change came because of the work of people on the ground—not politicians in office.

“I’ve never stopped believing that it is possible to get a resolution of issues between Israel and Palestine,” he said. “But I’ve also come to believe that whatever is done at the top level, it will be underneath that things will really make a difference.”

Burt was followed by presentations from Thadhani of Seeds of Peace, as well as John Lyndon, executive director of ALLMEP, and Sharon Booth, founder and executive director of Solutions Not Sides.

After speaking about their organizations’ individual goals and work in the peacebuilding field, the three participated in a question-and-answer session moderated by Ruba, a Palestinian member of the 2002 Israeli delegation and 2015 GATHER Fellow. They spoke about the challenges of creating change amid increasingly divided and hostile environments, the need to understand the roots of conflict and violence, and that conflict can only be transformed through deep co-commitment and solidarity.

“This kind of change isn’t just about one organization, one person, one movement,” Thadhani said. “We must work collectively, which is why you also see we are not alone on this stage.”

Learn more about Seeds of Peace’s programs in Europe ››

 
EVENT PHOTOS

Palestinian, Israeli teens find peace in Maine
Associated Press

Jun 26, 2002 / No Comments

OTISFIELD, Maine | For Liav Harel and Tarek Araw, attending the lakeside camp in the woods of Maine is a welcome respite from witnessing the violence that has rocked their war-torn Middle East villages.

Harel, a 16-year-old Jew from the Israeli coastal town of Haifa, wasn’t even aware of President Bush’s speech Monday calling for the ouster of Yasser Arafat and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within three years.

Instead Harel and Araw, a 16-year-old from the village of Jatt who identifies himself as a Palestinian Israeli, were looking forward to swimming, archery, building crafts and coming together as teenagers at camp — not enemies at war.

“Basically the environment here … is the most peaceful environment you can ever get, probably in the whole world, unless you went away to an uninhabited place,” Araw said Tuesday.

Seeds of Peace, now in its 10th year, was to officially begin Wednesday with a flag-raising ceremony. About 160 teenagers had already arrived by Monday to the camp aimed at promoting peace by bringing together young people from warring regions.

In the first session, Pakistanis, Indians, Palestinians and Israelis will bunk, eat and play together. For the first time, a dozen teenagers from Afghanistan will also attend. Campers from Cyprus, the Balkans and Portland’s refugee communities will attend the other two sessions.

With the escalation of suicide bombings in the Middle East, Araw and his family rarely travel outside their hometown, and have to go through security checkpoints to visit relatives one village over. His family lives in constant fear of the bombings and of retaliation for bomb attacks.

Harel’s school no longer goes on field trips, and her parents won’t let her go to shopping malls or travel on buses. A Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up at a Haifa restaurant within sight of her friend’s house on the day they planned to meet for a Passover dinner. But for now, those concerns are put aside.

“When I’m in Seeds of Peace activities I always feel safe,” Harel said.

In addition to swimming, crafts and sports, campers participate in “coexistence sessions” where they talk and vent about the conflicts and politics in their regions.

Campers are also invited to observe each others’ religious services and hold a cultural fair to teach each other about their traditions. At the end of the session, campers are divided into multinational teams to compete in a series of events.

John Wallach, founder of Seeds of Peace, said it’s exciting to see the barriers broken down.

“It’s literally the only place in the world where Israelis and Palestinians are together making peace,” he said in a telephone interview.

Back in the Middle East, Israelis and Palestinians were cautiously welcoming Bush’s outline for Mideast peace. But here in the Maine woods, where there’s no TV to gather around to watch the events unfold, the teens focused on camp activities

Eventually, they may discuss Bush’s plan during a coexistence session, but that will be later.

“Anything can happen,” Araw said. “It’s just awesome.”

Building solidarity: Multinational dialogue returns with 37 Middle East youth in Cyprus

Sep 27, 2022 / No Comments

At the end of a rigorous day of dialogue, group challenges, and activities, the scene at an August Seeds of Peace program looked something like a modern-day John Hughes film: Scattered across a central lawn, small groups were talking, dancing, taking selfies, and sharing TikTok videos—seemingly typical teenagers were doing typical teenager things.

Looks can be deceiving.

Below the surface, there was little typical about MEET in Cyprus, a multinational dialogue program for Middle Eastern youth.

“I’m still processing it all,” said Lara, and Egyptian Seed. “I anticipated it would be big for me, but I can’t explain just how much this has given me something that I didn’t know that I needed.”

With 37 participants from Israel, Jordan, and Palestine, Cyprus, and Egypt, MEET in Cyprus marked the first Seeds of Peace multinational youth dialogue program in more than two years.

With twice-daily dialogue sessions, a special field trip, 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.

It had the markings of the most impactful Seeds of Peace programs, but in many ways, was an evolution of how the organization brings youth together. Primarily, it was designed and led by Middle East staff and Cypriot alumni with regional culture at the forefront and built upon a year’s worth of work in Core Leadership Programs.

“At Camp, the youth came in a clean slate, whereas these kids had already done many months of work building their skills with their local teams, so they’re coming in at a whole different level,” said Claire Dibsy Ayed, Seeds of Peace Chief of Legal and Business Affairs, Palestine, and a lead organizer of the Cyprus program.

In a tour of Nicosia led by Cypriot alumni, participants saw checkpoints along the Greek-Turkish border and ventured within the ghostly quiet UN Buffer Zone. Walking amid bullet-riddled, abandoned buildings, they learned about the conflict and visited the Home for Cooperation, which works to bring together Turkish and Greek Cypriots.

“It might not have hit them in the moment, but when they go home and see the things they talked about in Cyprus, and see similar versions of things they saw over there, that’s when it sinks in: It didn’t seem right over there, why is it okay over here?” said Jonathan Kabiri, Director of Israeli Programs.

Topics in dialogue sessions ranged from gender and human rights, to identifying with certain groups and national histories, to the impact of inherited memories, to challenging master narratives.

Outside dialogue, group challenges required them to practice what they were learning in dialogue—speaking from the “I,” working together, not making decisions for others, gaining consensus, to name a few.

Seeds like Adeem, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, described it as a supportive place to share their stories, to grow as leaders, and to better understand themselves and each other.

“At first I thought it was pointless, but I could see as dialogue went on that people started to understand me and the difficulties that I go through on a daily basis, and that it made other people understand my perspective I understood theirs,” she said. “I see how it could help us to have a more successful generation, and maybe not peace, but at least more understanding.”

By the end of the week, many said they were leaving with a feeling of relief: to have gotten things off their chest, to have heard from others who share their struggles, and to learn that there are those on the other side who want to make change.

“This was an opportunity to widen the lens of what the kids see—to understand that there’s more to the struggle than their own reality,” said Monica Baky, an Egyptian Seed and Multinational Dialogue Programs Director. “It’s not so much about making friends, but building solidarity, understanding the nuance of this work, and inspiring a desire to continue.”

In fact, in a post-survey, the vast majority of participants said they felt more inspired to work for change at home after the program. “There is much more to do, much more to speak about, and much more to hear and be heard, and I’m looking forward to more meetings like that,” said Yaniv, an Israeli Seed.

“I came here to meet Israelis—to tell them my story and what I go through at checkpoints and living as a Palestinian,” Christina said. “I know there are others at my school who would be interested in doing the same, so that’s what I want to do. Talk to them about these programs and help them find their voice.”

“I hope I can create a safe space around my community to continue having these conversations, and to talk about the many problems we face in our country,” Lara added. “Like I said, this is something I didn’t know I needed, but hearing from everyone here makes me feel that I’m not alone. That other people thought this was just as powerful as I did.”

Palestinian Fellows, Seeds take part in the Teaching Life: GATHER Palestine networking event

Jan 19, 2017 / No Comments

JERUSALEM | Seeds of Peace partnered with the Young Presidents’ Organization for a networking event in Ramallah headlined by Palestinian entrepreneur Manal Zraiq on January 18.

Palestinian GATHER Fellows and Seeds were joined by members of the Young Presidents’ Organization​, a global network of young chief executives, with the goal of forming a community that can support young Palestinian social entrepreneurs.

The event featured a musical performance, speakers, and small group conversations designed to highlight emerging local entrepreneurs and artists and develop partnerships.

Manal Zraiq emphasized to the group how she teaches her children to succeed and stay in Palestine. Many participants were inspired by her remarks and her success as a woman in her field, and shared with her their experiences and challenges as professional women in Palestine.

“It’s really important to have such forums, I think we need to work together on building a solid one,” said one of the participants.​
 
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Visit to Ground Zero tests resolve of Seeds of Peace alumni
Portland Press Herald

Nov 14, 2001 / No Comments

BY MEREDITH GOAD | The landscape, gray, black and smoldering, still looks shocked. As the young activists from the Maine-based Seeds of Peace program gazed at the vortex of death splayed in front of them, there were floods of tears and hugs of comfort.

Supported by two friends, Shani, a 17-year-old from Israel, went inside the remains of the World Trade Center complex where her cousin died. She emerged with eyes red from tears, shocked at the size of the hole. The hole, she said again and again. She couldn’t believe it was so big.

Shani was in New York for a Seeds of Peace International Youth Conference, called Uprooting Hatred and Terror. One of the highlights—if it can be called that—on Tuesday was a visit to ground zero. A reporter and photographer from the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram were invited to attend.

Standing on a platform above the remains of the towers, thinking of her cousin, Shani was surprised to feel herself filled with hate. If Osama bin Laden had been standing there, she said, she would have stabbed him.

“It was the first time in my life I felt hatred,” said the girl, who has seen herself as a lifelong peace activist. “It was horrible.”

An Egyptian friend wrapped her arms around her. “She was my friend and I love her, but she’s Arab and I’m not feeling really good about Arabs right now,” Shani said.

The Seeds of Peace visit, blessed by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, marked the first time a youth group has been allowed to visit the site. It was also the first time such a diverse group had come to pay its respects. Muslims and Jews, Indians and Pakistanis stood together on the wooden platform overlooking the cranes, trucks and other equipment gently searching through the rubble. It was a sight that shocked many after years of working to combat such acts of hate.

Shani, like the other youths there, became enamored of the Seeds of Peace group at its camp in Otisfield, Maine, where children from countries in conflict come together to debate world problems and make friends with “the other side.” The New York conference was arranged as a response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Parents worried about sending their children to New York, but 120 of them from 20 countries came anyway, intent on drafting their own anti-terrorism charter to present to the United Nations on Thursday.

This week, as they heard from dignitaries such as Queen Noor of Jordan and met with the wife of a World Trade Center victim, they have hugged and talked and laughed—and asked tough questions of politicians. Nabil Sha’ath, a Palestinian official, pledged Yasser Arafat’s future support for the camp.

Seeds of Peace delegates are chosen for their bravery in being able to take a hard look at themselves and listen to points of view that can enrage them. Many showed a different kind of bravery Tuesday as they braced themselves for the World Trade Center visit.

Lars Okot, 15, of Portland, a Sudanese refugee, said he was a little nervous about the field trip.

“It might feel like I’ve been home again,” he said. “The ground is actually covered in the blood of everyone.”

Shani was a little afraid. “I don’t want to make a scene, and I know I’m going to cry my guts out,” she said. “It’s going to be so weird to see that place. I haven’t quite grasped it yet.”

She still can’t believe that her cousin, Collin Healey, is gone. Collin’s father, Robert Healey, was working in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. He had stopped smoking seven years ago, “and he decided that on this day, at this specific hour, he wanted a cigarette.” He went out and sat in the park to have a smoke.

Little did he know that his son was coming by work that day to give him the good news that he had been accepted at New York University. Robert Healey, Shani’s uncle, saw the first plane hit, and ran away.

In Israel, Shani hopped into a friend’s car and heard the news on the radio. She went to school.

“The school was like dark,” she said. “It reminded me of the day Yitzhak Rabin died. People were sad. New York has meaning for the world. Seeing the thing that actually represents New York destroyed and so many people there, it was terrible. People could truly relate to that.”

As they prepared to board four buses Tuesday, John Wallach, a former journalist who founded the group in 1993, reminded the group not to take cameras with them. It has pained some of the victims’ families, he explained, to see so many people going to the platform overlooking the site. They are worried about this hallowed ground—where there are still thousands of bodies buried—potentially being exploited.

“We are being given an extraordinary—I hate to say—privilege. It’s a terrible thought,” he said.

When the buses, escorted by New York police, reached the site, the young people went onto the platform about 50 at a time. Anxiety was already apparent on many faces. Waiting in line, Amal Khan, a 15-year-old from Pakistan, wasn’t sure she wanted to go in.

“I’m saying to myself now, why did it have to happen?” she said, her eyes tearing. “Why would anyone be so angry? I’m so confused. I don’t know if I want to see it.”

As they looked out over the rubble—the skeleton of the first tower—they listened to Dina Hanna, a liaison with Giuliani’s office, recite a litany of bodies found, buildings still around. The Seeds of Peace youths have a firsthand relationship with terror, but it was hard even for them to understand this. Here, thousands of innocent souls first met both terror and death face to face. Their presence still lingers, sorrowfully.

On the wooden railing are messages to the dead, an impromptu and heartbreaking American journal: “We miss you Dad.”

“We love you Frank. I know you are happy to be at peace. Love, Mom and Dad.”

“Bless those who have died in this horrible tragedy.”

Naima Margan, 14, a Somalian refugee who lives in Portland, was sad and trembling when she left the platform.

“It brings back memories,” she said. “It just brings back innocent people dying. It’s a disaster. It should never have happened. It’s hard because you think of these people that were jumping out the windows …” She stopped, unable to go on.

Walking back to the United Nations, Shani said the experience reinforced her belief that the work Seeds of Peace is doing is as important as the work of diplomats. She also needed to call home.

“I really want to talk to my parents,” she said.