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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 »

Seeds of Peace to celebrate 20th summer of conflict transformation program

Jun 22, 2012 / 2 Comments

OTISFIELD, MAINE | Seeds of Peace is set to welcome young leaders from the Middle East, South Asia and the United States to the 20th season of the Seeds of Peace Camp.

Over 200 Afghan, American, Egyptian, Indian, Israeli, Jordanian, Pakistani, and Palestinian youth ages 14-17 will raise the Seeds of Peace flag on Wednesday, June 27 at 8:30 a.m. in Otisfield and open the largest-ever session of the Camp.

The flagraising ceremony will inaugurate a summer of dialogue, leadership development and community-building across national and cultural lines as the campers engage openly and critically with those whom they considered enemies.

Among the 210 Seeds are 32 Peer Supports—a select group of Seeds returning to Camp to engage in their own dialogue sessions with a focus on individual growth and specific leadership skills.

During the second session of Camp, close to 100 teenagers from across Maine as well as from Syracuse, New York will come together to tackle intercommunal tensions in their states.

Nearly half of this summer’s counselors and dialogue facilitators are former campers from the past two decades, and most of the Middle East dialogue facilitators are graduates of the Dialogue Facilitation and Conflict Transformation Course run by Seeds of Peace in Jerusalem.

Seeds of Peace has graduated over 5,000 Seeds and Educators from 27 nations since its founding in 1993. In addition to the Camp in Maine, year-round regional programs provide opportunities for Seeds to continue developing the skills necessary to advance peace within and between their societies.

This summer, Israeli, Palestinian and American Seeds will again return to the high seas off the coast of Maine as part of the Seas of Peace program, while in Ireland, 60 Seeds will examine approaches to international conflict resolution as part of the new “Game Changers” initiative.

Media interested in covering the flagraising ceremony on June 27 in Otisfield should contact Eric Kapenga at eric@seedsofpeace.org.

SESSION ONE PHOTOS

Seeds of Peace: Empowering the Next Generation of Super Women
Gender Across Borders

Jan 27, 2011 / No Comments

“We Are Super Women!” twelve young women from Israel, Palestine, India, and Pakistan shouted in unison while waving their paddles in the air.

BY KAELA FRANK | They were celebrating the arrival of the sixth, and final, canoe at the dock across the lake. Their words, jovial in nature, held a much deeper meaning. These brave young women traveled thousands of miles to spend three weeks at the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Otisfield, Maine in order to meet their “enemies” face-to-face for the first time.

Seeds of Peace is based on the premise that while treaties are negotiated by governments, peace is made by people. Every summer, more than 300 youth from the Middle East and South Asia come together for leadership training, intensive dialogue, and trust building activities. The founder of the organization, John Wallach, hoped that one day these inspired youth would become the leaders of their nations, committed to a vision of peaceful coexistence.

When Seeds of Peace began in 1993, the Egyptian government and the Palestinian authorities refused to send young women to a co-ed camp in the United States. This decision was reversed the following year thanks to the insistence of Barbara Streisand, who, after seeing the first 45 male campers on television at the signing of the Declaration of Principles, resolved to find a way for women to be a part of this incredible leadership opportunity. Her financial support allowed Seeds of Peace to build the appropriate co-ed facilities so that the camp could invite an equal number of young men and women to develop the leadership skills necessary to advance reconciliation and coexistence in their societies.

The understanding that women play a critical role in creating and sustaining peace at the civil society level has led Seeds of Peace to develop programs focusing on empowering women and building self-confidence. As a counselor at Seeds of Peace, I led the “Superwoman: Endurance Training” elective, which provided an opportunity for the young women to build physical and mental strength through running and canoeing. Many of the young women at Seeds of Peace come from societies where women don’t have the same opportunities as men to play sports, spending most of their time at home cooking and cleaning instead. The Israeli, Palestinian, Indian and Pakistani women participating in the “Superwoman” elective gained self-confidence by developing athletic skills and simultaneously grew to trust one another as they worked together to conquer physical challenges and later rejoiced together in their strengths and accomplishments.

The “Superwoman” elective also provided valuable opportunities for reflection: the young women discussed gender stereotypes in their societies, shared stories about their female role models, and dreamed about the types of leaders they wanted to be in the future. At Seeds of Peace these conversations happen intentionally in an open and supportive cross-cultural environment. The young women build relationships, based on their common dreams and values, which act as a foundation for future dialogue and efforts to resolve conflict.

The oldest Seeds of Peace graduates are now pioneers of peace. Asmaa, a Palestinian Bioengineer collaborates with Israeli doctors at Hadassah Medical Center. Noa, a former Seeds of Peace dialogue facilitator, now works as Department Director at the Peres Center for Peace. Raya works with the Palestinian Enterprise Development Project to facilitate collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian businesses, and Liav, former editor of the Knesset Television Channel, now produces international films. These women have the power to effect change in their communities by promoting coexistence, dialogue, and cooperation through their work.

Seeds of Peace views women as full economic participants at the center of efforts to transform regions of historic conflict into more stable and peaceful environments. In the fall of 2009, in partnership with the Center for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA) and with funding from Exxon Mobil’s Educating Women & Girls Initiative, Seeds of Peace launched the “Women’s Leadership Training Program for Greater Economic Participation.” Through this program, fifteen Seeds of Peace graduates gained professional skills in advocacy, community mobilization, project design and management. After studying models of successful women’s empowerment projects, the graduates designed their own detailed action plans and spent the next seven months applying their skills to real issues facing women in their communities.

Amit, a former camper and counselor at Seeds of Peace, received a grant from CEPDA to facilitate a Women’s Leadership and Gender Workshop for younger Seeds of Peace graduates. Other participants developed projects to train women in underdeveloped neighborhoods for workforce readiness or entrepreneurship. Through this program, Seeds of Peace not only furthered the cycle of women’s empowerment within Seeds of Peace, but also initiated outreach projects aimed at empowering other women in the community. In line with John Wallach’s vision, these young women have become true leaders in their society, prepared to think critically and develop creative solutions for a more just and peaceful world.

Kaela Frank worked as a counselor at the Seeds of Peace International Camp in the summer of 2009 and worked as an intern for Seeds of Peace Regional Programming in the Middle East in the summer of 2010.

Read the original article at Gender Across Borders »

Enduring seeds of hope
The Philadelphia Inquirer

Nov 28, 2010 / No Comments

As the Israeli-Palestinian peace process atrophies, so have contacts between Palestinians and Israeli Jews.

Palestinians used to visit Tel Aviv beaches and restaurants, while Israelis shopped in Nablus. Intellectuals from both sides lectured at each other’s universities.

Those links vanished after a second Palestinian intifada and the decline of the peace process. Gaza is closed, a fence cuts the West Bank off from Israel, and most Palestinians meet Israelis only at military checkpoints.

This separation widens the gulf of distrust between the two peoples, especially among the young. Meantime, Israel’s Arab citizens—20 percent of the population within the country’s 1967 borders—are increasingly alienated by discriminatory laws.

That’s why, on a recent trip to Israel and the West Bank, I sought out participants in Seeds of Peace, a visionary program that has brought Israelis and Palestinians together at a Maine summer camp for nearly two decades. I wanted to learn whether bonds forged during summer weeks could withstand the political strains of the last 10 years. What I discovered is both hopeful and sad.

Ruba Huleihel and Alina Shkolnikov are as unlikely a pair of best friends as you could meet in Israel. Ruba is an Arab citizen of Israel whose grandparents’ village was destroyed during Israel’s 1948 war of independence. Alina emigrated from Ukraine to Israel with her family as a toddler.

Both young women are undergraduates at the elite Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya; they have been tight since Seeds camp in 2002.

I met them in a spartan student apartment off campus. “Seeds is a shocking experience,” Alina told me. “People talked about how it was to live in Gaza.” One boy related how his teenage cousin had been shot by Israeli police during a riot at the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, and died in his arms. “Every one of us cried,” she said.

When Alina learned that Ruba went to the same mall and liked the same music she did, she was stunned. “The image [of Arabs] in Israeli society is of religious fanatics,” she said. Seeds taught Ruba how to react to other people’s opinions “in a way that is not emotional. I can look and think from the outside.”

Alina dumped a boyfriend whose brother told her that Ruba would kill her, and Ruba ignores Arab acquaintances who say her friendship with Alina is unrealistic.

Both struggle to separate their personal bond from the worsening political situation. It bothered Ruba when Alina went to do her compulsory military service (army duty often causes friction between Israeli and Palestinian Seeds). Now a reservist in the army spokesman’s office, Alina had to get permission to maintain contact with Ruba.

But the Israeli Seed still believes the organization can affect politics in the future. “The role of Seeds,” she says, “is to create leaders who have friends on both sides—unlike the current leaders, who can’t feel the pain on the other side.”

Ruba is less hopeful. “I study conflict resolution,” she says, “and the ‘hummus-falafel’ approach to resolving conflicts says you must concentrate on building personal relationships. But at the end we have a political problem to solve.”

The disconnect between the personal and the political is felt even more directly by Seeds on the West Bank. Rasha Mukbil, a 1999 Seed, works in Ramallah with Stars of Hope, a Palestinian organization empowering women with disabilities.

“My generation lived the struggle but never talked about it, never talked about the humiliation at [Israeli] checkpoints. But there I was [at Seeds camp] telling stories and crying all the time,” she said.

Shortly after Rasha returned to the West Bank, the second intifada broke out and she entered a nightmare. “I was living in Hebron to be nearer to my school, and every night we were attacked by shooting [as Israelis fired at Palestinian fighters nearby]. My mom ran around me to try to catch the bullets before they hit me.”

At that time, she felt she “had betrayed my country by being with Seeds. Israeli Seeds go to the army and could be shooting at me.” But then, an Israeli friend from camp called her, frantically asking, “Is there anything I can do?”

“It gave me hope,” Rasha said. “She never called me a terrorist, nor me her. We still talk.”

But Rasha can’t get a permit to enter Israel to see her friend. Nor can her Jewish friend visit her in Ramallah. This lack of physical contact undermines friendships, although Seeds organizers can sometimes get permits for large reunions in Jerusalem.

Some Seeds want the organization to become more political, but others say this would wreck the program. “Most Palestinians who go [to Seeds camp] have mixed feelings, Rasha said. “You feel you didn’t change any public opinion in Israel. You didn’t achieve anything.”

Yet Rasha’s extraordinary family continues to be involved with Seeds. Her father, Ismail Mukbil, a respected English teacher and school principal, urged her and her older sister Bushra to attend the camp in the 1990s, although his relatives criticized him sharply.

“I supported the idea because it was a way to open the minds of kids,” he told me in his family’s comfortable rowhouse in the Al-Arroub refugee camp near Hebron. “It was a way to encourage them to find a way to solve the problem in 10 to 20 years.” By then, he dreamed, Seeds graduates would be running Israel and Palestine.

His dream was all the more striking because his family members were 1948 refugees from within current-day Israel. More recently, he was forced to leave East Jerusalem—where he was principal of Al Ummah College—because Israeli officials wouldn’t grant his family residence permits.

It was easier to be optimistic when Mukbil got involved with Seeds, just after the Oslo peace process began in 1993: “We had twinning of schools, we met teachers, we exchanged visits. It was a good opportunity to build trust.”

“These days, to tell the truth, we are not very encouraged,” he admitted. He hasn’t been able to get a permit to visit his two brothers in Jerusalem for the last 10 years, nor can he and Israeli friends from Seeds visit each other. However, he won’t give up: he was a Palestinian delegation leader to Seeds camp in 2007, 2009, and 2010.

He still ponders how to organize new Seeds workshops for children, and he wishes the Palestinian Authority would openly support the Seeds program to silence those who criticize any cooperation with Israelis.

And he still hopes personal contacts made by Seeds will one day morph into political progress. But it is getting much harder to hold on to the dream.

Read Trudy Rubin’s article at The Philadelphia Inquirer »

Seeds of Peace to host second session with delegates from Middle East, Maine

Jul 19, 2010 / No Comments

OTISFIELD, MAINE | The second session of the 2010 summer begins at the Seeds of Peace Camp on Wednesday, July 21.

Egyptian, Israeli, Jordanian, Palestinian and American teens will open the Camp’s 46th session in 18 years with a flagraising ceremony at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Each delegation will sing its national anthem while raising its flag, and the hour-long ceremony will conclude with the raising of the Seeds of Peace flag.

The first session of the summer ended last week, and this second group of campers will be in Maine until August 9. Among the 155 participants, 32 are teens from Maine. The Maine Seeds program, now in its 10th year, aims to address racial and socioeconomic tensions between various local communities.

During the session, Seeds of Peace will host the 9th Annual Play for Peace program, during which professional athletes will conduct a sports clinic for the campers. Organized by sports agent Arn Tellem, Play for Peace has provided an opportunity for Seeds to learn more about the values of teamwork and cooperation.

Since 1993, Seeds of Peace has graduated well over 4,000 teenagers from five conflict regions from its internationally-recognized leadership program. Through its Camp in Maine and regional 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.

Seeds of Peace to kick off 18th summer with delegations from Middle East, South Asia, United States and Maine

Jun 16, 2010 / No Comments

OTISFIELD, MAINE | Over 150 Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian, Egyptian, Indian, Pakistani, Afghan and American youth will open Seeds of Peace’s 18th season with a unifying flagraising ceremony at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 24, at the Seeds of Peace Camp in Otisfield, Maine.

Each delegation will sing its national anthem, and the hour-long ceremony will conclude with the Seeds of Peace anthem and raising of the Seeds of Peace flag.

Leslie Lewin, Seeds of Peace Executive Director, and Tim Wilson, Director Emeritus of the Seeds of Peace Camp, will deliver opening remarks, followed by addresses from representatives of each delegation.

The delegations, along with their adult leaders, are arriving in Maine against the backdrop of continuing violence in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

As in years past, many of the Camp’s trained facilitators will be Israeli and Palestinian Seeds alumni who have graduated from a professional mediation and conflict management course run by Seeds of Peace in Jerusalem. The first Camp session runs from June 24 until July 13. After the first session, the South Asian delegation will participate in a special trip to Washington, D.C., to meet with US State Department officials and political leaders on Capitol Hill. A second session of the Camp with over 150 delegates from the Middle East and the Maine Seeds Program will run from July 19 to August 9.

Since 1993, Seeds of Peace has graduated over 4,000 teenagers from four conflict regions from its internationally-recognized leadership program. Through its Camp in Maine, 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.

Our mission is made possible by our sponsors and countless donors and benefactors. We are especially excited by our recent partnership with Kiss My Face, the leading natural personal care company, as we both share the goal of ultimately helping people be as good as they can be and spread the message to future generations whether it be of peace or promoting a greener/healthier planet.

I am a Seed of Peace
The Yale Globalist

Oct 26, 2009 / No Comments

A 17-year-old Palestinian Israeli citizen named Asel Asleh is shot point blank by an Israeli policeman in an olive grove. He is buried in the green shirt he was wearing when he was killed, emblazoned with a silhouette of three people holding hands, leaving behind them three intertwined olive branches. It is the symbol of Seeds of Peace.

Seeds of Peace is an organization that brings teenagers from conflict regions all over the world to a summer camp in Maine to engage their presupposed enemies in political dialogue and see that they laugh, cry, and love alike. During my summer as a camper at Seeds of Peace in 2004, I was told the story of Asel, one of the most active “Seeds” to have ever graduated the program, and decided to set his favorite poem to music as a tribute. In the summer of 2007, while studying in Israel, I visited the Asleh family to share the music I had written for their son. Though they appreciated my visit, they showed no reaction to my music whatsoever. I left disheartened, but with a new resolve: to figure out how I could effectively use music for the cause of peace.

My opportunity came this summer as I returned to Seeds of Peace as a music counselor. Though the campers who attend arrive with mutually antagonistic identities and histories — indeed, they are carefully selected by their governments for their ability to defend national policy — every camper is welcomed as a new “Seed of Peace.” As Seeds, the campers can engage each other in dialogue about the issues that divide them, as well as develop friendships in the bunks and on the sports-fields, without betraying their identities back home.

Music is a powerful way that campers express their new identity. From the moment they first arrive, they are welcomed with a vibrant celebration of drumming and dancing, which many instinctively join. At the official beginning of camp, each delegation proudly raises its flag and sings its national anthem at the camp gates; but to finish the ceremony, the Seeds of Peace flag is raised and everyone joins hands to sing “I am a Seed of Peace.” As Elizabeth, an American Seed, put it, “Everyone has their national anthem, and they’re really proud of it, so if you sing the Seeds of Peace anthem, then everyone’s proud of the same thing.” When they sing together about their common experience as children of conflict, divisions begin to fade. “It unites us all,” affirmed Cameel, a Palestinian Seed. “Music involves everyone.”

Even for those who feel excluded at camp, music can make remarkable progress. Amir, an Arab citizen of Israel who felt caught in-between the Israeli and Arab spheres, lashed out by making trouble. But when his peers began to help him synchronize his beat with their own in a musical ensemble I led, his behavior changed completely. He began to take pride in the group’s performance as an achievement that belonged not only to others, but to him as well.

It is people’s investment in music that makes it powerful. Asel Asleh’s death meant something completely different to his parents, Palestinians, than it did to me, who had been inspired by him as a Seed of Peace. Moreover, my choral piece was written in a musical language they did not understand. But when music becomes a component of cross-cultural identity formation, it can be used to facilitate the expression of that community and empower its members. Even Seeds from Gaza, the region most hard-hit by recent violence, asked to be taught the Seeds of Peace song, because for them, it was a way to show the rest of camp that they were Seeds too.

As I return to Yale this fall to lead community sings, musical gatherings open to Yale students and New Haven residents, I intend to use music to bring a different group of strangers together. Through music, I hope that they too will be able to express their creativity and positive, communal resolve. Maybe they too will start to perform what we all want to hear: the harmony that will lead to a better world.

Micah Hendler is a junior Music and International Studies major in Calhoun College.

Read Micah Hendler’s article in the Yale Globalist »

VIDEO: Camp news, praise from Hillary Clinton | Newsletter

Jul 30, 2009 / No Comments

Nearly 150 new Seeds graduate from Camp

As they entered the front gate, the Seeds of Peace flag was raised to signal the beginning of their intense three-week long leadership training and conflict resolution program. Inside the gate, a new common identity was born among diverse national and religious backgrounds. When they departed on July 13th, they left as friends, empowered to lead their communities in the Middle East and South Asia toward the possibility of peaceful coexistence.

It was not an easy, quick or painless process. Campers described it as “intense,” “sobering” and “very worthwhile.” In dialogue sessions, early shouting gave way to an ability to listen to opposing viewpoints. Slowly and through hard work with each other and themselves, Israelis and Palestinians learned to communicate about divisive issues that shape their lives back home—borders, refugees, water, Jerusalem, and much more. For the first time in their young lives, instead of talking at their supposed enemies they began to engage in conversations—however heated—with their friends.

Read the full article »

Secretary Clinton praises Seeds of Peace during first trip to India

In a major speech delivered in New Delhi, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said: “I know that there are Indian and Pakistani members of Seeds of Peace in the audience today, who are working to transcend historic divides and begin to plant the seeds, however small, of understanding.”

Shayam Kapadia, a young Seed, stood up to ask Secretary Clinton a question during the Q&A session: “How do you view the role and how your administration will encourage youth and nongovernmental organization in promoting peace and democracy, as well on the other hand as combating extremism in the region?”

Secretary Clinton responded, “It’s a wonderful question, and thank you for participating in Seeds of Peace. I think it’s very courageous for Indian and Pakistani young people to sort of take that step to listen to each other, to talk to each other.

Read the full article »

Watch Seeds react to Clinton’s speech:

Gov. Jon Corzine, ExxonMobil accept 2009 Peacemaker Awards

ExxonMobil also accepted the 2009 Corporate Peacemaker Award for their dedication to peace through women’s economic empowerment. All proceeds from the evening went directly to support scholarships for young people from the Middle East and South Asia to attend the Camp in Maine.

The event was chaired by Jane Toll and Janet Wallach, longstanding members of the Board of Directors. Led by Jane and Janet, the event brought together over 325 leaders in philanthropy, business, government, nonprofit and media. At each table sat a Seed graduate—young men and women who have experienced conflict first-hand and have committed to making peaceful and lasting coexistence possible in their home communities. Throughout the event, Seeds spoke individually with guests about the impact of their training through Seeds of Peace on their own lives and the communities in which they live.

Former President Bill Clinton served as Honorary Chairman of the Benefit Dinner and opened the evening with a video message about his reasons for supporting Seeds of Peace. “I have supported this organization since 1993 when John Wallach brought 46 young Israeli, Palestinian, and Egyptian Seeds to the White House to join me for the signing of the Peace Accords,” said President Clinton. He continued, “Programs on the ground in the Middle East and South Asia continue to support these young people in their development as leaders. Now more than ever, I ask that you support them.”

The former President went on to thank those in attendance for supporting Seeds of Peace, especially during difficult economic times, and urged them not to let their commitment to peace waver.

In his remarks, Governor Corzine said, “there is nothing more important in this world than bringing people of all backgrounds together to recognize our common humanity.”

ExxonMobil was awarded the 2009 Corporate Peacemaker Award. Through its Educating Women and Girls Initiative, ExxonMobil supports Seeds of Peace’s Women’s Leadership for Greater Economic Participation Program. This innovative training is a partnership with the Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA). Thanks to Todd Street Productions, a short video of the program’s impact is available here:

US Department of State welcomes Seeds of Peace in Washington, D.C.

Seeds visited D.C from July 14th-16th and completed visits at the State Department and the Afghan, Indian and Pakistani Embassies.

The visit provided South Asian Seeds with a valuable opportunity to witness diplomacy in action. The core tenet of the Seeds of Peace program is that dialogue—not violence—is the only viable means of conflict resolution. This trip provided the Seeds with a unique chance to see the official representatives of their home countries putting this ideal to work at the highest level of international diplomacy.

Seeds were hosted by Ambassador Robert Blake, Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, at an impressive reception held at the State Department.

Read the full article »

Seeds, staff and board members ring NASDAQ stock market opening bell

In recognition of the impact of Seeds of Peace’s unique leadership training and conflict resolution programs and in honor of the nearly 4,000 young ‘Seeds’ working to create more peaceful communities around the world, Seeds of Peace rang the opening bell of the NASDAQ Stock Market on May 26th.

NASDAQ Vice President David Wicks welcomed Seeds of Peace, “NASDAQ salutes the accomplishments of Seeds of Peace and applauds your continued commitment to empower today’s young leaders and we hope that today’s market open brings further awareness to these efforts.”

Richard Berman, Chairman of the Board of Directors, thanked Mr. Wicks saying, “This is truly a great day for Seeds of Peace. NASDAQ is the future. We think peace is the future. We see our work with our students and with our Seeds to be the core of the grassroots effort necessary to make the difference and, in the end, to have peace. We talk about sort of treaties and all being made by government but peace is really about humanity working with humanity to make a more just, a more compassionate, a more caring world.”

Richard Berman and David Wicks were joined by young Seeds from the American delegation along with staff and members of the Board of Directors, David Avital, Sebastian Stubbe and David Strasser. The opening bell ceremony was viewed by millions of people around the world and carried live by dozens of domestic and international news stations.

View photos and watch event video »

To make a tax-deductible contribution to Seeds of Peace, click here.

147 young leaders graduate from first session of Seeds of Peace Camp

Jul 13, 2009 / No Comments

OTISFIELD, MAINE | On June 22, 147 young Afghan, Egyptian, Indian, Israeli, Jordanian, Pakistani, Palestinian, and American leaders arrived in Otisfield, Maine, to participate in the 17th summer season of the Seeds of Peace Camp.

As they entered the front gate, the Seeds of Peace flag was raised to signal the beginning of their intense three-week-long leadership training and conflict resolution program. Inside the gate, a new common identity was born among diverse national and religious backgrounds. When they departed on July 13, they left as friends, empowered to lead their communities in the Middle East and South Asia toward the possibility of peaceful coexistence.

It was not an easy, quick or painless process. Campers described it as “intense”, “sobering” and “very worthwhile.” In dialogue sessions, early shouting gave way to an ability to listen to opposing viewpoints. Slowly and through hard work with each other and themselves, Israelis and Palestinians learned to communicate about divisive issues that shape their lives back home: borders, refugees, water, Jerusalem, and much more. For the first time in their young lives, instead of talking at their supposed enemies, they began to engage in conversations—however heated—with their friends.

Outside the dialogue sessions, Camp staff used sports, arts, entertainment and even religion to reinforce bonds of trust, respect and compassion. The Ropes Course forced young Indians and Pakistanis to rely on each other for balance—if one person falls off the rope, so does the other. Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Hindu religious services were open for all to observe, allowing all campers to gain a deeper appreciation for the unique differences as well as the commonality of all spiritual traditions.

During the final days of the session, campers passed the relay wand from hand to hand during Color Games. They worked as teams across nationalities and religions to produce original works of art, music, and dance, incorporating elements of each delegation’s unique background and culture. They admired the colorful traditional clothes of the Afghans and the rhythmic pounding of the tabla drum by the Jordanians. Campers watched the Indian delegation perform traditional dance steps at the talent show and were in awe when they reached out to the Pakistani delegation to join them onstage.

In the words of a Pakistani camper, Ghulam Zain, “Despite my will to stick to my views, I was compelled, not by any individual, not by the camp, but by the experience to look at the bigger picture. Seeds of Peace opened a new door in my life—and I personally feel like seeds of peace have been sown in my own personality.”

These young leaders have returned to the Middle East and South Asia. Seeds of Peace continues to support the next stage in their development as peacemakers through innovative programming and field offices around the world.

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Dossier de Presse, Conference de Presse

Dec 19, 2006 / No Comments

PARIS | Marithé + François Girbaud a récemment dénoncé la guerre. Cette approche n’était pas opportuniste mais s’inscrivait dans une stratégie à long terme tournée vers l’adulte conscient de l’actualité et de l’avenir de la planète. Aujourd’hui ils parlent de reconstruction, d’ouverture, de partage et d’échange avec une communication qui parle aux plus raisonnables, aux enfants de demain qui vont grandir dans un monde de plus en plus

“OPEN SPACE”

Cette stratégie s’inscrit dans la communication médias et hors médias, les magasins et sur internet. Shooting Eté 2007 : une dizaine de jeunes d’origines ou de nationalités israélienne, libanaise, pakistanaise, sri-lankaise, rwandaise, ivoirienne, tibétaine, etc… s’est réunie aux studios d’Aubervilliers pour donner vie au discours de la marque et mettre en scène les vêtements de demain, ceux qu’ils ont envie de porter aujourd’hui et dans leur futur proche d’adulte. Ils sont l’espoir pour avancer vers d’autres lendemains et se doivent de donner une belle représentation de l’avenir. Ils sèment les graines de la paix sous l’objectif de Jackie Nickerson*.

Pour renforcer et donner davantage de profondeur au discours de la marque un rapprochement avec l’Association « Seeds of Peace » (SoP) s’est imposé. Cette organisation créée en 1993 par le journaliste américain John Wallach, soutenue par des personnalités comme Bill Clinton, Noor de Jordanie ou Shimon Perès a mis en place un processus pour insuffler des graines de paix dans le cœur d’adolescents vivant dans des pays essentiellement du Moyen Orient en conflit depuis leur naissance. Etablir un dialogue et démontrer que les jeunes de tous les pays sont nourris par les mêmes aspirations avec une volonté de s’épanouir et de construire les fondations d’une vie à venir dans la paix, tel est l’objectif de SoP. Marithé + François Girbaud s’est engagé à soutenir cette démarche, à associer à leur communication SoP, à mettre leur talent au service de l’association en créant les outils de merchandising. SoP sera présent sur des événements organisés dans les points de vente de New-York, Paris et Tokyo et s’intégrera naturellement dans les campagnes futures.

* Jackie Nickerson, une anglo/américaine née à Boston mais habitant à Londres. 5 ans d’expérience dans l’univers de la mode pour ensuite travailler sur ses propres projets (en 2002 sort le livre « Farm » qui montre des agriculteurs d’Afrique du Sud dans toute leur beauté). Elle collabore régulièrement avec le New York Times et pour la 3ème fois avec Marithé et François Girbaud.