OTISFIELD, MAINE | Seeds of Peace will graduate its 5,000th young peacebuilder this summer from its International Camp in Otisfield.
On June 26, over 200 Afghan, American, Egyptian, Indian, Israeli, Jordanian, Pakistani, and Palestinian youth ages 14-17 will raise the Seeds of Peace flag to open the organization’s 39th session of Camp.
The flagraising ceremony will inaugurate a summer of dialogue and leadership development as campers engage across lines of conflict with people they once considered bitter enemies.
Among the campers are 32 Peer Supports—a select group of “Seeds” returning to Camp to engage in their own dialogue sessions that focus on individual growth and leadership skills.
During the second session of Camp, over 100 teenagers from across Maine as well as from Syracuse, New York, will come together to tackle intercommunal tensions in their states. The session will also bring together adult educators from the Middle East, South Asia, and the US to examine the role that the teaching of history plays in conflict settings.
Later this summer, 15 Israeli, Palestinian, and American Seeds will take to the high seas off the coast of Maine as part of Seas of Peace. The sailing and leadership dialogue program will take place in Otisfield and later aboard the 112-ft. traditional schooner, The Roseway, run by The World Ocean School.
Media interested in covering the June 26 flagraising ceremony in Otisfield should contact Tim Wilson at tim@seedsofpeace.org. Any other Seeds of Peace-related press inquires may be directed to Eric Kapenga at eric@seedsofpeace.org.