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Summer camp sows seeds of peace
BBC News

Aug 28, 2008 / No Comments

MAINE, UNITED STATES | Going to summer camp is a rite of passage for many young people in the United States.

It offers a chance to have fun outdoors while making new friends away from home.

The international camp set in woods by a glittering lake in Otisfield, Maine, follows the same tradition but it also has a lofty ambition: to sow the seeds of peace in the Middle East.

Every year the youth organisation, Seeds of Peace, brings 340 teenagers to this remote site.

Most are from Israel, the Palestinian territories and other parts of the Arab world.

“Seeds of Peace is the best experience that ever happened to me,” says Nadia Tibi, 15, from Israel. “I’ve met people I never thought I would meet.”

As she speaks, Nadia stands arm-in-arm with Majdoline Shahed, a 17-year-old Palestinian from Jerusalem.

Together the teenagers shout in support of their team-mates competing on the playing field. They wear matching blue t-shirts and face-paint.

Opportunities to meet

For the past three weeks Nadia and Majdoline have slept in neighbouring bunk beds.

Each day they eat together, do joint activities and attend dialogue sessions with counsellors to discuss their experiences of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

“This is the only place that you can be with people from different cultures and countries and talk very honestly,” says Majdoline.

Seeds of Peace was set up by the late American journalist John Wallach in 1993.

He saw there were few opportunities for young Israelis and Palestinians to meet and believed this encouraged them to grow up seeing each other as enemies.

The camp has seen highs and lows reflecting progress and setbacks in the Middle East peace process.

The first 46 boys who travelled to Maine were together when news broke of the Oslo Accords.

“We were euphoric,” remembers co-founder, Bobbie Gottshalk.

“We thought the weight was off everyone’s shoulders and now we were just going to work on making the peace happen.”

The campers were invited to attend the signing ceremony in Washington after they impressed First Lady Hillary Clinton during a White House tour.

“Then things started to unravel.”

‘Nearly destroyed’

On Ms Gottshalk’s table in her cabin at the camp sits a photograph of Asel Asleh, a popular Arab-Israeli Seed.

He was shot dead by Israeli security forces at the start of the second Palestinian intifada in 2000.

“It nearly destroyed us,” she says. “But you know young people have a spirit about them, an optimism that just can’t be quelled that easily.”

Outside camp director Leslie Lewin speeds across the waterlogged grass in a golf cart on her way to inspect a rope course. Constant rain has been the latest challenge at the camp.

Yet Lewin is convinced the past three weeks will have a life-changing effect on the teenagers who are about to go home.

“For so many of these kids, coming here is what it took to hear the other side of the story.

“I think that this basic level exposure has a really strong impact on the future.”

Security restrictions make it hard for former Seeds in the West Bank and Gaza to meet Israelis they befriend at the camp in Maine.

But where possible, workers in the region arrange follow-up events and dialogue sessions.

“Things don’t end after you leave camp. Actually you have more to do when it finishes,” says Mirna Ansari, a second-year camper.

She has stayed in touch with an Israeli friend she met at camp two years ago through the Internet. The girl also visited her family in Ramallah.

“She really enjoyed it,” says Mirna.

“Now I do think that there will be peace between Israel and Palestine. If we as teenagers believe that, then when we grow up we will work on it.”

Read Yolande Knell’s article at BBC News »

17 Palestinians and Israelis graduate from Seeds of Peace facilitation program

Jun 5, 2009 / No Comments

JERUSALEM | Seeds of Peace’s second Facilitators Training Course concluded on June 5 with a graduation ceremony for the 17 young adult participants from Israel and Palestine who now join the pool of dedicated, highly-skilled professionals who are helping Seeds to bridge the gap of understanding created by the conflict.

Thanks to a generous grant from ExxonMobil, these 17 facilitators now have the skills they need to lead dialogue sessions between opposing parties. These skills will be useful to Seeds of Peace at the Camp in Maine as well as on-the-ground programs in the Middle East. In addition, other organizations bringing Israelis and Palestinians together for dialogue will also benefit from their expertise.

“This was a great learning experience,” said Leena, a 1996 Palestinian Seeds of Peace Graduate. “Not only did I learn the skills of group management, but I also got the chance to put myself in the place of the other participants, which helped me understand group dynamics in a better way.”

“I also enjoyed working with a group of committed people from different places and backgrounds, and that added a lot to the course,” she said. “The course is a perfect training opportunity for people who want to specialize in facilitating dialogue between young people in conflict situations, but these skills can also be useful in daily life.”

Course instructors Danny Metzl and Farhat Agbariyah led the participants through 15-months of classroom learning and practical field work. Nearly half of the graduates have already facilitated new campers in Maine, and the other half will be on the shores of Lake Pleasant this summer.

Most have already worked at cross-border meetings in the Middle East, including the Spring Seminar in Netanya this past April, which was the first meeting of Israeli and Palestinian Seeds since the war in Gaza.

Seeds of Peace launches summer sailing, dialogue program off the coast of Maine

May 4, 2011 / 1 Comment

OTISFIELD, MAINE | Seeds of Peace is launching a sailing program for Middle Eastern and American youth. It will combine peace-building and conflict resolution with the profound experience of life at sea. This summer, Seas of Peace will bring 12-15 Israeli, Palestinian and American teenagers together on a sailing vessel on the coast of Maine. This pioneer session will run from July 9-30, 2011.

The first ten days of the program will be spent learning to sail small boats in Casco Bay, Maine, and the remaining time spent living aboard a traditional 140 ft. schooner, The Spirit of South Carolina.

During both parts of the program, the sailing Seeds will engage in dialogue about who they are and where they come from, undergo leadership training, and discuss how to continue working for peace back home. While living aboard Spirit of South Carolina, they will learn to sail this larger vessel, learn celestial navigation and chart plotting, stand watch, cook for each other, care for and maintain the vessel, and eventually—working together—take command of the vessel.

“In choosing such an isolated environment as a sailing boat, we are challenging the participants to truly engage with one another—offering them no choice with whom they interact,” says program co-founder Monica Balanoff. “Since few Seeds will know about halyards or capstans, everyone will start out on an equal playing field.”

As the Seeds work together to navigate, stand watch and learn the ropes, so to speak, bonds will be built and a sense of pride will inevitably emerge as they slowly become a cohesive crew.

Program co-founder David Nutt, who like Balanoff has worked at Seeds of Peace as a counselor, grew up sailing. Both Nutt and Balanoff have completed circumnavigations of the globe at early ages, Nutt with his family, and Balanoff with the high school semester at sea program Class Afloat.

In a qualitative study, students who participated in Class Afloat identified empathy, team-work, cultural awareness, and intellectual curiosity as the top learning outcomes accomplished. It is these same outcomes that we hope to facilitate.

The participants in Seas of Peace will be chosen from the pool of campers who apply to return to Seeds of Peace as second-year campers. This allows Seeds of Peace to offer more opportunities for dedicated campers to continue to work across borders. It also ensures Seas of Peace can choose participants who have shown continued commitment to the mission of Seeds of Peace.

Opening the program to Seeds of Peace alumnae guarantees that everyone will come to this new program with a common experience and a common commitment to the mission of Seeds of Peace. It also allows the participants to return home to the regional programming that Seeds of Peace offers in the Middle East and United States.

Through this program, the sailing Seeds will have the opportunity to prove to each other and the world that peace is an attainable reality.

Maine Seeds participate in World Affairs Council summit on Citizen Diplomacy

Apr 11, 2014 / No Comments

PORTLAND, MAINE | On April 11, Maine Seeds joined the World Affairs Council (WAC) of Maine’s Summit on Citizen Diplomacy. The topic of this year’s summit was “Citizen Diplomacy through Education: Promoting Awareness, Networking, and Partnerships.” The event was a great opportunity for Seeds to share the work they do in the context of Seeds of Peace, and to network with other people invested in the field.

The Summit, which took place at the University of Southern Maine, was focused on four goals:

1. To increase awareness and understanding in Maine of citizen diplomacy and why it is important to individuals, institutions, and communities, as well as to increase understanding of education as an instrument of citizen diplomacy;
2. To generate enthusiasm for citizen diplomacy through education, thereby advancing global citizenship;
3. To build the capacity of Maine’s schools and international educational institutions to become more globally engaged, and to encourage partnerships, networking and cooperation among them; and
4. To showcase local initiatives in global education.

Seeds heard from the President of the World Affairs Council of Maine, Clifford Gilpin; from Harold Pachious, former Chairman of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy; and from Ed Gragert, Director of the Global Campaign for Education in the U.S.

Also presenting were representatives two citizen diplomacy grassroots non-profit organizations, Africa School House and Safe Passage, who spoke about founding, organizing, and implementing grassroots non-profits in rural Tanzania and urban Guatemala.

For Seeds, the opportunity to hear about the challenges and successes within these organizations and to ask questions was exceptional.

The second part of the day was focused on citizen diplomacy specifically as it relates to youth and student exchange. Students learned about cultural exchange programs in Maine and how schools are working towards building global perspectives in their classrooms.

Lisa Cronin, a participant in the Seeds of Peace Educators Course, and a teacher at Dexter Regional High School where she uses technology to connect her students to classrooms around the world, also presented to the group. She spoke about how Seeds of Peace opened doors for her students to engage in citizen diplomacy, as they connect to other Seeds of Peace educators and their classrooms worldwide.

Maine Seeds Program Director Tim Wilson was invited to speak regarding local initiatives in global education. He addressed what Seeds of Peace means in the context of Maine and the local community issues Seeds deal with. Speaking proudly, he shared how he’s seen schools transform as Seeds became more actively involved in the community.

As they networked with professional citizen-to-citizen diplomacy practitioners, Seeds came away from the day was insight into how to engage with the world, not just learn about it.

Seeds of Peace celebrates 21st year, honors Fareed Zakaria, impact of Seeds

May 9, 2014 / No Comments

NEW YORK | Seeds of Peace celebrated 21 years of empowering young leaders from conflict regions on May 8 in New York City.

The Spring Benefit Dinner honored journalist Fareed Zakaria, who received the John P. Wallach Peacemaker Award. Al Jazeera America anchor Ali Velshi hosted the event, held at 583 Park Avenue.

Secretary of State John Kerry opened the evening with a video message expressing his gratitude for the work of Seeds.

“Thanks to the work that you do, there are young people … who today express greater understanding, greater respect, greater trust, and greater empathy for one another. And not surprisingly, they also have a stronger commitment toward peace.”

Over 400 distinguished supporters, including the Palestinian and German Ambassadors to the United States, then heard directly from older Seeds about the impact they are making on their communities.

Sherife, a 2003 Egyptian Seed, spoke about the necessity of building peace. “Why bother trying to predict the future, when you can build it.”

Lior, a 1996 Israeli Seed who helps run the Palestinian-Israeli Peace NGO Forum, spoke about the impact of her Seeds of Peace experiences.

“Seeds of Peace was more than a fleeting experience for me—it was a turning point, an eye opener,” she said.

“It was the first brick upon which I have built my life journey, from a relatively uninvolved, sheltered—perhaps even naive—young girl, who went to Camp in Maine in 1996, to the peace activist I am today.”

A 2013 American Seed, Sydney, and a 2014 Palestinian Seed, Hussam, sang “Say Hello To the Field for Me,” a duet inspired by Rumi’s famous quote and first performed by them at the Seeds of Camp last summer.

Zakaria, who hosts CNN’s flagship foreign affairs show, spoke about people-led movements shaping the world.

“[W]hat is happening is happening because of the diffusion of knowledge, the march of technology and modernization, and a new generation that is being influenced by all of these things,” he said.

“And what is Seeds of Peace if not at the center of that entire process, trying to get this new generation to be empowered, to talk to one another, and to recognize that there is an enormous amount of commonality …”

VIDEO: SECRETARY KERRY, ALI VELSHI, FAREED ZAKARIA & SEEDS

 
PHOTOGRAPHS: 2014 SPRING BENEFIT DINNER

View the 2014 Spring Benefit Digital Journal »

Next goal for Seeds of Peace: Putting campers to work
Christian Science Monitor

Mar 10, 2015 / 3 Comments

Seeds of Peace, a US-based organization with over two decades of experience in the Middle East, is expanding to include a wider spectrum of actors.

DEAD SEA, JORDAN | This may not seem like a propitious time for peace in the Middle East.

But Seeds of Peace, which has become one of the region’s most recognized peace-building initiatives since hosting its first summer camp for Israeli and Palestinian teens in 1993, is seeking to expand its reach.

While the organization has yet to witness the spread of peaceful relations and treaties across the Middle East, it sees the maturing graduates of its camp program – more than 5,000 individuals – as an important resource to be tapped as it refines its goals. More than half of these graduates are moving into leadership roles in their respective fields.

The organization now hopes to empower them to transform a wide variety of sectors in conflict areas – from women’s rights to technological innovation. Such progress, say Seeds of Peace officials, is a crucial prerequisite to any comprehensive, sustainable peace.

“It’s not about signing a piece of paper,” says Eva Armour, head of programming for the New York-based organization. “The question is, do we have leaders who are working to advance political, economic, and social change in ways that contribute to peace-building? What’s brilliant is there’s actually lots of them.”

Attendees at a first-of-its-kind conference in Jordan last month, dubbed GATHER, ranged from Afghan deputy parliamentary speaker Fawzia Koofi to Palestinian computer engineer Hani El-Ser to Israeli activist Lior Finkel-Perl. The primary sponsors were two US-based foundations, Pershing Square and Ashoka.

The event launched a new stage in the work of Seeds of Peace, bringing together for the first time adult alumni from both the Israeli-Arab conflict and from India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. In addition, it reached out to like-minded folks working for social change; 48 percent of GATHER participants had no prior connection to the organization.

“We were more like a club before,” says Daniel Noah Moses, director of Seeds of Peace educator programs in the Middle East, South Asia, and the US. “The organization sees that … if we really want to make the change we say we want to make, we have to widen our reach.”

Cynicism after second intifada

The inaugural Seeds of Peace summer camp took place in the state of Maine in 1993. Participants were invited to the White House to witness the signing of the Oslo peace accords that September between Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Seeds of Peace rode that momentum of hope for years. But like myriad other peace-building initiatives that sprung up post-Oslo, they faced a backlash of cynicism when the second intifada broke out in 2000.

One of the first victims of the intifada was 17-year-old Asel Asleh, an Arab citizen of Israel and one of the organization’s most enthusiastic alumni, who was killed by an Israeli policeman on the sidelines of a protest. He died wearing his Seeds of Peace t-shirt.

“Some people say, ‘Look at all he was trying to do, and he was still killed, so this is worthless,’ ” says Ned Lazarus, Middle East program director from 1996-2004. “Others look at what he said and did, what he stood for in his life. He wrote some amazing things for 16-17 years old.”

Among them was a letter in which Asel intoned a Persian poet’s words: “Out beyond ideas of right-doing and wrong-doing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”

This past fall, one of Asel’s Jewish Israeli bunkmates, Tomer Perry, brought his wife – pregnant with their first child – to see camp for the first time. Under the brilliant red foliage, they found the cabin where Asel’s name was still inscribed over his bed. They chose it as the middle name for their son, who was born last month.

“Seeds of Peace has had a profound influence on my life in a variety of ways, and Asel was part of it,” says Mr. Perry, a PhD candidate in political science at Stanford.

To be sure, for many Seeds the initial enthusiasm of camp fades as they go back to work or their studies. But a University of Chicago study published in the fall found that Seeds who made just one lasting friend at camp retained a more positive view of the “other.”

Arguing with your society

Dr. Lazarus, who researched the long-term impact of Seeds of Peace for his PhD, found that more than 140 graduates – or about 1 in 5 – were working in various peace-building initiatives as adults, eight to 10 years after their summers at camp and despite living through the intifada, which killed more than 4,300 Israelis and Palestinians.

“Do you want to call that success or not? It’s up to you,” he says. “To take on this identity of someone working for peace is to decide to have arguments with your society every day of your life. It takes tremendous energy and commitment.”

Indeed, such individuals are in a minority. In Israel, for example, support for a two-state solution hit a record low this fall after the Gaza war, and leftists and peace activists have been marginalized – but not deterred.

“It’s not that I’m naïve.… I encounter the challenges and the risks of working together every day,” says Ms. Finkel-Perl, executive director at the Peace NGO Forum, who attended the Seeds camp in 1996 shortly after Prime Minister Rabin’s assassination by a right-wing Israeli.

Like the politician she hopes to become, she answers cynics of peace-building with a question of her own. “What is the alternative?”

Read Christa Case Bryant’s article at The Christian Science Monitor ››

Hoops stars to host clinic for campers from the South Asia, Middle East

Jul 28, 2015 / No Comments

OTISFIELD, MAINE | On August 5, professional basketball players will join 186 Seeds of Peace campers from the Middle East and South Asia on their journey to overcome legacies of conflict and courageously engage each other as a first step to creating change.

During the Play for Peace clinic, these young campers will get a break from their intense daily dialogue encounters and learn teamwork and hoops skills from some of the best basketball players and minds in the game, including Teresa Edwards, the Hall of Famer and WNBA legend, and Kelly Olynyk of the Boston Celtics.

A visit from world-class athletes and coaches will bring renewed energy to Camp as the players demonstrate leadership and teamwork skills on and off the field as they learn more about our campers and the challenges they face as they work for change.

This is the 13th year that Play for Peace has been organized by Seeds of Peace board member and former sports agent Arn Tellem, who now heads the Detroit Pistons front office. He will be joined by NBA Senior Vice President Charlie Rosenzweig.

“I am very proud to be associated with Seeds of Peace and the work they are doing around the world,” said Arn Tellem. “This is an incredible opportunity for these athletes to hear a wide range of perspectives directly from young people who will be at the forefront of creating change in their communities.”

Oliver Hanlan (Utah Jazz) will represent the 2015 NBA rookie class, and will be joined by two-time NBA Champion Matt Bonner (San Antonio Spurs) and Jake Cohen (Hapoel Jerusalem).

Retired NBA players in attendance this week include NBA Champion Brian Scalabrine (Boston Celtics), who is making his record ninth Play for Peace appearance, and Dwight Davis, who now serves as the National Basketball Retired Players Association Board of Directors Vice Chair.

“This the 13th year that NBA players have given the gift of their time, skills and support to our brave group of Seeds of Peace campers,” said Seeds of Peace Executive Director Leslie Lewin.

“Play for Peace validates the hard work we ask of our participants, gives them a short break from the difficult process of dialogue, and provides them with a sense of empowerment that will be felt far beyond the basketball court.”

Seeds of Peace inspires and cultivates new generations of leaders in communities divided by conflict. We equip them with the skills and relationships they need to accelerate social, economic, and political changes essential for peace.

VIDEO: 2022 Spring Benefit Dinner celebrates global community of changemakers

May 11, 2022 / No Comments

NEW YORK | It was an evening 1,106 days in the making, and a moment worth a pause.

“Let me just take it all in,” Bobbie Gottschalk said, looking at the two-dozen Seeds who had joined her onstage to receive the John P. Wallach Peacemaker Award at the 2022 Spring Benefit Dinner.

With an air of hope, homecoming, and purpose, the Seeds of Peace Spring Benefit Dinner returned on May 10, bringing together more than 200 alumni, supporters, and dignitaries for the first time since before the pandemic began.

View photos from the 2022 Spring Benefit Dinner ››

In addition to honoring Bobbie for 29 years (and counting!) of service to Seeds of Peace, the organization awarded its first Trailblazer Award to Jacqueline Novogratz of Acumen, who was, unfortunately, unable to attend the event in person after testing positive for COVID-19 just before the evening’s start.

It was a reminder that as the pandemic stretches on, there is no corner of the globe left untouched by conflict, injustice, or divisions over the past two-and-a-half years. And yet, despite the devastating impact, the more than 8,000 alumni of Seeds of Peace are standing as beacon of hope for a more just and inclusive future.

“It is that light that keeps me going. That light is why I am standing here,” said Amer Kamal, a 1997 Palestinian Seed who co-hosted the event with fellow board member Anna Tunkel, a 1995 Israeli Seed.

The duo stepped in for fellow Board Member Ali Velshi, who had to forgo hosting the event after he was called to report on the war in Ukraine for MSNBC. In doing so, Anna and Amer underscored that the idea of peace looks different today than when they were campers, and yet, Anna said: “the mission and work of Seeds of Peace is more relevant and urgent today than ever before.

“Skills of empathy, dialogue, cross-cultural understanding, embracing and celebrating differences are instilled in teens in Seeds of Peace programs … These skills are as relevant in classrooms as they are in boardrooms, political offices, arts and culture and media today. These skills help us build a more resilient, equitable, and just future.”

Throughout the evening, supporters were given glimpses of how Seeds of Peace is supporting young leaders to rise to the challenges of an increasingly divided and complex world. This included a preview of the Kitnay Duur, Kitnay Paas South Asia Film Project—a program funded by the U.S. State Department that brought together 42 young filmmakers in India and Pakistan to make eight films highlighting the two countries’ commonalities.

“This project is a testimony that artists need to be brought more into the loop when it comes to peacemaking,” said Haya Fatima Iqbal, an Academy Award-winning mentor on the project. “Often times we’re the people that will make you think about something crazy, and then will make you believe in something crazy, and then will make you do crazy things—crazy good things.”

The notion of change taking everyone—be it youth, or those who work in the arts, business, or any field—was a common theme throughout the night. Jacqueline Novogratz, who delivered her keynote speech virtually after learning just before the dinner that she had tested positive for COVID-19, called on the audience to continue doing their part to work for a world that is more just for all.

“Peace is the presence of human flourishing,” she said. “It starts with each of us asking not how rich, or how powerful or how famous I can be, but what am I doing today to instill another person with confidence. How can each of us every day think about giving back more to the world than we take?”

Representing the next chapter of Seeds of Peace, Danielle Whyte, a 2018 Seed from Maine and returning 2022 Camp staffer, said that she and her peers are aware of the steep divisions and challenges ahead, but through their Seeds of Peace experiences, are ready and able to begin leading that change.

“Seeds of Peace was where we turned our whispers for change into shouts,” she said. “It empowered us to see that we are radiant, that our voices were revolutionary, and that revolution is now.”

VIDEO: Time Out (Seeds of Peace)
National Basketball Association

Jan 18, 2018 / No Comments

This summer, current and former NBA and WNBA players, including two-time NBA Champion Matt Bonner (San Antonio Spurs), NBA Champion Brian Scalabrine (Boston Celtics), Sue Wicks (New York Liberty), and Ish Smith, Luke Kennard, and Henry Ellenson (Detroit Pistons), visited the Seeds of Peace Camp as part of the 15th Annual Play for Peace basketball clinic.