NEW YORK | Sixteen Seeds participated in gatherings in Chicago and Los Angeles to meet up, reflect on their past experiences, discuss future events, and become acquainted with the broader Seeds of Peace community in each city.
On October 30, 10 Seeds and two Seeds of Peace Camp counselors met up in Chicago. The event provided an opportunity to bring the 2016 Chicago Seeds together and introduce them to the broader Seeds of Peace community in Chicago.
During the first part of the event, the 2016 group reflected on experiences after Camp and discussed future program plans. During the second part, the Seeds held a dialogue circle and reflected on the transition home from Camp and what Seeds of Peace means to them as a community in Chicago.
“It was really beautiful to begin connecting the broader Seeds of Peace community in Chicago to our 2016 cohort,” said Sarah Brajtbord, Seeds of Peace’s US-Based Programs Manager.
“As we build the foundation for this U.S. Program in new cities, it is imperative to pull together the broader community that is there in meaningful ways. This felt like a really important first step to do that.”
Six Seeds from Los Angeles met up on November 6 at Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles. The group checked-in with each other, discussed their transitions home from Camp, and participated in a dialogue about what they want Seeds of Peace Los Angeles to look like.
They also talked about the different skills they want to learn, brainstormed direct action projects they could take, and named the support that they hoped to get and give to one another.
“Two of the Seeds are part of the Mayor’s Youth Council, another two go to an indigenous school that holds direct action as a core part of their school culture and are therefore frequently engaging in advocacy work, and another has started a Social Justice club in her school,” said Brajtbord.
“The group set a collective intention to include and bring in one another into their work.”