Senator George Mitchell to inaugurate series
NEW YORK | Seeds of Peace, the nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering leaders of the next generation to advance reconciliation and coexistence, will launch a high-level speaker series on negotiations in New York City.
The first forum will take place on Monday, April 19, 2004 and feature Senator George J. Mitchell, former U.S. Senator and the newly elected Chairman of the Board of The Walt Disney Company.
Announcement of the senior statesmen confirmed for the second forum will be made on April 19. Mitchell was selected to be the first speaker in this biannual series based on his outstanding career in negotiations and politics. As a key broker of the Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement and Chairman of the Sharm el-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee, no one is better positioned to delve into the complexities of the negotiation process.
Said Aaron David Miller, President of Seeds of Peace, “Senator Mitchell has a unique feel for both the theory and practice of negotiations, when they can work and when they cannot. He brings a rare insight and wisdom to a very complicated subject. As a long time supporter of Seeds of Peace, he understands the importance of negotiations to the extraordinary work we do with leaders of the next generation.”
Mitchell will be joined by Israeli and Palestinian alumni from the Seeds of Peace program who will have an opportunity to interact with him during the forum and to engage him on the substance of his presentation.
The Seeds of Peace Forum on Conflict and Diplomacy is an educational series that offers senior statesmen and negotiators the opportunity to discuss their views on and experiences with the theory and practice of diplomacy. Two lectures are planned for 2004, the second of which will be held on September 20.
Since 1993, Seeds of Peace has graduated over 2,500 teenagers from four conflict regions from its internationally recognized leadership program. Through its Camp in Maine, its Center for Coexistence in Jerusalem, international youth conferences, regional workshops, educational opportunities, and adult educator program, participants develop empathy, respect, and confidence as well as leadership, communication and negotiation skills, all critical components that will ensure peaceful coexistence for the next generation.
The Seeds of Peace Forum on Conflict and Diplomacy will be held at the University Club (One W. 54th Street at Fifth Avenue) at 6:45 p.m.