Seeds of Peace in Action | Fall 2022

SUMMER OF IMPACT’ REACHES OVER 600 CHANGEMAKERS

A time that challenged Seeds of Peace staff and alumni to dig deeper, think bigger, and go further than many had before, and, as always, youth from every region where we work stepped up to meet the challenge.

Over 600 young leaders participated in one or more of nearly two-dozen programs offered in May through August around the world—from D.C. to Dubai, Cincinnati to Cyprus. (Read more about them in these pages.) Each one came with a purpose, a passion, a curiosity, and above all, a hope that things can be different, and that in small and big ways, they each can be a part of making a difference.

As Seeds of Peace enters its 30th anniversary, we’re excited to build on the momentum of this Summer of Impact with programs that expand our impact, as well as opportunities to celebrate and connect our community.

You can keep up on the latest news by joining our email list at seedsofpeace.org/signup, and following @seedsofpeace on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

DIFFERENCES SHINE AMONG U.S. YOUTH AT CAMP

OTISFIELD, MAINE | They came from quiet, rural towns, tony suburbs, and dense bustling cities, each carrying a wide range of beliefs, ideas, and lived experiences.

At a time when differences seem to be pushing Americans further and further apart, the differences were exactly what made the 2022 Seeds of Peace Camp meaningful to campers like Nicole, who attended the second session of Camp as

part of a new Houston delegation.

“Hearing about how different people address different problems in their schools, how they live their lives in a different part of the country, and their opinions on different things—I think it’s just made me like broaden my mindset on different people,” she said. “It made me realize how different we really can be, but also how similar we can be.”

FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE

Developing courageous leaders who work to create more just and inclusive societies

CAMP IN MAINE

Campers dug into the issues that are dividing the U.S. and how to work to bridge them at home.

42 Seeds from around the world gained advocacy skills in Washington, D.C.

After a two-year hiatus, Middle East multinational dialogue resumed in August in Cyprus.

IT WAS A SUMMER OF BUILDING BRIDGES, LEADERSHIP SKILLS, AND COMMUNITY.

LOBBYING FOR CHANGE IN D.C.

POLICY AND ADVOCACY PROGRAM

FOR 42 MIDDLE EAST, SOUTH ASIA, US SEEDS

WASHINGTON, D.C. | At one of the world’s biggest crossroads of power and influence, 42 Seeds ages 18-25 traveled from around the world this summer to attend the first Seeds of Peace Global Institute, an advocacy and policy intensive in Washington, D.C.

Hailing from India, Israel, Pakistan, Palestine, and the U.S., they included young entrepreneurs and filmmakers, and students studying law, medicine, theater, international policy, and economics.

Over the course of two weeks they took workshops to learn how to tell their stories and effectively advocate for change. They took feedback and inspiration from journalists at the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and Reuters. They sharpened their skills as communicators and advo cates at places like APCO World wide, Boston Consulting Group, the NFL Players Association, and the United States Institute of Peace.

They shared their experiences and views with key policymakers, diplomats, and legislators like Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, and Amb. Katherine Tai, a member of the Biden cabinet—all the while underscoring that the big decisions of the world need youth voices at the table, and that Seeds hold unique perspectives.

“I’m learning how to create change, how to advocate, how to realize projects in my communities,” said Peleg, a 2019 Israeli Seed and classically trained musician who hopes to ease tensions between Ashkenazi and Mizrahi Jews in his neighborhood by working with his local government to start a music program for children. “It makes me feel like I can be a part of change.”

Stay tuned for updates and applications for the 2023 Global Institute: seedsofpeace.org/ globalinstitute.

BUILDING SOLIDARITY IN CYPRUS

CYPRUS | Some were anxious. Some couldn’t wait to tell the “other” what they thought. And some weren’t sure they should be there at all. After nearly a year of work in Core Leadership Programs, 32 Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian Seeds came together in August for MEET in Cyprus, the first Seeds of Peace multinational youth dialogue program in more than two years.

Joined by five youth from Cyprus and Egypt, they took part in twicedaily dialogue sessions, a special field trip, group challenges, and teambuilding work designed to deepen their understanding of one another, of conflict, and of their responsibility—and ability—to change its course.

It had the markings of the most impactful Seeds of Peace programs, but in many ways, was an evolution of how the organization brings youth together.

“At Camp, the youth came in a clean slate, whereas these kids had already done many months of work building their skills with their local teams, so they’re coming in at a whole different level,” said Claire Dibsy Ayed, Seeds of Peace Chief of Legal and Business Affairs, Palestine, and a lead organizer of the Cyprus program.

In a tour of Nicosia led by Cypriot alumni, participants saw checkpoints along the Greek-Turkish border and ventured within the ghostly quiet UN Buffer Zone. Topics in dialogue sessions ranged from gender and human rights, to identifying

with certain groups and national histories, to the impact of inherited memories, to challenging master narratives.

— ADEEM (PALESTINIAN SEED)

By the end of the week, many said they were leaving with a feeling of relief: to have gotten things off their chest, to have heard from others who share their struggles, and to learn that there are those on the other side who want to make change.

“This was an opportunity to widen the lens of what the kids see—to understand that there’s more to the struggle than their own reality,” said Monica Baky, an Egyptian Seed and Multinational Dialogue Programs Director. “It’s not so much about making friends, but building solidarity, understanding the nuance of this work, and inspiring a desire to continue.”

“As the week went on I could see people started to understand my perspective and I could understand theirs. I now see how dialogue could help us have a more successful generation, and at least more understanding.”

MULTINATIONAL

REGIONAL ROUNDUP

UNITED STATES

KIDS4PEACE-CINCINNATI BUILDS BRIDGES THROUGH INTERFAITH CAMP

CINCINNATI | Designed by youth (grades 9-12) for slightly younger youth (grades 5-8), this camp in August focused on skills like listening and teambuilding while chipping away at the walls that often stand between religious groups.

Each day of the five-day camp gave participants the chance to visit a different center of worship—Bahá’í, Christian, Islamic, and Jewish—talk with their faith leaders, and develop a more intimate understanding of what it means to be a part of that community.

“The goal is to bring together kids of different backgrounds to help them be friends, or at the least help them to listen to one another, seek understanding, and build empathy,” said Adam Hayden, Senior Coordinator of U.S. Programs.

Part of what makes Interfaith Harmony Camp unique is who leads it: A team of passionate high school leaders who themselves participated in the same programs just five or six years earlier.

“I loved what they were doing because I myself felt so accepted, and I wanted other people to feel that way as well. I wanted to carry it on,” said Shahnaz, a 17-year-old youth leader.

The 2023 Interfaith Camp is scheduled for July 31-August 4; learn more at k4p.org/cincinnati.

MIDDLE EAST

KIDS4PEACE JOINS JERUSALEM YOUTH CHORUS FOR SONG SUMMER CAMP

JERUSALEM | Music served as a cultural bridge at this weeklong camp, implemented by Kids4Peace and the Jerusalem Youth Chorus— which was founded by 2002 American Seed Micah Hendler— and supported by B8ofHope and the Jerusalem Foundation.

Designed for youth ages 11-18, the July program featured meaningful dialogue activities, singing, chorus, and songwriting workshops.

Each day also offered a chance to explore a different type of musical style and instruments, including the Arabic oud and flute, African drumming, jazz, and even Aboriginal music from Australia.

The camp culminated with a concert where participants performed the music they had leaned in Arabic, Hebrew, and English.

SOUTH ASIA

FILMS SERVE AS CULTURAL CONNECTOR IN SOUTH ASIA

MUMBAI & KARACHI | Funded by the U.S. State Department, the Kitnay Duur Kitnay Paas (So Far, So Close) film project brought together 42 young and emerging filmmakers from India and Pakistan to use the latest technologies to promote a message of friendship and unity.

Through COVID lockdowns, delays, and technical challenges, eight

cross-border teams wrote, edited, and filmed eight short films entirely remotely.

Mentoring the filmmakers along the way were three film experts: Haya Fatima Iqbal, an Academy Award-winning documentary film maker based in Pakistan; Sankalp Meshram, a five-time National Award-winning filmmaker in India; and Marcus Goldbas (2007 Amer ican Seed) an instructor and multi media producer at the University of Virginia and co-founder/technical director of Nite4Nite Productions.

In June, the films had simultaneous premiers in Karachi and Mumbai, and in July, the filmmakers finally

had the chance to meet one another in person at a Seeds of Peace workshop in Dubai.

The videos have since collectively received over one million views on YouTube, and several have been selected for national and international film festivals around the world.

“The success of KDKP shows that if you create such platforms where people can interact, if you let people talk to each other, if you bring people closer together, magic will happen,” said Sankalp.

Learn more at kitnayduurkitnaypaas.com.

— SOHA AGE 16, PAKISTAN

DIFFERENCES SHINE AMONG UNITED STATES YOUTH AT CAMP

Over 130 young leaders from the U.S. attended one of two sessions this summer. When COVID-19 and vaccination access in early 2022 limited the ability to host international students at Camp in Maine, the summer became an opportunity to delve deeper into the root issues behind an increasingly divided United States. The first session was for youth from Maine, and the second was for those from all across the U.S., including Boston, California, Syracuse, the New York City and Washington, D.C., metroplexes, as well as new (and renewed) delegations from the South and Midwest, including Chicago, Detroit, and Houston.

“One of the deep beliefs that we have as an or ganization is that the problems of our world re quire all of us working together across divides,” said Executive Director Josh Thomas. “We’re really committed to help make this a place where young people from rural communities and big cities, whose parents vote Republican and Democrat, who come from families of all kinds and all socioeconomic backgrounds, all have a place here at Seeds of Peace.”

For some youth, this meant the opportunity to engage in conversations in ways that they rarely see done well—or at all—in the outside world.

“I think the biggest thing I’m taking away is the understanding that everybody comes from differ ent places, they have different backgrounds and

different perspectives, and to basically accept the fact that not everybody’s going agree with you,” said Jasmine, a camper from Detroit. “But even though everyone is different, that doesn’t mean you can’t communicate with that person or befriend them.”

Be it playing a sport, trying a new activity like gardening, engaging in facilitated dialogue, or learning a new teambuilding skill, each day offered campers the opportunity to grow, challenge themselves, and to better understand themselves and one another. “I know now that

me being talkative can be a positive. I can team up with my friend, Ryan (a fellow camper), who is quiet but has good ideas, and together we’re a dream team,” said Akira, a camper from Chica go’s South Side.

“I learned how to do things, like how to email the mayor or the school board about what our school needs. No one in Chicago high schools is thinking about emailing the mayor or school board, but now I am. And I’ve definitely got some things to talk to them about.”

“WHAT I REALIZED IS THAT, THROUGH DIALOGUE, YOU CAN ACTUALLY BREAK DOWN MISUNDERSTANDINGS AND CONFLICTS.”

178 SEEDS COMPLETE CORE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

“I felt like there was a big issue revolving around where I live my entire life, and I couldn’t just sit and do nothing,” said Amalia, a 2021 Israeli Seed. “I had to do something, I wanted to talk about it.”

Amalia was one of more than 300 youth who earned the title of “Seed” during the past year, and one of 178 who did so through joining the Core Leadership Program— intensive leadership trainings that debuted last fall, implementing proven Seeds of Peace methodologeis with youth around the world.

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN | “At first, as the Taliban took over, I planned to leave at any cost,” said Zubair, a 2010 Afghan Seed, thinking back to the quick collapse of the Afghan government after the U.S. withdrawal last fall. “Then I thought, ‘If I leave and people like me leave, who will be here to serve our youth?’”

For most of his life, Zubair has dreamed of ensuring that all the children of Afghanistan have access to a quality education. It was an audacious hope given the limits posed by financial status, location, and gender. As the country’s future, and particularly the rights of women, grow murkier by the day, so do the chances of this hope ever becoming

a reality. But some dreams—even those with significant risks—are worth holding on to.

“If we want to have change in Afghanistan, we have to educate this generation—it is the only way to combat extremism and bring peace and stability,” he said. “There are many great minds here and if we help them, they can contribute positive change to this country and to the world.”

At just 25, Zubair has already helped thousands of Afghan youth receive a quality education and continue their studies in college.

Developing courageous leaders who work to create more just and inclusive societies

GATHER SUMMIT

The GATHER program for alumni and other adult change makers relaunches in Morocco.

Over 200 supporters attend the annual New York City dinner celebrating Seeds of Peace alumni.

Afghan Seed Zubair works to fulfill his dream of education for all youth under Taliban rule.

MARRAKESH, MOROCCO | “For many people, the pandemic hasn’t just affected them socially and emotionally—it’s also been some of the hardest years in their professional work lives,” said Pooja Pradeep, International Director of GATHER.

The founder of a nonprofit and a 2018 GATHER Fellow herself, Pooja knows firsthand the slippery slope from sparking change, to burning the candle at both ends, to burning out. She said the GATHER team wanted to relaunch the program as a space where those actively working to make change could come together to not just fortify their connections and skills, but also their own well-being—something that she found was often missing in her own journey developing as a leader.

“When talking about ideal attributes of a leader, we often speak of the nature to hustle, of productivity. But in my own experience, there’s little to no focus on the wellbeing of a leader,” she said. “In working 17-hour days, doing nonstop travel, having no regard for sleep cycles, I realized I was setting an impossible standard for the youth I worked with who looked up to me. At the Summit, we addressed that wellbeing isn’t just an activity you do once a day. It’s a lifestyle.”

With the desert serving as a serene backdrop,

the Summit’s structure made plenty of room for physical activity, downtime, and, yes, breathing. Amid workshops and discussions of building networks, community organizing, and risk, participants were also learning and practicing healthy habits that can help those entrenched in extremely difficult, sometimes life-threatening work find more balance—and joy—in their work.

“I’m an artist, a social entrepreneur and a community leader. In all of these roles I need to learn how to look after myself,” said Arnon, a 2018 Fellow from Israel. “The GATHER Summit gave me new tools and observations on this, plus a strong and vital network of like-minded people.”

Despite coming from a wide variety of locations, cultures, and backgrounds, Ashraf Ghandour, Director of GATHER Middle East Programs, said there were many commonalities and themes among the participants. Participants engaged in fighting racial discrimination in the U.S. found thought partners in those working to end gender inequalities in the Middle East. Opportunities for mentorship, possible partnerships, and the ability to leverage international networks across a tightknit community opened up across regions.

Participants also gained skills to further their impact and develop their own Hubs—groups of GATHER members that get together locally to

support local, regional, and global change.

For some, the Summit was a reset, others, a rekindling, of how communities can work toward change going forward.

“GATHER, for me, is a beginning of a disruption in how we organize and bring attention to the causes that are urgent and important—to awaken the people to the needs of the community,” said Kankkshi, founder of NETRI Foundation, an incubator and aggregator for women in politics in India.

“The experience has emboldened my belief that with the adequate support system, community, spaces of healing and listening, the vision of building a politically assertive cadre of women is achievable.”

Learn more about GATHER membership & future opportunities at gather.seedsofpeace.org.

“GATHER, FOR ME, IS A BEGINNING OF A DISRUPTION IN HOW WE ORGANIZE”

2022 SPRING BENEFIT DINNER

CELEBRATING A GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF CHANGEMAKERS

NEW YORK | 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.

In addition to honoring Seeds of Peace co-founder Bobbie Gottschalk with the John P. Wallach Peacemaker Award , the organization awarded its first Trailblazer Award to Jacqueline Novogratz of Acumen, who was 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.

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. 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.”

Inspired by his childhood experiences of being turned away from school when his family was unable to pay tuition, Zubair established an educational center in 2017 that offered classes and college test-prep for low or no cost to students in remote areas of the Nangarhar Province.

“We had around 70 boys in the beginning, most with extremist mindsets. We tried to teach them about new scientific inventions, share with them what was going on in the world, and tried to impart that it’s up to us all to become educated so we can make Afghanistan a better place,” he said. “They came in knowing nothing, and some of them actually went on to establish their own educational centers.”

He estimates that more than 10,000 students came through his center, but after a few years, he said threats from individuals claiming to be the Taliban and ISIS became too frequent, and too intense.

In 2020, he moved to Kabul and established Esmati Academy, where he offered free or low-cost education in math, sciences, literature, geography, and more to youth ages 14-20. Demand was so high, that even though he couldn’t afford chairs at one point, dozens of students still showed up for test prep, sitting outside on the ground.

Since the Taliban reclaimed control last fall, however, girls have not been allowed to attend in-person classes beyond the sixth grade. And while he does make online classes are available, the World Bank estimates that only about 13.5 percent of Afghans have Internet access, leaving the majority of students, especially girls in rural areas, with no options.

Undeterred, this spring Zubair applied for and received a $1,000 Seed Action Grant, a fund designated to help support Seeds of

Peace alumni projects in need of emergency funds. His goal is to record lessons in each subject and grade level that will then be distributed on CDs and USB drives to students.

He also recently launched the Afghanistan Volunteer Teachers Movement, to which 400 university students applied to address a nationwide shortage of qualified teachers, and he is also distributing training videos to teachers in rural areas, many of whom are underqualified to teach their courses at international standards.

It’s an extremely laborious task, and one that could likely attract the ire of the Taliban, but with time and care, he thinks it is possible.

As he sees it, there really is no other choice.

“This is our country, and we have to fight for change,” he said.

“I want every girl, every boy, to have access to education—not the kind that makes them extremists or robots. I want them to think for themselves, to have their dreams and go after them.”

— DANIELLE, 2018 MAINE SEED

CORE LEADERSHIP WRAPS UP

While the programs are tailored to fit the needs of the local communities where they’re held, each requires at least 50 hours of participation and explores divides within societies (like race, religion, politics, and class) while giving participants the fundamentals of dia logue and taking action to create change.

“The essence—the core—of Seeds of Peace is an integrated experience of dialogue, community, leadership skill development, and action taking, and we learned we can teach that in a variety of shorter and scalable—but still deep and intensive—experiences,” says Seeds of Peace Executive Director Josh Thomas.

“The divides within each of our national societies run deep, and there are more than enough issues of conflict and injustice around which to engage.”

With a common set of tools in hand, participants will now be better equipped to have meaningful, productive encounters across lines of difference as they progress to more advanced

programs—as well as to begin making immediate change at home.

“Eventually, we are going to be the ones who will educate the next generation, so we have to start somewhere, we have to do something, and what I learned here is preparing me to do that,” said Amalia.

The 2022 Core Leadership Program launched in June with the virtual edition of the U.S. version. Program directors are learning from what worked well last year, and what could improve, with adjustments being made for elements like program duration and group size. At its heart, the programs will all still aim to empower youth to lead lasting change in their communities.

“Before the program, leadership meant just a lot of work and responsibility for me,” said Ibrahim, a 2021 Indian Seed, “But after going through CLP, the word ‘leader’ took on a whole new meaning. It had a huge impact on me.”

Learn more about the Core Leadership Programs at seedsofpeace.org/programs.

“SEEDS OF PEACE WAS WHERE WE TURNED OUR WHISPERS FOR CHANGE INTO SHOUTS.

IN ACTION NEWSLETTER

www.seedsofpeace.org | info@seedsofpeace.org

the Executive Director

A flurry of exciting programs, initiatives, and the addition of several key new team members closed out 2021, which we’re proud to share with you in these pages.

As we roll into a new year, Seeds of Peace is gearing up for a cascade of endeavors that will bring our work to people and places new to our organization, and further our participants’ and alumni’s abilities to create lasting change.

This includes initiatives like Global Institute, a new program that will bring delegations of young alumni from around the world

Washington, D.C., to meet with leaders and focus on policy and advocacy for change. (seedsofpeace.org/globalinstitute); the launch of the GATHER membership and summit in Morocco; the building of an online Dialogue Academy; the formation of regional advisory boards in each country where we work; and new partnerships across the U.S. that will bring the first

delegations of youth from the South and Midwest to Camp in Maine this summer.

We’re excited for what this next chapter holds, and grateful for the commitment of people like you—the more than 500 who weighed in on stakeholder interviews, who shared their time, resources, and expertise, and who continue to offer the encouragement that moves us forward.

There’s much work to be done, and much more to look forward to.

Ready, steady, here we go!

— Josh Thomas, Executive Director

Hope and courage illuminated at Spark event

The power of community was on full display December 19 at the first Spark, a global virtual event attended by more than a hundred alumni, parents, supporters, current and former staff around the world. Hosted by alumni Mahmoud (2007 Palestinian Seed) in Haifa, Moses (2014 Maine Seed) in California, and Pooja Pradeep (2018 GATHER Fellow) in Bangalore, the event was truly a global celebration.

Participants spanning at least 14 time zones had the chance to reconnect, look to the next chapter of Seeds of Peace, and hear stories of hope from more than a dozen alumni who are lighting the path forward in their communities.

They included voices of 2021 program participants like15-year-old Dalia who said she joined the Jordanian Core Leadership Program earlier this year in hopes of reversing the increasingly antagonistic relationships between religious groups in her country, and

Arnon, a musician and GATHER Fellow who organized a GATHER program for Israeli musicians to diminish fears of speaking out against injustice.

“As musicians we have the power to mobilize and influence, and even if it’s on a small scale, this sort of change can really add up,” he said.

Courage and speaking out were recurring themes of the evening, with keynote speaker Jodi Kantor, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist,

best-selling author, and 2021 Seed Parent, drawing parallels between her work and that of Seeds of Peace and its alumni.

“Even though my work is very different, I think what they ultimately have in common is the truth,” she said.“And as somebody who has devoted her whole life to the truth and recognizes in some ways the truth is having a hard time right now, it still cuts through and I’ve never seen anything that matches its power.”

“In our polarized worlds it would be so easy to stay in our bubbles with people just like us, but what gives me hope is that more and more young people are realizing that to create change, to create the world we want to live in, requires working in solidarity across lines of difference,” said Executive Director Josh Thomas. “Every time a young person chooses to take that first step to reach across those divides, to take the more difficult path, our world comes one step closer to peace.”

From

WINTER PROGRAMS

In classrooms, public parks, religious spaces, activity centers, and virtual platforms, fall and winter programs helped youth discover and develop their collective and individual leadership skills. These are a few highlights from around the world.

Middle East

Israel: After more than 50 hours of programs, including 30 hours of dialogue, 30 Israeli youth officially became Seeds in November with the completion of the Israeli Core Leadership Program (CLP). November also brought the close of the 2021 Teen Leaders program—an advanced leadership program for 2019 Israeli Seeds.

Jordan: A rock-climbing activity in No vember provided a gateway for 26 members of the Jordanian CLP to explore, identify, and ultimately, to defy issues like stereotyping and exclusionary social constructs that can hinder creating more just and inclusive societies. And in January, the youth completed a two-month training aimed to inspire and empower youth to create personal transformation and social impact with nonviolent tools.

Kids4Peace Jerusalem: Challeng ing and overcoming stereotypes was the focus of the first K4P overnight seminar in Decem ber. Together, the 21 Palestinian and Israeli youth ages 12-13 learned the importance of looking beyond the surface and deepened their friendships in the process. In January, a virtual program focused on using their voices to make change by learning skills to deliver impactful speeches.

South Asia

INDIA: The first Indian Core Leadership Program launched in November with a series of in-person and online multi-day workshops designed to give participants essential skills— including fundamentals of dialogue, human istic leadership, and critical thinking around media messaging—for leading change amid increasing violence and divisions between re ligious groups. The series culminated with the Interfaith Harmony Camp, which has been a signature program for Seeds of Peace India for nearly a decade. Over the course of five days in December, 29 students of various religions came together to explore different faiths through dialogue in a Camp-in spired environment.

United States

Kids4Peace Cincinatti piloted two five-week programs for youth grades one through four that focused on universal values, including listening, kindness, patience, and taking care of the world around them through incorporating habits like composting. These new programs provide a foundation for youth to dive deeper when they enter Kids4Peace Middle School programs, like those held in the College Hill neighborhood this fall. Thirteen students completed a 10-week program that focused on building trust and establishing relationships and habits that create atmospheres of acceptance and peace rather than seclusion and fear.

Palestine: In their third overnight seminar, held in November, 26 members of the Palestinian CLP learned about the use of violence and nonviolence in social move ments. The program aimed to empower youth to meet and manage the conflict in a creative and constructive manner using nonviolence tactics. In January, the group, ages 15-17, moved into the second half of the course with a focus on dialogue as a tool for change.

More than 60 students, some traveling hours in Mumbai traffic each day, attended the programs, with 14 fulfilling the requirements to become 2021 Seeds.

Educators, students, artists, religious and business leaders, and peer peace-building organizations came together on December 11 for the first Samvaad National Interfaith Summit, a conference exploring the importance of interfaith work and dialogue. The event also served as the culmination of the Samvaad Project, a program supported by the U.S. Consulate in Mumbai that offered interfaith dialogue facilitation training to university educators.

“I learned how to embrace and understand the differences between people; about the privileges and biases we carry; and that it’s not about giving the correct answer, but about asking the correct question.”

— Mustafa, 14, 2021 Indian Seed

“It was really cool to see us actually do something that we didn’t think we could do on Day 1. I left wondering how this would manifest in my life and imagining in which situations I could use these new skills.”

—Adina, 17, 2021 New York City Seed

A skills-rigorous training offered 2021 U.S. Seeds the opportunity to advance the dialogue skills they picked up this summer. Ten Seeds completed the program, having learned to facilitate their peers in dialogue, engage in deeper, more courageous, and productive conversations with people in their lives, and having taken part in a practicum to hone their skills. The program was offered as part of a series of Fall Virtual Programs, which included monthly roundtables, dialogues, and short programs for youth from across the U.S.

Seeds of Peace clubs run by Seeds in partnership with their schools held more than two-dozen self-organized meetings. With their peers, they engaged in dialogue and planned community action projects, including efforts by Seeds at Corcoran High School in Syracuse, N.Y., to make extra-curriculars and enrichment opportunities more widely available to all students.

Applications are open for most US Summer 2022 programs: seedsofpeace.org/join.

Dialogue Facilitation Training

“This year I realized that we don’t have to agree with each other, but we have to understand each other, and to accept other opinions that are not like mine.”

—Eldad,

NEW LEADERSHIP ON OUR TEAM

Brian McCollum

Director of Development

Brian joined Seeds of Peace as the new Director of Development on November 1, bringing vast experience in strengthening and advancing the missions of academic and cultural institutions.

He most recently served as the Vice Presi dent of Development at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., where he led the fundraising efforts for a $35M capital campaign.

Prior to Wesley, Brian served as the Director of Recruitment, and later as the Director of Alumni Relations, for Princeton Theological Seminary. He also was the Director of Arts and Education and a performer for Step Afrika dance company.

An ordained teaching elder in the Pres byterian Church, USA, Brian is a graduate of Morehouse College, Princeton Theolog ical Seminary, Columbia University, and is currently completing his Ph.D. from Hampton University.

“I chose Seeds of Peace because it is the premier beacon of hope regarding equipping and developing a new generation of global leadership. This is the kind of organization that will change the world!”

Alumni spotlight

A Honduran-born adoptee raised in Portland, Maine, and just 12 when they first came to the Seeds of Peace Camp in 2000, medina was living at the intersection of multiple identities without the language to express what was happening internally.

There were a lot of feelings of anger and isolation, and Camp, they said, was a place that brought stillness and courage to “reflect, accept, and move forward.”

Today, medina is a queer nonbinary trans author, youth development worker, and impact entrepreneur who writes and advocates for the kind of stories that were often unavailable to them as a youth—including their upcoming book, “The One Who Loves You the Most,” available in May from Levine Querido.

Pooja Pradeep

GATHER International Director

This fall Seeds of Peace welcomed the arriv al—and the return—of Pooja, a former Seeds of Peace Camp counselor and 2018 GATH ER Fellow. Based in Bangalore, Pooja is now the new GATHER International Director, responsible for connecting, mobilizing, and supporting the multinational GATHER network to take individual and collective action to build justice and peace.

Pooja brings extensive experience in the fields of arts for social impact, conflict trans formation, and refugee and migrant empow erment, including through her work at the Community Arts Network and the international nonprofit organization Letters of Love, which she founded.

Her relentless drive to work with youth especially has found her in varying degrees of engagement at the UNHCR, Graduate Institute-Geneva, Oregon University, Swarthmore College, GD Goenka UniversityNew Delhi, GITAM University-Vishakapatnam, and Cummins College of Engineering-Pune.

“I strongly believe in the power of the indi vidual and the collective in creating systemic changes and equitable societies in which all people thrive.”

Sandra Wijnberg

Seeds of Peace Board Chair

Sandra was elected the new chair of the Board of Directors in December. Her in volvement with Seeds of Peace began after working in Jerusalem for the Office of the Quartet—operating under a mandate from the US, EU, UN, and Russia—to help build the economy and the institutions for a Palestinian state. A humbling experience where decades of entrenched narratives thwart even modest efforts toward progress, she says it was the young Israelis and Palestinians she met who unfailingly provided inspiration:

“They were the initial reason why I became interested in the work of Seeds of Peace and are at the heart of the energy that I have for the organization today.”

Sandra also currently serves on numerous public and private corporate boards and is a trustee of the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. Previously, she was a Partner and Chief Administrative officer of Aquiline Holdings, a private investment firm.

We also would like to extend a note of appreciation to Steven Gruber, whose dedication and leadership as board chair helped guide the organization into a new chapter.

Tell us about your book. It’s about a 12-year-old Honduran-born adoptee who is starting to question their own gender identity, and the people and opportunities that help Gabriela find purpose in their journey.

In what ways did your Seeds of Peace experience impact you?

Seeds of Peace deepened my sensitivity and awareness of people around the world and in my own community. The experience

provided me with the necessary tools to be more mindful, be an active listener, and be empowered to create change. In my book, Gabriela and their friends work together, advocate for themselves, and impact their community in a positive way.

What are your hopes for this book? I wrote this book as a letter of hope for all young queer youth to find community that loves them for exactly who they are, and for them to love themselves for who they are and who they are becoming.

It’s also an invitation to those who may not share these identities to develop compassion and understanding for people who may be different than they are.

medina is a 2000 Maine Seed, 2001 P.S., and 2013 Camp facilitator. Learn more or preorder “The One Who Loves You the Most” at bookshop.org.

Learn more about our current staff and board of directors at seedsofpeace.org/team

Applications for Camp and Summer 2022 programs are open! seedsofpeace.org/join

2021 YEAR IN PICTURES

To the joy of all, 2021 saw a return to in-person programs around the world of Seeds of Peace. We asked our staff to submit their favorite photos and share why they selected them. View them all at seedsofpeace.org/2021pics.

IN ACTION NEWSLETTER

Launching Core Leadership Program for Middle East youth

JERUSALEM | Nearly 100 youth in the Middle East began their Seeds of Peace journeys this August with the launch of Core Leadership Programs for Jordanian, Palestinian, and Israeli youth.

And while each of the three programs seeks to reflect community needs and aspirations, they are all united in a common cause: to prepare youth to work across lines of difference to create more just and equal societies.

Apart from Seeds who attended Camp in Maine this summer, the Core Leadership Program is the avenue in which all youth from 2021 forward will be introduced to Seeds of Peace programming. The programs will also serve as preparation for applying for

binational programming, such as Camp. Upon graduation, all youth will share a common language in four “core” elements— community, dialogue, action-taking, and leadership skill building—but will have experienced them through a local lens that is

created and guided by local staff.

Jordan’s program, titled RISE, kicked off on August 13. More than 40 youth from 19 private and public schools, including several from areas that are new to the Seeds of Peace community, came together for a day of recreational and team-building activities.

Farah Bdour, director of Jordanian programs, said that the bonds participants form now will be important for the journey ahead: a yearlong program in which they’ll develop skills and connections essential to improving their communities and fostering their own sense of agency.

“I like that I am meeting new people outside of my bubble,” said Kareem. “I can’t wait to

Uniting Pakistanis at leadership camp

LAHORE | They came from urban and rural areas, representing a wide range of Pakistan’s cultural, religious, and socio-eco nomic groups. But by the end of their six days together at the Pakistan Youth Leadership and Dialogue Camp, the 23 Pakistanis all shared not just a desire to make a difference in their hometowns and schools, but the tools, inspira tion, and community to help them do so.

“The dreadful violence would continue if all of us were waiting for somebody else to be the legend,” said Ganji, who traveled more than 1,800 km to attend the camp.

“We were nourished to take a stand for peace and spread its fragrance wherever the air we breathe exits.”

Returning to Camp in Maine

OTISFIELD, MAINE | Over 130 youth from across the Northeast United States participated in the 2021 Seeds of Peace Camp, marking a much-anticipated return to the shores of Pleasant Lake in Maine after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

And while it was a summer that was unprecedented in the nature of its obstacles, it also showed, now more than ever, the need to empower youth to work across lines of difference and lead change in their communities.

“We knew from early on that this summer would hold myriad challenges brought on by COVID-19,” said Sarah Stone, (a.k.a. Stoney) who served as Camp co-director alongside Spencer Traylor (2008 Maine Seed) and worked with a team of Camp

leads hailing from across the Northeast.

“But youth and staff showed up ready to work across lines of difference with brilliance, compassion, and courage. There was so much beauty in their ability to share space and create a strong community rooted in care and in action, despite all the uncertainty and fear in the world right now.”

The summer kicked off in July with a two-anda-half-week session for campers from across the Northeast U.S., followed by another session in August for only youth from Maine.

Closely monitoring ever-evolving CDC guidelines and following advice from public health consultants, a decision was made early in 2021 that only youth from within driving distance of Camp would be eligible this

Held July 3-9 on a mountaintop resort in the Haripur district, the camp was the Pakistan edition of the Core Leadership Program, the new starting point for most youth in Seeds of Peace programming. Over six intense days of conversation and group challenges, they learned the essentials of dialogue, addressed dynamics of stereotypes, privilege, and op pression, and gained skills to address issues of conflict in their societies.

Taking action in East Jerusalem through GATHER

JERUSALEM | It began with 9. Then there were 19, and by the program’s fourth and final official meeting, the number of partici pants in the GATHER East Jerusalem project had nearly tripled, uniting a community ded icated to working together to create a better future for their city’s youth.

The program is an initiative of GATHER— Seeds of Peace’s action-taking branch for adult changemakers—to build hubs through out the Middle East of people empowered to identify challenges and lead change within their communities. As home to Seeds of Peace’s Middle East headquarters and one of the areas most heavily affected by occupation and home confiscation and demolition, the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem was a natural starting point for the program, said Ashraf Ghandour, GATHER Middle East program director.

“We decided to start a community in the place where we are a part of the community precisely at the time where it needs to rise above its circumstances and stand strong the most,” he said.

In weekly three-hour sessions, participants— Palestinians from East Jerusalem who ranged in age from 17 to 73—engaged in dialogue that gave a safe space to discuss and identify divisive issues within their community. Using techniques like design thinking and skill set mapping, they then determined an issue in which they could work together to effect change. The result: the group is working to create an extracurricular program designed to engage youth after school.

Though the program officially ended on August 1, the group is carrying forth its work independently.

“We often expect a community to look like a protest, and it could, but most of time it looks like a beehive. Everyone is buzzing around a common goal, but they’re also there talking about issues they live through, learning something new from each other, and doing something about those issues,” Ghandour said. “That’s a community, and that’s what we’re building with GATHER East Jerusalem.”

CORE LEADERSHIP (CONTINUED)

get to know them better and engage in deep conversation that broaden my perspective of what we are facing as a country.”

The Israeli program launched on August 23 with a three-day seminar attended by some 30 Jewish-Israeli youth hailing from Galilee to Be’er Sheva. Amid community-building activities and introductions to dialogue, the youth experienced a bit of the flavor of Seeds of Peace Camp thanks to 2019 Seeds— dubbed Teen Leaders—who infused the seminar with chants, traditions, and activities that they experienced as campers in Maine. This six-month program seeks to provide

Charting a new path for Jerusalem youth

JERUSALEM | Whether it was planting trees, cruising down ziplines, learning about new technologies or one another’s lives, participants in Kid4Peace Jerusalem’s summer programs were providing hope for a new path forward despite the deep divisions that surround them.

Beginning in July, K4P participants in grades 6 through 9 engaged in programs that aimed to build community and trust between Palestinians and Israelis, all while giving youth a greater understanding of Jerusalem’s human, environmental, and political future.

And, of course, they had some fun together.

Among the programs were activities that emphasized teamwork, communication, critical thinking, and empowerment, including planting trees at a local community center, completing challenges on zipline and ropes courses, and attending the Maker Space Sum mer Camp, a five-day program where they learned about technological innovations like 3D printing and virtual reality.

And in August, Murshideen—the Arabic word for “counselors” and the name given to K4P youth leaders ages 16-17—completed a leadership seminar where they gained skills and experience running programs about stereotypes, moral dilemmas and national narratives of Palestine and Israel.

While K4P Jerusalem has always operated against the backdrop of conflict and divisions, this summer’s programs came at a particularly critical time for the youth of Jerusalem, as well as the programming staff.

Based in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem where protests, police brutality,

youth with a better understanding of different social-political struggles and the effect of power dynamics on the realities around them, and to familiarize them with dialogue tools that will prepare them for more fruitful interactions in future binational programs, as well as in their own lives.

The Palestinian CLP had its start on August 26 with a two-day workshop in Bethlehem that gathered 26 youth from all over historical Palestine. The program is titled Bassmeh, which in the formal Arabic means fingerprint or impression.

“It was chosen to signify that each participant in the program is a unique

and housing seizures garnered international attention this spring, K4P Jerusalem faced numerous challenges this summer, said Ittay Flescher, director of K4P Jerusalem education programs.

“Being surrounded by so much violence and injustice, it became much harder to believe that peace is possible,” he said.

Taking a programming pause in May and June, staff had a chance to rethink the purpose and mission as a Jerusalem peace movement, and the space to have difficult conversations with one another.

“The conversations we had were not easy, but I’m glad to say we all came out much closer to each other and more committed to bringing children together across lines of difference as a means to give hope to future generations that another way is possible.”

The youth and their families, he said, seemed to share their sentiment: “The good nature of the kids in their desire to come together, and the warmth and support from their parents and the wider K4P community in Jerusalem, was inspiring.”

individual, just like a fingerprint, and to encourage participants to leave their own mark or impression on the world,” said Mirna Ansari, a Seed and Palestinian programs senior manager who led Bassmeh with Palestinian Programs Director Antwan Saca.

Over the next five months, Saca said the program will aim to strengthen participants’ understanding of the personal and collective Palestinian identity and its impact on their leadership capacity; to bridge geographical and political divisions, “and to encourage youth to develop actions to create a just community in which they have the right to their future.”

Training Indian educators to facilitate student dialogue

MUMBAI | Occasionally, even the road to peace requires alternative routes.

Now entering its sixth month and final phase, the Samvaad Project—an interfaith dialogue facilitation training program for university professors in Western India funded by the US State Department—has had its share of moments that called for ingenuity and adaptation.

Following four weeks of virtual workshops that kicked off the program in April by intro ducing participants to theoretical constructs of interfaith dialogue, the second phase of the program was planned to be a week-long retreat that would allow an opportunity to practice facilitation more intimately in person.

In late spring, however, a second wave of COVID-19 took a devastating toll on India. Several participants had to step away from the program as they fell ill with the virus or assumed caregiver duties for sick relatives.

The retreat was delayed a month and moved online, and what was intended to be an eight-month program will likely be extend ed, culminating in December rather than the original date of October.

MAINE CAMP (CONTINUED)

summer—meaning that for the first time in Seeds of Peace Camp history, there would be no international campers.

Instead, youth at Camp—and in all countries where Seeds of Peace works—began their Seeds journey by engaging in dialogue over issues within their own communities and countries, rather than focusing largely on cross-border conflicts.

For campers, it provided a much needed opportunity to discuss divides within the United States, with dialogue sessions tackling topics like religion, socioeconomic status, race, and political affiliation.

After a year full of political unrest, violence, and deepening societal divides, there was plenty for youth to dig into. But after a year that also wrought a heavy toll on mental health and greatly restricted opportunities for in-person social interaction, Camp staff also had to be mindful of when campers’ comfort zones might be overstretched.

“With so many schools hybrid or fully remote, youth’s social lives and interactions were mostly curated by themselves online and they hadn’t been re-accustomed to engaging with one another outside of this context,” Stoney said.

“At Camp, we did a lot of work to learn to see and hear one another not with the distance or wall of Facebook statuses or TikTok videos, but up close and personal, truly listening, unlearning, learning.”

The expectation for dialogue, of course, has always been that Seeds would apply those experiences to take action for change in their schools and communities. This year, however, a series of workshops that prepared students to do just that were baked into

The Project

स VAAD

But despite the challenges, participants are well on their way to achieving their original goal: facilitating a minimum of 10 hours of dialogue with 30 or more students and community members by October’s end, and becoming skilled practitioners in the art of

“Despite an altered schedule and program location (in-person to virtual), the first cohort of the Samvaad Project proved to be adaptable, enthusiastic, and earnest,” said Urmi Chanda, Seeds of Peace India senior program coordi nator. “It was a pleasure to watch them come together as a group.”

As youth are exposed to increasingly polarized narratives in India, the Samvaad Project was designed to create mediators who could serve as a counterpoint by leading and facilitating interfaith dialogue activities with their students and communities. By first training college-level educators, the goal is to empower those who hold key positions in their communities and schools to pass on facilitation skills.

“For me, the program has been a beautiful combination of self-discovery which led to my self-improvement plan of action, and getting to know and make friends with others from different backgrounds, united by a common purpose,” said Fatima, a clinical psychologist and head of the Counselling & Research Department at Universal Education (Mumbai).

“It gave me hope and strength that so many people in the world believe in the importance of interfaith dialogue, respect and celebrate diversity, and are keen to play an active role in eliminating mistrust and intolerance based on diversity, especially religious diversity.”

A handbook compiling all program materials and a virtual national interfaith summit are in the works for the program’s culmination.

Camp programming. Initiated and designed by Stoney, Community Action challenged campers to work together to identify and prepare to address issues they want to change back home.

As Danielle Whyte, a 2019 Maine Seed and Co-Leader of Community Action, described it: “Community Action is the art of amplifying the voice of the collective.”

Grouped with campers from their hometowns, youth created action plans to bring anti-racist curricula to their schools, hire more diverse faculty and staff, and build school decision-making structures that are more inclusive of student voices, to name a few. For Cayen, a Seed from Maine, it was an opportunity to return home with “concrete, realistic” plans for change.

“I feel that Community Action allows me to be reassured, organized, inspired and ecstatic that my fellow peers and I have a solid chance at bringing positive and undeniable change in myself and my community,” Cayen reflected in a Camper

Report. “Community Action provides a plan, a way to enact the plan, confidence that the plan will work, and a purpose.”

The focus on youth-led action underscored many of the summer’s new additions and highlights—from camper reports in which youth shared their first-hand perspectives, to youth-led special activities, to daily inspirations provided by a different bunk at each morning lineup.

Writing in one of the reports, Faysal, a camper from Maine, said he had come to “expect the unexpected” at Camp.

Whether it was trying a new activity for the first time or having the opportunity to branch out of their groups and meet new friends at Café Night, campers explored their capabilities and how these strengths might add to the greater good of their communities.

“Seeds of Peace is an opportunity for you to find yourself in a place where you can be yourself,” Faysal wrote. “There needs to be change in the world, and here is where that starts.”

Building a virtual community of young US leaders

NEW YORK | Where there are youth willing to build community and make change, there’s a way to get it done.

Despite fighting Zoom fatigue from a year of mostly online school, navigating shaky internet connections, and juggling obligations at home, dozens of youth from across the United States logged onto Seeds of Peace Virtual Programs this summer and found a community where they could be themselves and grow as leaders.

“When it comes to a point where the youth are no longer just receiving the programming from us, but are instead driving it and making it the space they want it to be, you know that they’ve claimed a community here, and that it’s possible even online,” said Eliza O’Neil, co-director of U.S. programs.

Taking place on Zoom, the digital programs were an opportunity to extend the reach of Seeds of Peace and widen access to youth who might not have otherwise had an oppor tunity to participate in the programs. The result was a coast-to-coast community of dedicated, impassioned youth representing a wide range of backgrounds, identities, and lived experi ences.

“The accessibility was huge,” said Hannah Hochkeppel, co-director of U.S. programs.

“We had participants log in from the bus on their way to jobs, oldest siblings keeping an

eye on kids at home. They might have never been able to leave for two-and-a-half weeks to go to Maine, but they were able to log in remotely and be fully present.”

As with Camp in Maine, each program was designed to offer participants a chance to engage with the four pillars of Seeds of Peace programming—dialogue, community, leadership skills, and action-taking—and to prepare them to engage in other Seeds of Peace leadership programs.

The virtual offerings included the National Youth Summit, a Leadership Certification in

Civic Engagement, a Kids4Peace Middle School Camp, and two sessions of the new Core Leadership Program—the centerpiece of the programs which is being offered as a starting point for youth in every country in which Seeds of Peace operates.

Over the course of two weeks, participants in each of the Core Leadership Program sessions took part in 50 hours of workshops, dialogues, leadership and action-taking opportunities, all while building a tightly knit, cross-country community. For many youth, having a supportive place to explore their differences—as well as what unites them in working toward change—were the highlights.

“We are living in a very divisive time,” said Noah, from Scarsdale, N.Y. “This group helped me get a better appreciation for peo ple. We’re like-minded, open to new things, and looking forward to progress, which is a great thing and very uplifting.”

“I often feel like I’m stuck in a bubble in my very liberal city, that because I’m growing up where everybody agrees with my views, and that’s a problem,” said Will, from Los Ange les. “To know there are people all across the country who I saw myself in—that’s something I didn’t expect. I’m grateful for learning the things we shared, but also for the things that makes us different, because that’s important, too.”

“There needs to be change in the world, and here is where that starts.”

— Faysal, 2021 Maine Seed

In this issue: return to Camp in Maine, plus Core Leadership Programs in the Middle East, South Asia, and the United States

IN ACTION NEWSLETTER

Training Indian and Pakistani Seeds as conflict mediators

ISTANBUL | Pakistani and Indian Seeds met in February for a six-day leadership and conflict mediation program in Istanbul, Turkey.

A team of trainers introduced the 20 participants to mediation and conflict management theories. They also gave Seeds the opportunity to explore their own strengths and weaknesses as mediators and facilitators—and as parties to the IndiaPakistan conflict.

“The goal of the training was to enable participants to gain communication and peer mediation skills in order to engage parties in conflict resolution,” said Ruth Verma, who helped organize the program.

“Participants identified ways to employ these skills in their home communities as a means to fostering tolerance, cooperation, and responsible leadership.”

The Seeds examined case studies and used role playing to better understand conflict from both the perspective of a mediator and a party to a conflict.

The program also provided a space for the Seeds to reconnect after Camp and continue building connections across borders.

“Living in a country that is literally the epitome of conflict, I hope to use the skills I learned here and share them with my peers,” said a Pakistani Seed.

“Facilitation is like a muscle,” said an Indian Seed participant.

“It needs training, and this program made it simpler for me to understand it ... I will use the listening and communication skills even more in my daily life.”

Introducing interim Executive Director Fr. Joshua Thomas

Inspiring empathy for refugee children

CAIRO | Colorful pens, stickers, and heart felt letters? Yes, please! Over 500 letters were sent to refugee children thanks to the efforts of 10 Egyptian Seeds and seven of their friends.

The group came together in Cairo early December to pen the letters as part of the second collaboration between Seeds of Peace Egypt and Letters of Love, a nonprofit founded by Pooja, a GATHER Fellow and Seeds of Peace Camp counselor from India.

Letters of Love was an idea born in 2015 that primarily aimed at spreading smiles to refugee children through handwritten letters.

“The core idea of my work is to shake the inertia of apathy people have about grave humanitarian issues,” said Pooja.

“To inspire others to help make a difference in this daunting crisis, we must first inspire empathy.”

Letters of Love has since grown to become a youth-led international organization that offers psychosocial support to refugee children through handwritten letters while creating a globally-aware, empathetic citizenry of young leaders in classrooms.

“It is very inspiring to see so many people show up and be involved in such an initiative,” said Kenzi, an Egyptian Seed who joined the campaign..

“It really shows that we are capable of making a difference on the individual level despite what is going on in the world.”

NEW YORK | Seeds of Peace has welcomed Joshua Thomas as the organization’s interim Executive Director, taking over from Leslie Lewin.

Josh brings with him years of experience working with nonprofits, particularly those that develop young leaders from conflict regions.

He is an Episcopal priest, a dialogue facilitator, a scholar, and an interfaith educator. He is also board chair of the Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP).

Josh is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Union Theological Seminary, and taught peacebuilding at the Boston University School of Theology. He has also been a presenter at Harvard Law School’s Negotiation & Mediation Clinical Program, Yale University, and USIP. He ran a US State Department exchange program for youth in post-war Bosnia-Herzegovina and has traveled extensively in the Middle East.

He has led Kids4Peace International for a decade and served as a pastor and university chaplain in Atlanta, Boston, Seattle, and New Hampshire.

Evolving programs in wake of coronavirus pandemic

NEW YORK | Seeds of Peace, an organization built on face-to-face engagement, is adapting its programs and events in the wake of the expanding coronavirus crisis. Some major programs are being postponed or cancelled, including the Seeds of Peace Camp in Maine and the Spring Benefit Dinner in New York. Others, however, are moving online.

For example, the 2020 GATHER Fellows, originally set to convene in Sweden this spring, are instead meeting virtually through video conferencing. Staff expect to run the entire Fellowship program remotely, bringing experts and Fellows from around the world together online.

“Our Fellows hail from nine different countries and are each dealing with the

COVID-19 challenge in their own way,” says Fellowship Director Jonah Fisher.

“Having spent the past four years connecting our GATHER Fellows virtually and on a weekly basis, we have tested a variety

of approaches and will put them to use in this unique moment. The GATHER team is excited to step up to the plate and launch the program online.”

In the Middle East, South Asia, and across the United States, programs are taking shape to connect Seeds through technologies and platforms like FaceTime, Skype, and Zoom.

“Our programs will evolve in ways that are relevant and honor the contexts in which we work,” says Kiran Thadhani who runs Seeds of Peace’s programs around the world.

“Although in-person connection is critical to what we do, we’re exploring both technology and project-based learning tools to continue our work with Seeds.”

These programs range from virtual dialogue sessions to mutual aide projects.

Equipping Seeds with mediation, dialogue facilitation skills

NEW YORK | Over 40 New York City and Syracuse Seeds and their friends took part in two weekend dialogue facilitation training workshops in November.

In New York City, faculty from Harvard University’s Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program joined Senior Harvard Law School Fellow Bob Bordone to lead the training, held at Columbia University’s International House.

“The Mediation and Negotiation training program offers Seeds the opportunity to convene meaningfully and build new skills around better conversations,” said US/UK Program Manager Eliza O’Neil.

Meanwhile, in Syracuse, New York, Seeds met at Interfaith Works to learn dialogue facilitation skills.

“The Seeds of Peace facilitator training was an amazing experience,” said Syracuse Seed Anisa. ‘It was very interesting to see the ins and outs of facilitating. I hope to use what I learned to better my community and Seeds program at my school!”

370 Lexington Ave., Suite 1201 New York, NY 10017-6584

Sharing our vision for conflict transformation in London

LONDON | Seeds of Peace held its annual London Reception for the UK community, in first-time partnership with our peacebuilding colleagues from Solutions Not Sides and the Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP).

The power of people-to-people work was a key theme of the November event, which was attended by over 100 alumni and supporters from the three organizations, as well as local leaders.

The evening opened with remarks from Alistair Burt, who served as an MP and Minister of State for the Middle East. He spoke of the importance of hope in dealing with the seemingly impossible. Whether it was the fall of the Berlin Wall or the end of Apartheid, change came because of the work of people on the ground—not politicians.

Burt was followed by a discussion between Kiran Thadhani, Seeds of Peace Director of

Global Programs,

Solutions Not Sides. They spoke about the challenges of creating change amid increasingly divided and hostile environments, the need to understand the roots of violence, and that

conflict can only be transformed through deep co-commitment and solidarity.

“This kind of change isn’t just about one organization, one person, one movement,” Kiran said. “We must work collectively, which is why you also see we are not alone on this stage.”

John Lyndon, Executive Director of ALLMEP, and Sharon Booth, Founder and Executive Director of

IN ACTION NEWSLETTER

An ‘Inspowered’ kick-off to the 2019 GATHER Fellowship

NEW YORK | The GATHER Fellowship is the fulfillment of the Seeds of Peace mission, a targeted investment in changemakers around the world who are working to transform conflict in myriad ways.

This year’s Fellows—hailing from Egypt, Israel, Pakistan, Palestine, the United States (two by way of Romania and Rwanda), Turkey, Tunisia, Jordan, and Canada—met up in Sweden ... and coined a new phrase.

The term “inspowered” may have arisen by accident through the kind of exhaustion that comes after a week of intense project and community building, but the 16 Fellows immediately adopted it as their own. Because inspowered (a combination of inspired and empowered) is exactly what they were feeling by the end of their time together.

The 2019 GATHER Fellowship incubator began in Sigtuna, a small lakeside village an hour’s drive from Stockholm. It was there that the Fellows met and began to learn about each other’s lives and life’s work, and began to realize that while leading change can be

lonely work, they are not in it alone. Fellows met in small groups to workshop their projects and support each other, and also met one-onone with staff from Seeds of Peace and from our Swedish partners, SE Forum, who could advise them on specific issues.

Saying goodbye was not easy. But the Fellows meet every week on video check-in calls. They will continue to “inspower” each other, and over the course of the fellowship, we will shine a spotlight on each of them and their projects—from educating and empowering youth in Pakistan to fighting xenophobia in Europe through networkbuilding to supporting refugee communities through gastrodiplomacy.

Stay tuned … you just might become inspowered yourself!

SEED STORIES In their own voices

We hope you’ve been enjoying our blog se ries that gives voice to our Seeds around the world and a chance for them to share their reflections, their work, and their lives. Below are just a few of the many ruminations you will find on the blog page on our website.

ISRAEL ELECTION SEMINAR

Young leaders tackle politics

JERUSALEM | On the eve of the Israeli election this spring, 60 Israeli Seeds participated in an immersive two-day experience that simulated the campaign process. As participants began to arrive, 20 older Seeds who volunteered to run the seminar randomly divided them into different groups representing political parties. They had no idea of the structure of the seminar beforehand and many faces twisted into shock as they read the parties assigned on their name tags.

The participants had to study their party’s agenda, run a campaign based on the ones happening in real life, react to news and press releases, and create propaganda. They also had to appoint chairs and speakers for their groups, share their own press releases, hold press conferences, and represent their parties in a debate.

To simulate the role social media plays in shaping elections, the “parties” had to respond to more than 300 fake news alerts that were published to a WhatsApp group. The extent to which these set political narratives took participants by surprise.

Bashar Iraqi, Palestinian Program Director, spoke about the influence the election may

have over Palestinians across the region. Other speakers included a Knesset member, a former high-ranking diplomat, and a feminist activist.

It was a busy weekend, and a powerful one. The participants learned about the different parties in the Israeli political system; they learned how to critique, explore, and choose their personal views; they learned how to represent something that they don’t necessarily support, and how to understand their opponent’s point of view ... skills any voter would need in the election that followed, and will follow again.

SHAHD

HAZEM

DANISH

KEREN

“If we can trust each other with blindfolds, why is it not possible to trust each other to solve our common challenges back at home?”

“I don’t belong to one country or one faith, I don’t belong to one religion or one ideology, I don’t belong to this group of friends or that group of people, I belong to all of them.”

“Age is just a number, and if you have the passion and will, all you need is the courage to believe in yourself to start something.”

”It connects us, our stories and perspectives, to move in solidarity and sensitivity to what hurts, and to use those pains to create better, more just, more inclusive societies.”

Creating ‘a powerful space’ for teens, by teens in Maine

PORTLAND, MAINE | When teenagers have the opportunity to take the lead, great things can happen.

More than 400 students, educators, and parents from 35 schools across the Northeast United States traveled to Portland, Maine, in early April to participate in the fourth annual New England Youth Identity Summit at Waynflete High School.

The two-day event, held in partnership with Seeds of Peace, included more than 40 workshops, nearly all of which were conceived, planned, and led by current and recent students (most of them Seeds).

With a theme of “Voices Across Genera tions,” the summit brought together partic ipants from a wide swath of cultures and identities to find support and speak freely about some of today’s most complicated and important issues. The hope was that partici pants would then turn those conversations into action in their own communities.

The workshops focused on topics like gender and racial equality, climate change’s disproportionally negative affects on marginal

ized groups, LGBTQ+ rights, intersectionality, women in Islam, stigma around mental illness, sexual assault, and masculinity in America.

“Our intention is to facilitate a watershed moment for each participant, and to inspire them to be provocative leaders when they return home,” said Ian, a 2018 Maine Seed who co-led the event’s organizers with Dora, another 2018 Maine Seed.

“It is a way of turning the perennial ‘hope for the next generation’ into something living and breathing.”

Developing the skills and confidence to lead conversations that turn into action and change

are core to the Seeds experience at Camp, and the idea for the annual summit began a little over four years ago. Since then, the summit has doubled in size and has become a way for Seeds to further their leadership and facilitation skills while connecting with students across the region.

“I watched in the beginning of the planning last fall seeing younger students not knowing what they wanted to do, or feeling like, ‘I can’t teach this. I can’t tell a bunch of people about a certain topic,’” said Dora. “By the end, they were saying ‘I can’t wait to teach this next year.’”

It’s an experience that can have “profound and emboldening effects” for the students, said Sarah Brajtbord, Seeds of Peace Camp Director and a presenter at the summit. “Not only is it student led and student organized, it’s student wisdom,” she said.

“When it’s set up as an intergenerational space like this year was—with teachers and parents being part of conversations led by two high school students—it’s a pretty powerful space to be in.”

370 Lexington Ave., Suite 1201 New York, NY 10017-6584

#DIALOGUEIRL

A new in-real-life blog series

Dialogue is at the core of what we do at Seeds of Peace, and it’s what sets us apart from other leadership development organizations.

We’ve launched a new blog series that takes the lessons from dialogue at Camp and applies them to the conversations that happen around school, work, or the dinner table.

In other words, dialogue in real life (IRL).

Visit our blog and learn tips for getting a conversation back on track when it goes south, discover a guide for when (and how!) to “pop off,” read why play is an important part of communication, find out effective ways to respond to racism, and more ... It’s all at www.seedsofpeace.org/blog.

IN ACTION NEWSLETTER

Developing pilots, partnerships in United Kingdom, Sweden

NEW YORK | With racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hate on the rise across the globe, Seeds of Peace is needed in many more places than it could possibly work.

To meet this growing demand without abandoning its core commitments, Seeds of Peace has developed a services arm to work with partners seeking to bring the Seeds of Peace model to their own communities.

The UK and Sweden are two of the most promising opportunities, and Seeds of Peace is running pilot programs in both countries.

In Sweden, Seeds of Peace has partnered with Ung Dialog, an organization founded by long-time ally Johan Berggren of the Swedish Moderate Party. Ung Dialog uses the Seeds of Peace facilitated dialogue model with young Swedes from Muslim, Christian, Jewish,

and secular backgrounds, helping them develop positive relationships and leadership skills in a rapidly diversifying country.

In the UK, Seeds of Peace ran its first-ever UK Dialogue and Leadership Seminar, held this past May at Grosvenor Hall in Kent. The four-day event provided 17 teenagers from

diverse backgrounds across London with an intensive dialogue and facilitation training experience, through which they explored topics like identity, gender, immigration, race, and interpersonal conflict. By the end of the weekend, participants were facilitating their own dialogue sessions.

“I gained a maturity through listening to others’ opinions and experiences,” said one participant.

“I hope to be able to use these skills in my everyday life and at school, where I would like to start a dialogue and facilitation club open to the whole school,” said another.

These partnerships give Seeds of Peace the opportunity to develop local champions and to identify the best ways to share the Seeds of Peace experience with the largest possible number of young leaders.

JERUSALEM | In 2015, the Syrian civil war and ensuing refugee crisis were the topic of many news headlines, while social media allowed people to follow the conflict in real time. It was this phenomenon that inspired Pooja, a high school math and science teach er and now a Seeds of Peace GATHER Fel low, to do whatever she could, with whatever she had, to humanize refugee communities.

“It really bothered me how we could just watch it happening and not do anything about it. Also, the fact that more than 50 per cent of the victims were kids—it just hurt me.”

In response, Pooja founded Letters of Love with the goals of connecting communities, giving people a global perspective, and humanizing “the other.”

Letters of Love began as a “Facebook page with a bunch of friends” who were united around the idea that something as small as a handwritten letter could connect communities, build empathy, and make a real difference.

The project has since grown into a youthled initiative that connects children across the world to peers in refugee communities through writing and delivering letters.

Letters of Love is now an official member of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees #WithRefugees Coalition, the United Network of Young Peacebuilders in the Hague, and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Youth Network.

In just three years, Pooja’s organization has delivered handwritten postcards to more than 30,000 Syrian, Iraqi, Yazidi, Palestinian, Afghan, Kurdish, and Rohingya refugee chil dren, and has effectively engaged more than 20,000 other youth in the process.

“We empower refugee children with joy, laughter, and psycho-social support, and we use empathy-centric education as a tool to sensitize school and university students about

the ongoing refugee crises,” she says.

Pooja’s involvement with Seeds of Peace goes beyond the GATHER Fellowship. Pooja first learned about the organization through her husband, who is a Seed. In the very be ginning stages of establishing Letters of Love, one of her husband’s Seeds of Peace Camp counselors was an important mentor to her.

Pooja is now a counselor at Camp, and she says that her involvement with Seeds of Peace over the years has been a transformative experience.

“I’ve witnessed the value in connecting com munities that are indoctrinated to hate each other, and I’ve seen the value of communica tion and dialogue,” she says.

Pooja says that the GATHER Fellowship has connected her to a diverse community that has given her access to partnerships which have helped increase her impact both qualita tively and quantitatively.

“Being part of the Fellowship enables me to become a part of this ebullient community, share best practices, learn various aspects of setting up an organization, and also derive a multicultural and international perspective on various social issues.”

IN THEIR WORDS Camper reflections

OTISFIELD, MAINE | There’s no doubt Camp is transformative. But what does that mean exactly? Campers from the 2018 Middle East, South Asia, and United States programs explain, in their own words, what they’ve learned, and what surprised them the most about their experience this summer.

“It’s sort of weird because you don’t expect to be able to trust people you’ve just met with your life story. But suddenly you’re spilling everything and it’s a relief.” — Maine camper

“They said to trust the process. And what that meant was that I wasn’t becoming some one new, but I was un-becoming someone I wasn’t.” — Indian camper

“Something that surprised me is that we don’t just focus on the conflicts in our respec tive regions, but also we focus on the conflicts that happen within ourselves.”

— Palestinian camper

“No one pities you here. Everyone’s trying to help you build from what you’ve been through to grow.” — Maine camper

“Seeds of Peace is helping me explore new areas of my mind that I hadn’t thought of and is raising new questions.” — Israeli camper

“I want to bring this model back to my school. It’s a diverse community, but it’s divided and tense and would benefit from the Seeds model.” — New York City camper

“I didn’t know that so many Americans don’t like Trump.” — Egyptian camper

“I did not expect so much energy and such a good and positive vibe. It’s so different from home.” — Los Angeles camper

“When I came here I was very quiet, but from meeting so many new people, I became more extroverted.” — Pakistani camper

“I’ve learned not to assume anything ... at all.” — Maine camper

“Thank you for expanding our horizons and abilities.” — Jordanian camper

BASSEM YOUSSEF Stand Up, Stand Down, Stand Out

NEW YORK | Heart surgeon. Vegan. Stand-up comedian.

Those are just a few of the words one could use to describe Bassem Youssef, who per formed earlier this summer at The Public Theat er in New York City to an enthusiastic crowd that included many Seeds and supporters.

At turns hilarious and biting, Bassem delivered jokes that poked a finger directly into Arab and Muslim stereotypes, as well as Egyptian politics and culture.

“Our revolution failed because of traffic,” he said.

Bassem was the host of the popular Egyptian TV show Al-Bernameg—which was the first-of-its-kind political satire show in the Middle East. Originally a five-minute show shot from Bassem’s laundry room and posted on YouTube days after protests in Tahir Square unseated Egypt’s ruling elite, Al-Bernameg became the most watched show across the region with 30 million weekly viewers. Accused of portraying anti-religious sentiments and insulting the Egyptian president, Bassem was arrested and interrogated before being

released on bail.

Bassem practiced cardiothoracic surgery in Egypt for 13 years before moving into polit ical satire. Now he lives in Los Angeles and uses comedy as a way to get inside people’s hearts and minds.

“I’m going public with what it’s like to be an immigrant here in the U.S. We need to be heard in the media so that people can relate to what’s happening through informed voices.”

After the show, an Egyptian Seed led an in timate Q&A between alumni, Seeds of Peace

supporters, and Bassem. Asked whether he misses his homeland, Bassem said, “The Egypt I miss isn’t there anymore.”

Bassem offered advice to Egyptian Seeds coming home after spending time at Camp: “It’s a society that is resistant to new ideas. Change will take time. It’s dangerous to be vocal about what you believe in. Keep your person safe.”

When asked what advice he’d offer to Americans at this unusual time in United States history, he said, “I can’t give advice to you. But instead of sharing memes, go vote!”

He reflected on how eight months ago, he didn’t know if he’d be able to do stand up at all, let alone in English.

“It’s difficult to do comedy in a second language. It’s a total rewiring of the brain. It’s a hustle, it’s interesting … it’s very scary.”

One fan added, “It’s very inspiring!” Bassem replied, “If it works.”

Judging from the laughter, the rapt faces of his audience, and the questions that kept coming, his message—and the method of his delivery—worked just fine.

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WHAT WE ARE READING 4 books connected to Seeds of Peace

Summer may be over, but the joy of reading isn’t seasonal. Here are four books to check out this fall, two by Seeds of Peace program participants from Yemen and Gaza, and two that reference or benefit the organization.

I AM GANDHI by Brad Meltzer

This graphic novel biography, a collaboration between the author and 25 illustrators, was born out of a desire to shine the spotlight on someone who refused to accept injustice and fought back with peaceful protests.

The author says, “We’re in the middle of a massive culture war. I’m tired of us v. them. It’s time to get back to ‘we.’ Gandhi seemed like the perfect hero to help us get there.”

Proceeds from the sale of the book are being donated to Seeds of Peace!

THE FOX HUNT by Mohamed Al Samawi

The publisher describes this memoir as “one young man’s unforgettable story of war, unlikely friendship, and his harrowing escape from Yemen’s brutal civil war with the help of a daring plan engineered on social media by a small group of interfaith activists in the West.”

Here’s what we’ll add: these interfaith activists, and Mohamed, met at Seeds of Peace’s GATHER Summit in Jordan in 2015.

THE WORDS OF MY FATHER by

Yousef Bashir

This coming-of-age story set in Gaza during the Second Intifada describes Yousef’s experience being shot by an Israeli soldier, and then recovering at the hands of Israeli doctors and nurses.

Yousef is the Manager of Congressional Affairs for the Chief Representative of the PLO to the United States. He is also a Seed (2005), who writes in his memoir about his experiences at Camp, as well as cultivating empathy for, and dialogue with, “the enemy.”

THE ART OF GATHERING by Priya Parker

Drawing on her expertise as a facilitator of high-powered gatherings around the world, Priya takes readers inside events of all kinds to show what works, what doesn’t, and why. Conferences, courtrooms, a flash-mob party ... and Seeds of Peace Camp! (We’re an example of what works.)

The Art of the Gathering is marketed as a guide for developing an approach to gathering that will help others create meaningful, memorable experiences.

IN ACTION NEWSLETTER

Examining external & internal borders in the Middle East

JERUSALEM | More than 50 Palestinian, Israeli, and American Seeds came together in March for a multinational seminar involv ing boundaries separating Israel, Syria, and Lebanon.

During the four-day program, Seeds took part in workshops, experiential tours, and facilitated dialogue as they visited locations including borders and checkpoints around Metula, the UN Blue Line Region in Menara, the Alawite village of Ghajar, and Majdal Shams.

“The overall goal of this seminar is to expose Seeds to the concept of ‘borders’—both internal and external—and how they shape not only our realities, but perceptions,” said Seeds of Peace’s Orlando Arellano.

NEW YORK | Seeds of Peace marked its 25th anniversary and honored its young changemakers with two events in New York City in May.

GATHER SYMPOSIUM AT FACEBOOK

The week began with a GATHER Symposi um, “Innovating for Social Change in Conflict Areas,” held at Facebook’s New York head quarters on May 8.

The event, which brought together business leaders, social entrepreneurs, investors, and Seeds of Peace supporters, showcased the organization’s impact.

These industry leaders, including many Seeds of Peace alumni, participated in four panels focused on advancing transformative change in communities divided by conflict, including one on media and conflict moderat ed by MSNBC’s Ali Velshi and another on the role of the private sector in peacebuilding.

“I think a lot of us came to Seeds [of Peace] thinking we were going to be presidents or prime ministers; there was this narrow idea of what it means to be a leader,” said Israeli Seed and GATHER Fellow Keren.

“It’s not about being a politician around the negotiation table for the peace process. It’s about really thinking how you can do everything with intent. That intent is something that follows us throughout our different choices in life.”

GATHER is the social innovation branch of Seeds of Peace. It is comprised of alumni and changemakers from around the world who are creating opportunities across diverse fields—business, technology, the media and arts, education, nonprofit—to lead change.

25th Anniversary BENEFIT DINNER

On May 9, a record-setting1,000 plus supporters, friends, and Seeds of Peace

alumni came together at Chelsea Piers for the 25th Anniversary Spring Benefit Dinner. The evening honored Vice President Joe Biden, the Tanner Family, and Seeds alumni, and raised $2.7 million for Seeds of Peace programs.

“Seeds of Peace helps break down … the desire to dehumanize what’s different and the mindset that frames the opposition as the enemy,” said Biden upon accepting the John P. Wallach Peacemaker Award.

“The work of Seeds of Peace is more impor tant than ever, especially today when it is all too easy to become disheartened, when it is tempting to give into cynicism.”

“Our Seeds are resilient, and are saying ‘No!’ to the racism, violence, and injustice they are living in,” said Palestinian Seed Mirna in her remarks. “I am here to let my community know that nothing we do at Seeds of Peace is normal. We are here working hard to change the status quo.”

Other highlights from the Benefit Dinner included stand-up from Late Night host Seth Meyers and performances by Hamilton star Mandy Gonzalez—who was joined on stage in song by Seeds.

An after party, featuring Palestinian rapper SAZ, American Seed Micah of the Jerusalem Youth Chorus, and GATHER Fellow Arnon, concluded the evening.

“For me, this seminar was one of the best learning experiences I’ve ever had,” said a Palestinian Seed.

“It showed me how to navigate my own reality here in a deep and meaningful way while physically observing and listening to people on the ground.”

“Sometimes it is hard to be critical or hear criticism of our societies because we often take things personally,” an Israeli Seed said.

“However, once I can both understand myself and my values within and a part of the collective and out of it as an individual, I can understand how to create real change and be much more effective without being defensive.”

“A total navigation of borders not just out side, but inside of myself.”

Helping 2018 Fellows launch change projects

STOCKHOLM | The 2018 Seeds of Peace GATHER Fellowship kicked-off with an incubator program in Sweden. The weeklong event was run in collaboration with the Social Entrepreneurship Forum.

From March 11-15, the GATHER Fellows workshopped their projects, honed their skills in adaptive leadership and social entrepre neurship, engaged in dialogue with members of Sweden’s parliament, and presented their work to entrepreneurs, investors, press, and Seeds of Peace supporters.

“I was excited to meet amazing social leaders from around the world,” said Pakistani Fellow Ahmed. “I learned from the best of the best, though now I also feel like I have a lot of weight on my shoulders.”

“The word ‘support’ keeps coming up in my conversations with people,” said UK Fellow Lilly, reflecting on the incubator.

“It’s been a really significant word for me recently. The power to rely on others to uplift you—it’s something for which I’m grateful to Seeds of Peace.”

The Fellowship is awarded to alumni and changemakers from around the world who are actively challenging the ideologies, poli cies, and practices that perpetuate conflict.

Hundreds of applicants from 55 countries applied to join the 2018 Fellowship program. This year’s Fellows are from Israel, Palestine, India, Pakistan, Greece, Cyprus, Jordan, Egypt, the UK, and the US.

They are now busy at work developing their respective impact-projects in their home com munities while participating in weekly virtual trainings, and receiving intensive mentoring and seed funding.

The seminar provides Seeds opportunities to confront difficult realities and structures on the ground around them—which are created beyond their control, but also in their name.

Celebrating our alumni, 25 years of impact

Camp starts June 28

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Launching ‘Talk With Me,’ social media campaigns

NEW YORK | The lack of civil discourse— and the inability of people to engage across lines of difference—is a huge problem around the world. Fostering dialogue and encouraging people to respectfully engage with those they might not otherwise is at the core of Seeds of Peace’s work and its newest campaign, #TalkWithMe.

In a partnership with prinkshop, the wearwhat-you-care-about fashion brand, Talk With Me t-shirts have been designed to raise awareness of the importance of active listen ing and engaging in meaningful dialogue.

Seeds of Peace supporters and alumni are encouraged to purchase a shirt (with proceeds supporting Seeds of Peace) and begin building bridges, one conversation at a time. Wear the shirt, tag @seedsofpeace in a selfie, and share your reflections!

Shirts can be ordered at prinkshop.com.

25 YEARS, 25 LESSONS, 6700 STORIES

The Seeds of Peace network now includes nearly 6,700 alumni working for change in 27 countries around the world.

Inspired by the way these leaders have taken the lessons they learned at Camp to heart, we created two social media campaigns to commemorate our 25th anniversary.

#25Years6700Stories profiles our Seeds’ journeys—from their first day at Camp all the way to their current changemaking endeavors—while #25Years25Lessons highlights the values that Camp instilled in our newest Seeds.

Check out our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to see their stories, what they’ve learned, and how they’re making an impact in their communities.

OTISFIELD, MAINE | The 26th summer of the Seeds of Peace Camp will convene over 350 campers and educators across lines of conflict. They will engage each other during daily facilitated dialogue sessions, sharing their own stories of identity, loss, trauma, and hope—and in doing so develop new perspectives and empathy.

For many this type of interaction is impos sible at home, and Camp may be the first time they will encounter peers from the “other side.”

The first session of Camp will bring together Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians, Egyptians, Indians, Pakistanis, and Americans.

The second session, which begins July 25, will involve campers from across the state of Maine, and from Syracuse (New York), Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City. These campers will explore issues around identity, privilege, power, and community, and then work to address conflicts within their schools and communities.

For the 20th consecutive year, a team of volunteers from Toll Bros. spent a weekend preparing Camp for the summer, making repairs, upgrading facilities, painting, and landscaping the camp grounds.

A BLOG IS BORN!

Our new Seeds of Peace blog will feature profiles of our alumni and other members of our community, chronicle our events and programs, share news on our Seeds, and report on our impact. And that’s just the start! We’re constantly adding content, so check out our blog page weekly, follow @seedsofpeace on social media for updates, and subscribe to our RSS feed. Read up at www.seedsofpeace.org/blog!

IN ACTION NEWSLETTER

Hosting Yazidi activist Nadia Murad at Dinner4Dialogue

WASHINGTON, D.C. | When the first class of young leaders from Israel, Palestine, and Egypt arrived at Camp in 1993, Seeds of Peace founder John Wallach knew he had accomplished an incredible feat. He also knew instantly that he had only gone half way: all of the campers were boys.

Never shy of pushing for change, he prom ised to open the program to girls. Since then, Seeds of Peace has been a vocal supporter of women leaders in conflict regions.

Social change requires the effort and vision of an entire generation and there are no fair or sustainable—or inclusive—solutions without women sitting at the negotiation table or lead ing change in their societies. The courage of our female Seeds and Fellows continues to inspire us.

There are few young women on the interna tional stage that personify the courage to lead better than the Yazidi leader Nadia Murad. Despite—or perhaps because of—her trau

matic experience in captivity of ISIS, Nadia decided to use her voice. Since September 2016 the first Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking of the United Nations works tirelessly to end the crime of sexual violence against women, draw international attention to the Yazidi genocide and claim safety for refugees.

We were privileged to officially launch her memoir The Last Girl: My Story of Captiv ity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State

(foreword by Amal Clooney) in partnership with Cindi Leive, editor-in-chief of Glamour during our winter Dinner4Dialogue event at the Italian Embassy in Washington, D.C. The evening was attended by 70 influential think tank experts, philanthropists, journalists, and policymakers, including a representative from the White House.

Dinner4Dialogue was launched earlier this year to bring people together across lines of difference and create rare spaces for learning, questioning, and honest dialogue on pressing issues.

We are grateful to the Italian ambassador Armando Varricchio and his wife Micalea for their ongoing support of our organization as well as to David and Carrie Marriott for their sponsorship.

Let’s give a shout-out to our last Dinner4Dialogue speaker Souad Mekhennet, the first Muslim woman to win the Daniel Pearl Award. Congratulations!

TEACHING CRITICAL DIALOGUE FACILITATION SKILLS

Training young Israelis and Palestinians to become certified dialogue facilitators

JERUSALEM | Twenty-one Palestinians and Israelis have enrolled in Seeds of Peace’s professional dialogue and facilitation certifi cation program to obtain the practical skills to become effective peacebuilders. Just over half the participants this year are Seeds, with the remainder selected from Seeds of Peace’s broader community.

Graduates of the course have the opportu nity to facilitate Middle East dialogue groups at the Seeds of Peace Camp in Maine, in addition to convening groups in Israel and Palestine. In fact, 95 percent of course alumni report that they have applied their skills through work with over 50 NGOs, schools, and community groups.

This is the 8th iteration of the course, which has graduated over 100 facilitators, and is unique in its emphasis on experiential learning and practice. It is also the only such program to bring together Israelis and Palestinians from the West Bank.

“Seeds of Peace’s model takes into account the personal identities and needs of its par ticipants, as those who live and experience the daily realities of the conflict,” says Ashraf Ghandour, who is helping to organize the course.

“In order to be truly effective, facilitation training for those living in conflict is not a matter of simple skills transference. It is the emphasis on both theory and practice, and on the personal and professional, that makes this program both popular and effective.”

The nine-month intensive course is again being led by Co-Directors of Facilitation, Farhat Agbaria and Danny Metzl, and is held in Seeds of Peace’s offices in Jerusalem. The course is made possible through a generous donation from the Recanati family.

Participants engage in dialogue with each other, while at the same time learning how to facilitate it, and in the process gain a deep understanding of each other’s narratives.

Introducing facilitation skills to US, UK Seeds

NEW YORK | Seeds of Peace has launched an introductory dialogue facilitation workshop this fall for Seeds in the United States and United Kingdom.

So far, over 100 Seeds have taken part in the training, led by Seeds of Peace facilita tors. Workshops have been held in Maine, London, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and Syracuse.

Basic facilitation skills are critical for Seeds to effectively engage with their peers and bridge differences as they take the lead in their schools and communities.

“The workshop made me feel confident in my ability to become a facilitator,” said Aaliyah, a Seed from London.

Workshop participants learned the basics of facilitating dialogue sessions in the manner in which they are conducted at Camp.

“Thinking of my own experience as a partici pant in dialogue when I was a camper, I now understand better what it was that facilitators were doing to help us have those difficult conversations,” said another Seed.

In addition to learning basic facilitation tools, participants explored the concept of dialogue and its importance, the role of a facilitator in a conversation, active listening and the differences between listening as a participant and a facilitator, and how to handle various group dynamics.

“I learned that I am really, really interested in the methodology behind facilitation and dialogue and I feel as if I understand my dia logue experience at Seeds better now!” said New York Seed Lana.

UPCOMING 25th Anniversary events in New York City

SYMPOSIUM, MAY 8

Seeds of Peace will host an inaugural symposium titled Seeds of Peace at 25 Years: Innovating for Social Change in Conflict Areas for members of the business and philan thropic communities at Facebook’s New York headquarters on Tuesday, May 8, 2018.

The Symposium will demonstrate the innova tive ways Seeds of Peace programs are con tributing to a more just and peaceful world.

By engaging the business, philanthropic and entrepreneurship communities alongside Seeds of Peace supporters, this Symposium will showcase the role of social entrepreneurship and its social, political, and economic impact in communities divided by conflict.

Panel discussions will address “Women’s Economic Empowerment as a Lever for Conflict Transformation” and “Business & Social Entrepreneurship—Leveraging Scale for Impact.”

A showcase will introduce the audience

to several outstanding GATHER Fellows and Seeds alumni with a focus on their pioneering social innovation ventures. The keynote speaker and panelists will be announced in January.

The Symposium is by invitation-only. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Maryam Shariot at events@ seedsofpeace.org.

25TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER, MAY 9

Over its 25 year history, Seeds of Peace has built a powerful network of thousands of young leaders and changemakers who are now creating opportunities across diverse fields business, nonprofit organizations, technology, education, arts and culture—to reshape their communities. They demonstrate global perspectives and the power of empathy and openness to create social, economic, and political change.

To celebrate, please mark your calendar for the Seeds of Peace 25th Anniversary Dinner on Wednesday, May 9, 2018, at Chelsea Piers in New York City.

The event will bring together leading members of the business, philanthropic, and diplomatic communities in New York City (and beyond) for an evening of inspiration and impact. Speakers and special guests will be announced soon.

The evening will be chaired by board members Jane and Bob Toll and will honor outgoing board chair Peggy Tanner and the Tanner family. In addition to their generosity and leadership, Peggy and David Tanner have truly made Seeds of Peace a family affair: two sons and two nephews are Seeds.

Please join us to help support the next generation of leaders who have the courage to engage, the skills to transform conflict, and the ability to bridge divides.

For more information, please contact Dindy Weinstein, Director of Individual Giving, at dindy@seedsofpeace.org.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. | Both young men came to Camp to knock down the other’s narrative. Both came with heavy emotional baggage. Neither came with the intention of becoming engaged in conflict transformation.

Ten years later, Palestinian Seed Mahmoud and Israeli Seed Doron sat across from each other on a panel in Washington, D.C., to discuss their dedication to reaching out across divides and leading social change in their communities.

At the invitation of longtime Seeds of Peace supporter Diane Tachmindji, around 100 guests heard from Mahmoud and Doron at the annual Tachmindji Forum on Interfaith Dialogue and Peacebuilding at American University, a rare space for thinkers, policy makers and activists to talk about their visions for the future. This year’s event on October 29 honored our 25th anniversary.

“Seeds of Peace understands that ultimately, it’s about ownership,” said renowned Middle East expert Aaron David Miller, who moderat ed the panel.

Miller quoted his favorite pop star Michael Jackson: “If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, and make a change.”

Miller, who calls himself an “idealist without illusion,” applauded both Seeds for giving space to each other and having the courage to lead and work towards change.

“Well, I haven’t turned you into a Palestin ian nationalist?” joked Mahmoud, who had just returned to the Fletcher School of Diplo macy after serving the Quartet in Jerusalem.

“Yup, not gonna happen,” laughed Doron.

Now a student at Brandeis University, Doron looked back at his first contentious encounters with Palestinian campers about “his-story”

as being mostly a unilateral set of facts and perceptions.

“We finally understood that what matters is to understand and not to convince each other, much in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.’s conviction that we must learn together as brothers or perish together as fools.”

Concurring in the same spirit, Mahmoud added: “It’s not just about friendship; it’s about responsibility.” He is proud that his two younger sisters came home from Camp as dedicated leaders.

Mahmoud and Doron returned to Washing ton, D.C., two weeks later to speak at the an nual conference of the World Affairs Councils of America. They were joined by Israeli Seed Anna and Egyptian Seed Tamer on a panel moderated by Vox reporter Sarah Wildman about “How Seeds See the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and Pathways to Peace.”

IN ACTION NEWSLETTER

American Seeds hosted by Israeli, Palestinian peers

JERUSALEM | For American Seeds, the Seeds of Peace Camp often represents their first opportunity to learn about the Israeli-Pal estinian conflict directly from their peers in the Middle East. Using these relationships between American, Israeli, and Palestinian Seeds as a starting point, nine American Seeds were able to gain even deeper insight with this summer’s “Bayti” trip to Israel and Palestine.

Bayti, which means “my home” in both Ar abic and Hebrew, is an immersive, experien tial-learning trip that exposes American Seeds to locations, people, perspectives, and ideas they would not normally encounter as tourists. This is the fifth such trip organized by Seeds of Peace in the last eight years.

Seeds use the experience to examine the

role of Americans in the region, reflect on how they would like to engage with it in the future, and scrutinize what changes Ameri cans are making and could make to further peace.

To see and learn as much as possible, this summer’s trip made stops in Hebron, Jaffa,

Sderot, Tel Aviv, Ramallah, Nablus, Beth lehem, Haifa, and Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam. Participants met with heads of local peace organizations, representatives of settler groups, and diplomats, as well as Israeli and Palestinian Seeds involved in human rights, politics, and other types of social change work.

Dialogue was an integral part of the trip, providing Seeds with opportunities to process and analyze their encounters.

This year’s Bayti participants report having a significantly increased understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, an amplified desire to contribute to conflict transformation either abroad or at home, and an deeper under standing of the role Americans and others are playing in the conflict.

Fellows

JERUSALEM | In 2016-2017, Seeds of Peace executed its second full iteration of the GATHER Fellowship, providing a platform for 15 accomplished leaders from across the Seeds of Peace network to connect with each other, learn the tools of social entrepreneur ship, and move their unique social ventures forward.

The Fellowship was administered in collab oration with partners at Brown University’s Swearer Center Social Innovation Initiative.

The program consisted of the following elements for each participant:

• A six-day accelerator in London in November 2016 that provided Fellows with professional development workshops, oppor tunities to network with local industry leaders, and a chance to present their work to a large audience of Seeds of Peace supporters.

• Regional meetings in Israel, Palestine, Cyprus, United States, and Afghanistan that allowed Fellows to receive feedback on their work from the local Seeds community, in addition to an opportunity to receive further professional training.

• Online skill-building workshops, trainings and presentations on topics including devel oping a sound business model and long-term financial sustainability; marketing Fellows’ personal and professional stories; and scaling their ventures.

• Access to seed funding through a small venture grants pool.

• A closing group convening in Jordan focused on peer learning, reflection, and

project sustainability moving forward.

Leading into 2018, Seeds of Peace is evolving the GATHER Fellowship Program for its next class. The major adaptation involves the GATHER Challenge: a “big question” theme that will run through every event and activity, as well as guide the Fellow recruit ment process.

The first GATHER Challenge is being crowd sourced across Seeds of Peace’s international community of social innovators throughout September 2017.

As the new Fellowship cohort is being recruited, selection priority will be given to candidates whose work has relevance to “the Challenge.”

Though the substantive activities of the Fellowship will not change markedly, Seeds of Peace anticipates being able to make trainings and other events more relevant by being more specific.

Additionally, the GATHER Challenge will provide a unifying theme for the spaces created as alumni convene across the globe through site-visits, workshops, networking events, and lectures. As with the Fellowship, Seeds of Peace will take a broad interpre tation of the question and reserve space for boundary-pushing work. But the agreed upon framework will ensure that participants are having a cohesive conversation on a discrete challenge.

The next Fellowship will convene in March, and Seeds of Peace looks forward to intro ducing you to the next class of Fellows.

Celebrating 25th anniversary with Joe Scarborough & Mika Brzezinski

ARUNDEL, MAINE | Seeds of Peace sup porters in Maine celebrated the organization’s 25th anniversary with MSNBC Morning Joe hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski at the Vinegar Hill Music Theatre on August 25.

The evening, organized by Seeds of Peace supporter Tim Harrington, included a concert by Scarborough’s band, as well as reflections from Seeds of Peace alumni.

“After living in a camp where enemies be come friends I understood that peace is made by people,” said Israeli Seed Inbal. “For people to want peace, you need to inspire peace.”

“Seeds of Peace encouraged me to bring my authentic self,” said Maine Seed Abukar.

“For three weeks, I ate, slept, played and engaged in meaningful discussions with people with very different backgrounds and perspectives. I learned to lean into difficult conversations, to meet people where they are and to hold multiple truths.”

Both Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski shared their reflections on the current state of US politics and their hopes for Seeds of Peace alumni.

“We need their leadership. We need their leadership here in Maine, here in the United States, and around the world,” said Mika.

“We have seen too much division these past few days, weeks, months. The work that Seeds alumni do—their willingness to lead, stand up, speak out and build relationships that might otherwise be impossible—gives us all a reason to remain hopeful.”

Accelerating impact of GATHER

and their unique social change ventures

DONOR PROFILES

Supporting innovative changemakers through GATHER initiative

As Seeds of Peace’s alumni initiative, GATH ER, enters its third year, the work is bearing fruit. The first 50 Fellows are bringing change to life, demonstrating that every professional sector from business to technology to the arts to education—can contribute to conflict transformation.

Networking events are leading to new investment, project development, and profes sional leadership opportunities for alumni and their peers. Media coverage of alumni work, in sources as diverse as the BBC and the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, is showing the world that each of us can make a difference in our communities.

Two donors who have been critical to the project’s success, Scott Birnbaum and Darcie Bundy, have powerful perspectives on why this work matters.

Scott joined Seeds of Peace as a volunteer 12 years ago and is now a Board member. As the founder of Red Sea Ventures, an early stage venture fund investing in iconic New York companies (including Nest, Sweetgreen, Convoy and Allbirds), he understands exactly

how hard it is to turn an idea into a thriving venture. Seeing that Seeds are not so different from the entrepreneurs he invests in, he was instrumental in creating GATHER. “Years of conversations with Seeds and others, as well as attending great conferences around the world, helped me understand how important it is to accelerate young leaders.

“As it grows, I am so excited to see GATHER be at the genesis of community of people who find support in each other in the incredibly challenging work they are trying to do.”

Darcie, who for 20 years worked for ExxonMobil in government and public affairs, culminating with responsibility for the company’s global political risk assessments, has similarly deep roots in Seeds of Peace: Her daughter attended Camp and she has

now served on the Board for a decade; her husband Ken Cohen has also been deeply involved. They see GATHER as a vital extension of what happens at Camp.

According to Darcie, “for Devon, Camp was literally life-changing. Because of the experience, she developed humility and the ability to see how people are not so different.”

“Now that she’s making her way in the working world, she carries these lessons with her, and I’m thrilled to help other Seeds stay connected to the organization during their own professional lives.”

Darcie and Scott are two of the most committed supporters of GATHER, and we are deeply grateful for their generosity.

For more information on how to get involved, contact Tracy Malloy-Curtis at tracy@seedsofpeace.org or 212-573-8040.

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Marking 25 summers of Camp program

OTISFIELD, MAINE | Seeds of Peace celebrated its 25th summer of Camp by graduating 349 campers and 34 educators from communities divided by conflict over two sessions.

“This summer was not an escape from reali ty, but was rather a community effort to create a new one together,” said Sarah Brajtbord, Seeds of Peace’s new Camp Director who attended the Camp in 2006 as an American Seed.

“We did not run away from the harshness, injustice, and challenges of the world today,” she said. “We struggled together to deepen our understanding of them and the ways in which they impact us as individuals and col lectives, and worked to learn from and with one another about ways that we can address them and build the kind of world we want to live in.”

Campers from the Middle East and South Asia attended the first session of the Camp, and were accompanied by educators from the same regions.

During the second session, campers from across the United States moved beyond the stereotypes, prejudices, and mistrust of others as a first step to tackling tensions within their schools and communities.

American educators took part in this session as part of a pilot course on Educating In a Diverse Democracy that examined challenges facing US educators and tools for responding to conflicts in this country around race, identi ty, equity, and pluralism.

There are now nearly 6,700 Seeds of Peace alumni who have graduated from the Camp over the past 25 years and who are courageously working for change in communi ties around the world.

UPCOMING 25th Anniversary events

November 1, 2017

London Reception The Berkeley, Knightsbridge

Winter 2018 (TBA) Fellows and Alumni Showcase Event Washington, D.C.

May 8, 2018

Symposium: Innovators Transforming Conflict New York City

May 9, 2018

25th Anniversary Gala Chelsea Piers, New York City

IN ACTION NEWSLETTER

Seeds Voices Bridging divides between women in Israel

Israeli Seed, GATHER Fellow, and attorney Keren on her venture to improve equal access to support for all women in Israel.

The GATHER Fellowship represents Seeds of Peace’s investment in changemakers with the greatest potential to transform conflict.

Many people have this sexist notion about women; they like to think of women in cat fights, or as constant enemies of one another. The truth is, most women know collaboration and relationships are the only way to survive. I am the Director of ‘Shutafot,’ a coalition of 16 women’s organizations from all back grounds in Israel, focused on promoting economic equality.

In Israel, despite progressive laws to ensure gender equality, discrimination against women is entrenched in society. At every age, place and cultural background we find women and girls receiving fewer opportunities

and resources than boys and men. The more marginalized the group, the wider the gaps are in pay, representa tion in manage ment positions, employment rates, and more.

Feminist and women’s organ izations have been fighting—some for decades, and some for months to improve the lives of women on every front. The feminist sector is booming with activities, hotlines, training, shelters, advocacy, protests, support and representa tion. However, most of the public isn’t aware of them. The organizations must do more to

convince the public of their legitimacy and impact so that women know where to turn in crisis. Surprisingly, there is no comprehensive collection of information on all the awesome activities and services being offered.

My venture, supported by the GATHER Fel lowship, seeks to create the online infrastruc ture for that exact information: an interactive website where women can discover we are there for them in all walks of life. Organiza tions can discover one another to collaborate, and in turn, women can find ways to help one another.

In this way, we will be helping to create a more sustainable, collaborative portal, so that every woman in Israel is supported in the very best way.

Essentially, we are attempting to build a bridge between women in all corners of the country and the organizations that are availa ble to advance them.

Touring UK with Solutions Not Sides

LONDON | Our partners at Solutions Not Sides ran a tour in Manchester in February with Palestinian Seed Yasser and Israeli Seed Seffy. The goal of the program was to reduce polarization and prejudice among British students and community groups related to attitudes on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Through 14 sessions and events reaching around 600 people, these two Palestinian and Israeli Seeds educated participants about the complexities of the situation on the ground for their respective societies, and promoted a solutions-focused approach to the conflict.

YASSER (2009 Palestinian Seed)

JERUSALEM | Thirty-six Palestinian, Israeli, American, and UK Seeds took part in a fourday mediation and negotiation seminar led by Harvard Law School faculty near Jerusalem in January. Here are reflections from two of the participants.

Muaz (2014 Palestinian Seed)

I have many goals which Seeds of Peace is helping me to achieve, and participating in this seminar was one of them. I learned many skills during the seminar such as strategies that lead to fruitful achievements in the process of negotiation and mediation. I also learned important principles of any negotiation and mediation process, like active listening skills and the ability to understand the situation from the point of view of the other side. After participating in the negotiation and mediation seminar, I do believe that the idea of “my way or no way” is a mistaken idea because there is always a middle way.

Since I hope to improve the situation here in Palestine, I started to apply the skills I learned in this seminar in my community. I started doing this with my friends at the university by trying to reconcile their views and showing that they have many common aspects, despite the divergence in their political views.

Bayan (2015 Israeli Seed)

I thought about applying for the Harvard negotiation and mediation seminar more than three times. I thought it won’t be any different from other academic seminars I’ve been to (just some boring lectures that aren’t interest ing or useful), but this seminar was unique.

I felt I gained so much; the lectures were so interesting and fun and we practiced real life examples. The Harvard Law School lecturers were amazing and the way they presented the information was exciting to me.

I enjoyed the activity on the last day the most! They gave us a real conflict scenario and divided us into groups. Each one of us assumed a different role and we had to negotiate. The roles and the conflict were so similar to the Israeli-Arab conflict, which was the best part. I also enjoyed the activity when they separated us into pairs and one of us was a listener and the other was the speaker and the listener had to play the role as a bad listener and then we switched the roles to learn from each other.

This seminar made me want to know more, to study more, and, of course, negotiate and mediate more in real life. Now I’m an active participant in a negotiation program in my school and I’m rocking it!

As a Palestin ian who was born in Cairo but spent the ma jority of my life living in Gaza and Ramallah, I am able to look at the complexities of the conflict from both the inside and the outside.

I also brought my experience with Seeds of Peace to the Solutions Not Sides educational tour. The program looks for leaders who can help in creating a safe space to discuss the conflict in a balanced, nuanced, and solu tions-focused way.

Through these various sessions, we human ized both Israelis and Palestinians. This en couraged the students to look at the conflict in a different light, resulting in them asking deep and thoughtful questions, and showing they had gained a greater understanding of the complexities and the histories of the conflict.

Meeting pragmatic and inspirational Israelis and Palestinians was the first and perhaps greatest step in empowering these kids to better understand the multifaceted political, religious, social, and ethnic identities that Israelis and Palestinians hold.

I hope that by humanizing the situation, we can be the first people that they think of in times of upheaval in Israel and Palestine, rather than the extremists and the politicians whose actions cause suffering and pain to the citizens. We need to end the violence first and look beyond it to a future full of potential.

Reflecting on negotiation and mediation seminar led by Harvard Law School staff

Seeds Voices Hoping for peace based on regional economic prosperity

Ghaith (1998 Palestinian Seed) is a UAEbased corporate communications consultant. He grew up in Syria, Jordan and Palestine.

I recently caught myself struggling to believe I will see peace and independence in my lifetime. Not five years or a decade, but the next 50 or 60 years.

It is too often easy to feel the overwhelming weight of now. A deep sense that things will remain as they are based on the sheer kinetic energy of the way they are. But things never remain static—politics shift, economies grow, and new alliances emerge. The core trajecto ry of our region, and our own ability to affect change, leaves me with a core viewpoint: I am hopeful.

In a lifetime and, indeed, far sooner, bur geoning economies across the Middle East will emerge as major economic powerhouses. The only barrier to Israel building strong trade relationships with these economies is a lead ership insistent on fighting for settlements over enduring peace and stability.

Time and again, leaders of the region’s strongest economies have signaled a willing

ness to establish trade after peace is realized.

In time, the sense of license Israel feels to ex pand settlements and undercut peace will be replaced by a sense of economic opportunity in finding peace.

But this will not happen on its own. The Pal estinian leadership must confidently co-curate with regional powerhouses a vision of both peace and prosperity.

In a lifetime and, indeed, far sooner, political winds will shift, as they always do. The powers in Israel today are what the Americans would call the ‘alt-right:’ a settler movement so extreme, elements of it were once banned within Israel for being Jewish terrorists. Now they hold a robust majority in the Knesset.

But politics rarely stay extreme for gen erations, especially in nations with some democratic traditions. How can Palestinians help shift the wind? Engage with the institution that most underpins far-right politics in Israel: the military and, specifically, the mandatory service.

Before a young and impressionable Israeli is forced into a situation where they’ll see

Palestinians as the ‘other,’ put them into a situ ation where they’ll see Palestinians as human and relatable. Make the first month of the mandatory service a camp where Palestinians and Israelis must work together, discuss issues and coexist.

While Palestinians can’t make Israel adopt such a program, they could build its structure, seek broad international support (including from the US) and offer it to the Israelis on a silver platter. Do this for ten years, and it will fundamentally pull the wind from the sails of alt-right politics in Israel. And, with a mod erate international and regional leadership, peace will be on the agenda.

The definitions of peace are broadly known. One need only open a history book to see the borders and sovereignty as it was prior to 1947, 1948, 1967, and now. Palestini ans have no interest or need for a traditional military, and they can independently admin ister the borders of a sovereign nation. These conditions are basic, they are obvious within the definition of statehood—it is only the will that is lacking.

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‘Solutions Not Sides’ continued

SEFFY (2003 ISRAELI Seed)

Having experienced the conflict first hand—I grew up in Jerusalem and lived there during the second Intifada—I felt then and still do that these bursts of violence in our region are the result of manmade policies, not forces of nature.

It also strikes me that there is an over whelming distance and alienation between my Jewish community and the neighboring

Palestinian one.

As a Seed and a participant in the Solutions Not Sides Program, I want to help bridge that distance. I’ve been involved in various initia tives that look to resolve the tensions between Israeli and Palestinians in my community, and in these sessions I wanted to make it known that though I work at the grassroots level, my efforts still have the ability to affect thousands of people, and these are possible and attain able goals for these students to reach in their own lives.

I feel that the conflict in my city of Jerusa lem is part of a much bigger picture that is relevant to many other people worldwide. It matters to the Middle East as a whole, people of different faiths, and also has a universal component. For this reason I feel that if we can untangle the roots of the conflict, we can make enormous progress as members of the human race.

Partnering with top chefs to share #Recipes4Peace

Seeds of Peace brings together young leaders from across the United States to acknowledge and move beyond stereotypes, prejudices, and mistrust of others. Our Camp in Maine creates rare and powerful oppor tunities for them to truly listen to each other’s stories and experiences.

As these young leaders courageously sit down at the table together, we hope our #Recipes4Peace initiative inspires you to invite someone with a different perspective to your table. Breaking bread is a good start to building bridges.

Thank you to Joan Nathan and Micaela Varricchio for curating this project and to all the amazing world-renowned chefs who took part in it. View the collection of recipes at www.seedsofpeace.org/recipes4peace. Enjoy!

IN ACTION NEWSLETTER

Accelerating impact of new class of GATHER Fellows

NEW YORK | Seeds of Peace has selected 17 changemakers from around the world as its 2016-17 GATHER Fellows. The year-long Fellowship supports innovation and practical action by providing Fellows access to the resources necessary to unlock the potential of their vision.

The Fellowship is part of a larger initiative launched by Seeds of Peace in 2015 that invests in inclusive, practical social change led by alumni of Seeds of Peace and other emerging changemakers.

Meet one of the new Fellows, Justin, who has started a company that develops social networks for nonprofits engaged in peace building:

JUSTIN (2016-17 GATHER FELLOW)

I knew my life had changed forever when I found myself, a Jewish American, outside a Bedouin tent in Jordan, dancing with a woman from Gaza, to Indian Bhangra music, surrounded by a hundred new friends from over 20 countries. That experience at the 2015 Seeds of Peace GATHER+972 confer ence showed me what was possible when a

global network of changemakers comes together, and solidified my desire to re-create that experience for millions of peo ple around the world. Since then, I’ve started a company, Bandura, that de velops social networks for NGOs working in peacebuilding. We are essentially trying to bottle the GATHER conference into an online experience that takes place 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Conferences like GATHER are life changing, and more people deserve to participate. More people deserve to expe rience how beautiful the world can be when people get along across race, religion and ethnicity. Those people also deserve to be able to access that community whenever they want, so that their inspiration doesn’t fade

while they wait for the next event, meeting or conference.

To cultivate this online community, we use games, quizzes and a matching algorithm that introduces people based on their shared values and interests. The games that we use are multiplayer, and encourage cooperation. Like the dance party, the games allow you to have a purely fun experience with someone from another part of the world. The quizzes are also fun, and based on your answers, our matching algorithm pairs you with the people who have the most in common with you. That way, when we introduce people from diverse backgrounds, they begin to see their shared humanity, as opposed to what makes them different.

At Bandura, we’ve designed the network based on our experience working with Israeli and Palestinian youth, and our involvement with the GATHER community. We’re excited to begin rolling it out to NGOs around the world starting in 2017, and are honored to be accepted to the GATHER fellowship, where we will be unveiling the Bandura social network to the Seeds of Peace family.

Training Palestinian & Israeli facilitators

JERUSALEM | Seeds of Peace is offering a Dialogue Facilitation and Conflict Transfor mation Course for Israelis and Palestinians.

“More than one hundred candidates applied and many of them are Seeds,” says Course Coordinator Farhat Agbaria, who accepted 25 of the applicants into the certifi cation program.

The nine-month intensive training program is unique in its experience-based learning and practice methodology designed for those living in conflict-affected communities. It is the only course of its kind that trains Israelis and Palestinians together.

The course provides individuals with person al and professional skills that can be applied to their careers and everyday life situations.

KAMPOS, CYPRUS | Seeds from the Middle East, South Asia, the United Kingdom, and the United States took part in an eightday advanced leadership program held in a village in the Troodos Mountains on the island of Cyprus.

The 29 high-school age Seeds who attend ed the Paradigm Shifters program took part in advanced leadership and “Unleashing Change” sessions that integrate dialogue and workshops. The Seeds covered topics including active and applied leadership and leadership styles, active listening, collabora tive problem solving, and peer support and understanding.

During the Unleashing Change sessions, Seeds took part in dialogue and workshops dedicated to the exploration of identities, communities, and global issues and concepts. They gave presentations on issues affecting their communities and shared ways to engage them effectively. Seeds also received tools to better understand cultural modes of commu nication, community action, and organizing within their local context.

“It was incredible to see how engaged and challenged the kids were in discussing community issues from around the world,” said Seeds of Peace’s Orlando Arellano, who organized the Paradigm Shifters program.

In addition to the dialogue session, the Seeds took part in the Unleashing Change

“Jumping from Brexit, to Black Lives Matter, to occupation, to Kashmir, to the refugee crisis, the diversity of this group really provided a next-level, mature dialogue that allowed Seeds to both connect and confront the most pressing issues of our time.”

ORLANDO ARELLANO (SEEDS OF PEACE)

program, which explores a range of topics including community action and organizing as well as issues around community and identity. Participants also acquired tools and skills for action-oriented thinking and communication.

“We witnessed tremendous discussions and growth that not only stimulated hope, but a call to action,” said Arellano.

Seeds from every delegation represented at Camp the last few summers took part in the program, including Maine and Syracuse. For many of the Americans, it was their first time outside the United States.

The program was held at a school in the vil lage of Kampos, and participants spent time learning about the conflict in Cyprus, touring the divided city of Nicosia and the United Nations buffer zone. The Seeds were hosted by the Home for Cooperation, an organiza tion that builds bridges between the north and south sides of the island.

“Taking this facilitation course with Seeds of Peace has helped me tremendously,” says Hiba, a Seed and Facilitation Course gradu ate. “I believe the skills that I have learned at the facilitation course are life-long that I apply on a daily basis with my friends and family, and in professional career.”

“It is experience-based and very different from other courses,” says Danny Metzl, who coordinates the course with Farhat.

Participants explore the conflict to get a deep understanding of each other’s narratives and acquire practical skills to become effec tive peacebuilders.

The Course is open to both Seeds of Peace alumni and to those who haven’t been part of any Seeds of Peace program before.

Over 100 dialogue facilitators have graduated from the program in the seven years that Seeds of Peace has offered the training.

After graduating from the course, partici pants will be eligible to facilitate dialogue ses sions at the Seeds of Peace Camp in Maine.

Graduates have also worked with over 50 peacebuilding projects and institutions within Palestine and Israel.

“The course has been one of the best educa tional experiences in my life, mainly because it gave me an opportunity to work with other Seeds on a concrete project,” says Tomer, a Seed and Facilitation Course graduate.

Unleashing change by activating the potential of young leaders to take action

In founding Knowledge Industry Publications and E3 (the Electronic Entertainment Expo), Eliot Minsker learned a thing or two about management. And it was the appeal of Seeds of Peace’s management team that brought Eliot back to the organization’s work after years away.

“I stopped into the New York City office, spent some time with Leslie, Alina, Eva, Jason, and the whole team. I walked away im pressed, excited about the organization, and eager to do whatever I could to move their work forward.”

He and his wife, Doris, joined Seeds of Peace for its fall 2014 Middle East visit, meeting Seeds from Ramallah, Jerusalem, and Ashdod. Every year, the Minskers fly out from their Arizona winter home to attend the Seeds of Peace Spring Benefit. They have also hosted events in Arizona to bring the work of Seeds of Peace to interested individuals who would otherwise be unlikely to learn about us.

“I’m a management guy,” says Minsker, who earned his MBA at Harvard. “So I look at how well an organization is run. There are lots of organizations out there doing good

work, but Seeds of Peace is unique in its efficiency and in the amount of difference it makes with a relatively small budget.”

As Seeds of Peace reconnects with its com munity through events in Los Angeles, London, and Washington, D.C., and has plans to go to other major U.S. cities in coming years, Eliot is excited about the role that volunteers can play.

“There is a lot of energy around Seeds of Peace, and many people who want to help. Together we can help build a strong founda tion that will ensure the organization’s success even in a down economy,” he said in encour aging Seeds of Peace’s many friends across the country and world to get more involved.

#EngageWithUsOnline

Homesick for Camp? Fond memories of an amazing program? Want to learn more about how our alumni are transforming conflict?

We are working hard to better engage our Seeds, Educators, Fellows, and supporters on line. Make sure you don’t miss our latest video profiles on changemakers like Israeli Seed Lior, who helps run Peace Now’s Settlement Watch Program, or GATHER Fellow Rasha, who is helping fellow Gazans find tech jobs. Listen to American Seed Losseni’s moving message of hope and how Camp changed his perspectives.

These and many more are available at www.seedsofpeace.org/videos. You will find dozens of inspiring short videos that feature the transformative projects that our alumni are leading.

We need your support: please share the sto ries of our incredible changemakers on your own digital channels. You can also check us out on Vimeo and YouTube, and join our com munity on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @SeedsofPeace.

How about giving us 10 minutes of your time every week to post, retweet, share, like, and comment on our digital profiles?

Stay tuned for more!

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A THOUSAND LEAPS OF FAITH

Fellowship program grows through the generosity of the Moses Feldman Family Foundation

Seeds of Peace’s Fellows program has be come an integral part of our efforts to develop new global leaders. The Fellowship grew out of the first GATHER convening in Jordan in early 2015, and is designed to accelerate GATHER participants’ exciting, high-potential ideas.

Early supporters like the Moses Feldman Family Foundation immediately saw what the Fellowships could become.

“We know that a better future in the Middle East will come from a thousand leaps of faith, built on new relationships and new projects that will have impact in communities,” said Elizabeth Feldman Manasse, a Moses Feld man Family Foundation board member.

“These Fellowships seemed like a perfect way to make those projects happen.”

The Foundation has been a longtime sup porter of Seeds of Peace, and Moses “Moe” Feldman has been involved with our Camp

“We know that a better future in the Middle East will come from a thousand leaps of faith, built on new relationships and new projects that will have impact in communities.”

since its roots as Camp Powhatan, where he learned about the power of a camp experi ence to promote intercultural understanding.

The first class of Fellows made dramatic progress on their projects, and at the same time became global ambassadors for the idea that any individual, with courage, perspective, and support, can change his or her communi ty. From Nousha Kabawat’s interview on the BBC discussing her efforts to provide educa tional opportunities for Syrian refugee children,

to Micah Hendler’s YMCA Jerusalem Youth Chorus performing on Stephen Colbert’s show during Pope Francis’ visit to New York City, our Fellows told their stories directly through dozens of print and broadcast channels (www. seedsofpeace.org/news).

As the second class of Fellows launched, the Moses Feldman Family Foundation has scaled their involvement, providing additional support so that Seeds of Peace can build a partnership with Brown University to deliver the curriculum and strengthen the selection process.

New Fellows are educators, entrepreneurs, and musicians; they include individuals from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Gaza, Islam abad, Lahore, Kabul, San Francisco and Portland, Maine.

“We are proud to provide these courageous individuals with the opportunity, and we can’t wait to see what they do with it,” said Manasse.

IN ACTION NEWSLETTER

It has been a busy summer for Seeds of Peace as we strive to grow our programs in places where it is most needed. Though the world around us continues to feel divided, it is inspiring to see our Seeds of all ages continue to forge connections and lead change both at Seeds of Peace and in their local communities. I am proud of the conversations that took place here at Camp and our campers’ ability to engage in ways others have not been able to. Thanks for making our work possible!

—Leslie A. Lewin, Executive Director

Launching new United States leadership program at Camp

OTISFIELD, MAINE | A diverse group of dynamic teens from New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago spent the first two weeks of August at the Camp in Maine gaining the un derstanding and skills needed to meaningfully bridge divides and create positive change in their home communities.

The young leaders were participants in a pilot project developed by Seeds of Peace in response to social, cultural, and political discord in the United States. The new project builds on 16 years of Seeds of Peace’s work with over 600 young leaders from Maine who are a leading voice for dialogue, inclu sion, and equity in schools and communities

across the state.

In addition to sports, arts and other tradi tional camp activities, the teens at Camp this summer participated in daily dialogue sessions exploring the concepts of identity, culture, power and privilege, racial inequality, religious diversity, economic disparity, and other sources of prejudice and discrimination.

The sessions were designed to foster self-re flection and help the campers acknowledge and move beyond any stereotypes, prejudic es, and mistrust which they may have held.

Following-up on the Camp experience, the year-round local leadership program will be working with the Seeds, schools, and partners

in each community to develop initiatives which reduce bias, promote cross-cultural and religious understanding, and foster direct interaction between diverse groups.

The pilot program was made possible by many supporters who increased their giving to Seeds of Peace, having recognized the critical need to address divisions within the United States.

Based upon the success of this summer’s program, we are exploring expansion to other cities. If you are interested in learning more, contact Dindy Weinstein at dindy@seedsofpeace.org.

Graduating Middle East, US Seeds

OTISFIELD, MAINE | In July, 177 youth and educators from the Middle East and Unit ed States graduated from the Seeds of Peace Camp program.

The 24th summer of the Camp kicked off with the Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian, Egyptian, and US/UK campers raising their respective flags. Several then addressed their peers in a joint speech calling on them to fight for understanding rather than nationalism.

Each camper took part in over 25 hours of dialogue sessions led by pairs of Israeli and Palestinian facilitators. During the daily ses sions, campers shared personal experiences of conflict and tackled topics that fuel violence in and between their communities.

The dialogue sessions were complemented by physical group challenge activities de signed to help build trust, communication, and understanding between the members of each dialogue group.

This summer, a select group of 26 returning campers from all four delegations participated in an advanced dialogue program focused on leadership development and personal growth.

Before Camp, these returning campers researched organizations that are having an impact in their home communities and shared profiles of these groups with their peers. They

also outlined ways to become involved with these nonprofits after Camp in order to start leading change at home.

As campers formed relationships and gained insights into the root issues that divide them, they built greater levels of trust, respect, and empathy. This in turn drove positive shifts in perceptions and attitudes captured in pre- and post-Camp surveys.

On the other side of Camp, 19 educators from the Middle East and United States took part in a parallel dialogue program as part of Seeds of Peace’s mission to engage schools in communities divided by conflict.

Outside of dialogue, campers participated in traditional summer camp activities, attend ed a minor league baseball game, and were treated to a sports clinic led by current and former professional athletes, including two basketball hall of fame inductees.

The athletes demonstrated leadership and teamwork skills on and off the field during the 14th Annual Play for Peace clinic. They also had a chance to learn more about our campers and the challenges they face as they work for change.

Over the past 24 years, the Seeds of Peace Camp has graduated over 6,000 young leaders and educators from communities divided by conflict.

Getting greener in Maine

OTISFIELD, MAINE | With support from environmentally-conscious donors, the Seeds of Peace Camp took several key steps in going green this summer.

American Seed and counselor Sarah Gross raised over $6,000 from the Yale Sustainable Food Program and the Mountain School of Milton Academy to install and plant 24 large vegetable beds used to grow food for the Camp kitchen. A team of volunteers planted the beds, which were tended to and harvest ed by campers throughout the summer.

“Growing food had been a huge part of my own personal development, and I felt passion ate about its ability to bring people together, engage and excite them, and help them think about their own homes in a different way,” says Sarah.

“I led a special activity for campers where we go into more depth about the impact of food and agriculture on our communities,” says Sarah. “Growing food has facilitated my connections to people with many back grounds, and I hope it will do the same for our campers.”

Members of the Otisfield community have volunteered to tend the garden when Camp is not in session and will be donating the produce to the local food pantry.

In another effort to reduce the environmental impact of Camp, Seeds of Peace installed 14 water fountains, drastically reducing the amount of waste created by disposable cups.

The Sally Mead Hands Foundation, which looks to reverse the effects of climate change, has provided support for Seeds of Peace pro grams that make Camp more environmentally sustainable.

“Just as we have no future until we can learn to live and work in harmony, we have no future until we address climate change. I commend Seeds of Peace for incorporating respect for our earth into its efforts to help young people develop respect for each oth er,” said Trustee Lawrence Hands.

Long-time supporter Paul Bernstein makes $1 M planned gift

Paul Bernstein has met some of the world’s most courageous people, people who have staked their lives to the idea that until all peo ple are free from fear and free to practice their faiths as they see fit, then none of us are free.

He met those people in the Soviet Union in the 1950s while working to help Refusniks get to Israel and America. He met them in Albania working on Besa, a book about Albanian Muslims who protected thousands of Jews dur ing World War II. And he meets them every time he talks to Seeds of Peace alumni who are working in government, classrooms, and businesses in ways that benefit their communi ties and bridge divides in society.

Paul is a man who knows a thing or two about people; he’s met plenty in his time as a cab driver, chicken plucker, stenographer in the U.S. army, tutor, and founding member of Sanford C. Bernstein & Company (now AllianceBernstein). Bronx-raised and NYU-ed ucated, New York City may be his home, but work and philanthropic pursuits have made him a citizen of the world.

“I grew up fast,” Paul says. “Before my 30th

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birthday, I had served in Germany under Gen eral Norstad, Commanding General of the Allied Air Forces in Central Europe; I’d been in jail three times in the south as a minor league baseball player because I refused to sit in the front of the bus and sat in the back with the black players instead; I’d been in Israel during the 1959 conflict; and I’d built a career for myself at Dreyfus and Oppenheimer, and, of course, at Sanford C. Bernstein.”

In seeing so many places and so many ways that life can be lived, Paul developed a vis ceral understanding of our common humanity. That understanding translated into a commit ment to Seeds of Peace.

“I’d never heard of Seeds of Peace, but my friend, Rabbi Malcolm Thomson, invited me to an event with Queen Noor and King Hussein of Jordan. Hearing from them, meeting John Wallach and, just as importantly, hearing from the young people who were taking a leap to trust their historic enemies, hooked me.” Bernstein has visited the Seeds of Peace Camp on multiple occasions, served on the organization’s Board of Directors, and has

supported the Camp experience of more than 100 young people. His generosity has been integral to the success of Seeds of Peace as an organization, but also to the success of the many individual Seeds for whom he has pro vided high school and college scholarships. Over the past two years, Paul has been speaking with Executive Director Leslie Lewin about the future of Seeds of Peace, especially in light of the organization’s upcoming 25th anniversary. In order to ensure that Seeds of Peace continues to grow and thrive, he has generously made arrangements in his estate plan for a $1 million gift.

“I’m somewhat pessimistic that we’ll ever see peace in the Middle East. How can you not be? But, then again, before I visited Camp, I never thought I would see young Jews and Arabs hugging and crying about leaving their newfound friends, so I suppose we might see it yet.” His generosity increases the chances.

To learn more about making a gift or bequest, contact Jason Drucker at jason@seedsofpeace.org.

Partnering with Onnit Celebrating Seeds with Hamdi Ulukaya

NEW YORK | Over 400 Seeds of Peace supporters celebrated Seeds of Peace’s work at the 2016 Spring Dinner hosted by Daily Show correspondent Hasan Minhaj.

The event featured Hamdi Ulukaya, the founder of Chobani, as well as Seeds work ing for change in Israel, Palestine, and Syria.

Nousha, a Seed and 2015 Seeds of Peace Fellow, spoke passionately about Project Amal ou Salam, an organization she founded to provide hope for displaced Syrian children.

“Because Seeds of Peace took a chance on me, I discovered the journey I was meant to take in life,” she said. “Through education, intervention, and trauma-based care, Project Amal ou Salam has empowered and inspired over 6,000 children in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, and inside Syria.”

“We need this passion, we need this strength,” said Hamdi Ulukaya after hearing Nousha speak. “We need these Seeds right now.”

Hamdi shared his personal journey as a Kurdish immigrant from Turkey who now runs a hugely successful business that employs hundreds of refugees from 11 countries.

Altogether, the evening raised over $1M for Seeds of Peace programs.

NEW YORK | Over the last six months, Seeds of Peace has partnered with Onnit, the health, fitness, and nutrition company, to support the organzation’s mission.

Onnit customers can donate to Seeds of Peace through the check-out area of their website every time a purchase is made.

“Health and fitness are an essential part of life and have a profound impact on the ability of young people to live their lives with dignity and respect,” says Onnit Chief Operations Officers, Jason Havey. “We are honored to be part of Seeds of Peace and everything you are working towards.”

This summer, Onnit sent one of its Austin, Texas-based personal fitness trainers, Cristian Plascencia, to Camp to provide a day of fitness training workshops in connection with our annual Play for Peace Day.

Onnit’s support has gone a long way in pro viding our Seeds with opportunities that would otherwise not be available to them.

With a focus on total human optimization, we are proud to have Onnit as a partner.

IN ACTION NEWSLETTER

Itwasanhonortojoinover700IsraeliandPalestinianmembersoftheSeedsofPeacecommunityforourlatestGATHERinitiativesin JerichoandTelAvivthisspring.Toseetheworkofsomanyyoungpeoplefilledwithsuchinspirationandcommitment thereandinevery regioninwhichwework givesmegreatreasontocelebrate,eveninthisdifficultclimate. —Leslie A.

Creating cultural, policy changes in Maine schools

PORTLAND, MAINE | This spring, as part of the Maine Program’s commitment to address pressing issues creating divisions in their schools and communities, dozens of Maine Seeds from across the state organized two youth summits.

“Both events focused on the power and potential of young people to create meaning ful culture and policy change in their schools,” said US Programs Director Sarah Brajtbord.

“The Maine Seeds led the way, sharing their work, facilitating dialogue sessions, and learning with and from their peers. It was a beautiful example of youth leadership at every level.”

The Maine Youth Summit, held at the Portland Public Library, focused on education, gender, and identity, and was attended by teachers and high school administrators.

The Seeds presented their policy recommen dations to a panel of education professionals, community leaders, policymakers—and their peers. They also led an intensive question and answer session with the panelists followed by a dialogue session that engaged the entire group.

Topics discussed included standardized testing, de-gendering dress codes, inclusive sex-ed, gender and bathrooms, diversity of teaching staff, and Islamophobia.

“This is a platform for Maine students to share their opinions about issues that face our state and how they see them being solved,” said Nina, a Maine Seed who helped organ ize the Summit.

“It allows us to hear all sides of an issue, and gives us a voice in decisions that will ulti mately affect us. This is about student leaders

working with administrators and educators to implement concrete solutions to the issues in our educational system and school communi ties.”

The Maine event set the stage for the New England Youth Identity Summit, hosted by Seeds of Peace and Waynflete High School. It was attended by more than 200 students, parents, and educators from 31 schools and organizations from as far away as Rhode Island.

The Summit included a series of student-led workshops designed to inspire critical thinking and dialogue on key issues facing US schools. The workshops also equipped participants with the tools to go back to their schools to implement different initiatives and activities to make their communities safer and more inclusive.

GATHERing 700 Israelis and Palestinians

JERUSALEM | Over 700 Seeds, parents, educators, and friends came together this spring at GATHER Community Days in Jericho and Tel Aviv to recognize the impact our alum ni are having in their communities and take part in workshops, trainings, and networking sessions.

GATHER is a Seeds of Peace initiative that supports practical action to advance social change and transform conflict.

The day-long convenings marked the first time that Seeds of Peace has brought together the full range of alumni—from Seeds of all ages to Educators and Fellows—alongside ex ternal supporters and stakeholders, including members of other organizations working for peace.

COMMUNITY DAY PALESTINE

In Jericho, the GATHER Community Day included sessions that highlighted the ways in which Seeds, Educators, Fellows, and other organizations are working for change within Palestine. Seed-led panels tackled topics rang ing from community empowerment, to gender and politics, and resisting the status quo.

The GATHER Community Day was attended by representatives from a wide array of or ganizations, including the Alliance for Middle East Peace, the Office of the Quartet, the

Israel/Palestine Center for Research and In formation, Combatants for Peace, Just Vision, and the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Donald Blome, the US Consul General in Jerusalem, spoke to the participants about the vital role of youth leadership as a catalyst for change in the region.

“Seeing you all reinforces my own hope that the future of peace in this region is not as dark as some would describe it,” he said.

COMMUNITY DAY ISRAEL

The GATHER Community Day in Tel Aviv took place at the Dan Panorama Hotel and included panel discussions, workshops, and lectures focused on inspiring change and accelerating the impact of initiatives led by Seeds of Peace alumni.

Participants heard from speakers like Iddo, a Seed, high school teacher, and New Visions for Peace Fellow from Jerusalem, who is chal lenging his students to think critically about the conflict.

They also heard from panelists who ad dressed topics ranging from social entrepre neurship and social change to education and active citizenship.

The US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro attended the event, along with representatives from nearly a dozen organizations in Israel.

Hosting integration camp in Pakistan

LAHORE | With funding from the United States Institute of Peace, Pakistani Seeds and Educators organized a weeklong National Integration Camp for 71 students and educa tors from across Pakistan.

The camp program promotes understanding and tolerance between Pakistani communities often divided and in conflict.

Campers tackled national and inter-province issues through dialogue, leadership develop ment, and community action idea generation. They worked to build trust through sports and other fun activities.

“Now, I feel like I have the power to change the thoughts of my community,” said Fatima, a camper from Lahore.

Showcasing mission at UK House of Lords

LONDON | Lord Stone of Blackheath hosted over 80 Israeli, Palestinian, and UK Seeds and supporters at the House of Lords in London.

The meeting of grassroots peace organiza tions was attended by the British Government Minister for the Middle East, Tobias Ellwood.

The event brought together community lead ers and alumni of peacebuilding programs and highlighted their potential for engaging young people from Muslim and Jewish com munities in the UK.

Three Seeds shared their experiences and took part in a discussion focused on approaches to building positive dialogue between groups in conflict. The discussion was moderated by Samantha Simmonds of Sky News.

Lewin, Executive Director

Connecting Educators with West Bank peace activists

JERUSALEM | Thirty-five Jewish and Pales tinian-Israeli Seeds of Peace Educators visited with peace activists in the southern West Bank at a center that engages Israelis and Palestin ians in dialogue and at the Israeli settlement of Tekoa.

The meetings support Seeds of Peace’s mission to build a network of educators com mitted to creating a culture of peace in their classrooms.

“We met people who do not lose their humanity, who emphatically say ‘no’ to vio lence,” said one of the participants.

Hadassah Fruman, the widow of Rabbi Me nachem Fruman, hosted the Educators in her Tekoa home. Rabbi Fruman was well-known for his ties to Palestinian leaders like Yasser Arafat and Hamas co-founder Mahmoud Al-Zahar, and for being a proponent of inter-religious dialogue. He strongly believed that religious Israelis and Palestinians have a special role in making peace.

The Educators also met with peace activist Ali Abu Awwad and members of his Roots

Center, a space that engages Israeli and Palestinian community leaders in seeking a nonviolent solution to the conflict.

Awwad is a recipient of a Seeds of Peace Educator grant, which helped to build his center. The Center is located at the Gush Etzion Junction, the scene of recent attacks, and has continued to bring together local Palestinians and Israelis despite the violence.

Awwad shared his experiences growing up with a mother who was an anti-Occupation activist and who spent years in Israeli prisons.

He also spoke of how he spent years in Israeli prison, how his brother was killed by Is raeli soldiers, and how he has taken a painful path to where he is now as an activist fighting for a Palestinian state and for peace.

Awwad emphasized that Israelis themselves are not his enemy.

“My enemy is Israeli fear, which gets in the way of my freedom,” he said.

For most of the program’s participants, this was the first time in years that they crossed the Green Line into the West Bank.

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A NEW SEEDS OF PEACE ADDRESS IN JERUSALEM

Seeds of Peace has opened up a new office in Jerusalem on the border between the East and West sides of the city. The space will allow our staff, formerly based in separate offices in Tel Aviv and Ramllah, to meet under one roof.

UPCOMING EVENTS & PROGRAMS

SPRING BENEFIT DINNER | MAY 17, 2016 (NEW YORK)

Join for an inspiring evening celebrating Seeds of Peace’s work with young people from conflict regions and honoring these courageous changemakers.

The annual Dinner will be hosted by Daily Show correspondent Hasan Minhaj. Hamdi Ulukaya, the founder of Chobani, and Seeds of Peace alumni, will be the featured speakers. More information and tickets at www.seedsofpeace.org/dinner

2016 CAMP SESSION 1 | JULY 10, 2016 (MAINE)

Over 160 Palestinian, Israeli, Jordanian, Egyptian, and American campers will kick off the 24th summer of the Seeds of Peace Camp with a public flagraising ceremony in Otisfield, Maine.

2016 CAMP SESSION 2 | AUGUST 3, 2016 (MAINE)

Alongside its Maine and Syracuse programs, Seeds of Peace will de but an expanded US program, which will include youth from Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles.

Like the Maine Seeds initiative, this new program brings together a socially, economically, and racially diverse group of young Americans for dynamic dialogue on issues facing the United States.

2015

SEEDS OF PEACE  IN ACTION

—Leslie A. Lewin, Executive Director, Seeds of Peace

Convening inaugural classes of Fellows in Cyprus, London

NEW YORK | Seeds of Peace has selected and convened its first-ever classes of GATHER and New Visions for Peace Fellows. Both fellowships are a yearlong targeted investment by Seeds of Peace in changemakers from conflict regions whose projects have the potential to create positive change.

GATHER FELLOWShip

The 16 GATHER Fellows, from the Middle East, South Asia, and the US, met in London in October for a week of leadership development and networking aimed at ac celerating the impact of their entrepreneurial ventures.

Their projects range from increasing employment opportunities for Arab women in Israel’s tech sector, to researching the neuroscience of empathy and its implica tions for conflict transformation.

The GATHER Fellowship is part of a larger initiative that Seeds of Peace launched this year to support innovative and unique approaches to advancing social change.

NEW VISIONS FOR PEACE FELLOWShip

The New Visions for Peace Fellows from the Middle East and South Asia met in Cyprus for a week to share their projects.

The Fellowship was awarded to 16 educators, civic leaders, and artists in the Middle East, South Asia, and the US who are putting forth fresh and practical ideas that encourage creativity, communication, critical thinking, cross-cultural understand ing, and a more just future. Projects include a community center in a Palestinian refugee camp and a textbook series that teaches values of respect, critical thinking, and peacebuilding in regions of conflict.

New Visions for Peace Fellows met in Nicosia to share their projects, find solutions for challenges they face in launching them, and learn about the conflict in Cyprus.

PHOTOS

BY MADELEINE PRYOR & Melinda McDougall

GATHER Fellows meet with the US ambassador to the United Kingdom in October as part of a weeklong leadership development program.

GATHER Fellows take part in a professional development exercise in London’s Trafalgar Square.

SEEDS OF PEACE PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

SEEDS OF PEACE CAMP

The 23rd summer of the Seeds of Peace Camp graduated 296 Seeds. The internation al session brought together teenagers from the Middle East, South Asia, and the US/UK, as well as educators from those countries.The do mestic session graduated Seeds from across Maine and from all five public high schools in Syracuse, New York.

“This was a summer marked by deep, authentic relationship building, necessary but incredibly challenging moments of growth and struggle, and a powerful team effort to create another meaningful and transformative entry experience into Seeds of Peace,” said Assistant Camp Director Sarah Brajtbord.

PAKISTAN INTERFAITH CAMP

Pakistani Seeds hosted the fifth annual Interfaith Camp program for 60 young people from across Pakistan. Participants included Muslims (Sunni and Shia), Christians, Hindus, and Sikhs. This is also the first year

the program was open to participants from across the country, including students from the cities of Multan and Quetta, and the Sindh province, as well as members of the heavily persecuted Hazara community.

MIDDLE EAST MULTINATIONAL

Twenty Junior Seeds from Egypt, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan took part in a weeklong ‘Paradigm Shifters’ (PS) program in late Au gust. This leadership program is an expan sion of the PS program held at Camp every summer, and this is the first it was offered in the Middle East.

The Seeds gathered in Jordan to discuss problems and conflicts facing their communi ties, as well as how to challenge the status quo of systems and structures in their coun tries.

MAINE SEEDS SCHOOL INITIATIVES

Maine Seeds have worked hard this fall to bring dialogue and other community-building

activities into their schools, ranging from rais ing awareness around homelessness in Maine to launching an all-freshman dialogue series. They have also brought their leadership skills to bear in revising the Portland and Lewiston School Districts’ dress codes to be less biased with regard to gender and religion, and rep resented their peers at Portland City Council hearings about school busing policies.

BRIDGES TO PEACE 2015

Over 400 Seeds and friends celebrated Bridges to Peace this fall by taking part in one of several events in conjunction with International Day of Peace. From Augusta and New York to London, Lahore, Cairo, Kabul, and Mumbai, Seeds, Educators, volunteers, and supporters gathered to discuss the issues regarding peace in their communities and to raise awareness for Seeds of Peace by crossing bridges in the heart of their cities. To gether, Bridges to Peace walkers raised over $57,000 to further Seeds of Peace’s mission.

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Experiencing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict firsthand

JERUSALEM | Fourteen American Seeds participated in this year’s Bayti trip to Israel and Palestine, spending two weeks meeting with their Seed peers on both sides of the Green Line and learning about the conflict firsthand.

Bayti, which means “my home” in both Arabic and Hebrew, is an intense, immersive experience designed to provide American Seeds a deeper understanding of the many narratives of the conflict. The program expos es them to locations, people, and perspec tives not typically available to tourists.

The group met with heads of peace organi zations, representatives of settler groups, and diplomats, as well as with dozens of Israeli and Palestinian Seeds involved in human rights work, politics, and community organiz ing across Israel and the West Bank.

Other highlights included a multinarrative tour of the Old City of Jerusalem, meetings with Knesset members, and visits to Hebron, Jaffa, Sderot, Tel Aviv, Ramallah, Jenin,

Jericho, Nablus, Bethlehem, Haifa, and Neve Shalom/Wahat al Salaam, an intentional community of Jews and Arabs.

The Seeds participated in dialogue sessions throughout the experience, allowing them to process everything they were seeing and

work through a difficult range of emotions and reactions.The Seeds also came away with a better understanding of US involvement in the region and were able to reflect on how they would like to engage with it in the future.

PHOTO BY ALIA LAHLOU

SEEDS OF PEACE  IN ACTION

It was incredibly inspiring to be in Jordan to help launch Seeds of Peace’s new program dedicated to supporting changemakers within our communities and accelerating their impact. At a time when our world craves new leadership and creative thinking, it was truly wonderful to see such thoughtful, dedicated, and passionate people come together to learn from one another, launch initiatives, and network. This edition of Seeds of Peace In Action is dedicated to GATHER+962, a program which marks a new milestone in Seeds of Peace’s development as a global leadership organization.

—Leslie A. Lewin, Executive Director, Seeds of Peace

GATHER+962: CONNECTING GLOBAL CHANGEMAKERS

Seeds of Peace convened over 200 leaders from 21 countries at the Dead Sea in Jordan in February and March as part of its inaugural GATHER+962 event. Just over half of the participants were Seeds, Delegation Leaders, and counselors.

The event marked a new milestone in Seeds of Peace’s journey as a global leadership development organization.

Over the course of three very intense days, participants engaged in inspiring discussions, interactive activities, skillbuilding workshops, and an initiative

pitch competition that gave a platform to passionate, emerging leaders and their innovative ideas for positive social change.

Fifteen different panel discussions focused on how gender, technology, entrepreneurship, and media can create social change and contribute to peacebuilding.

average age, GATHER+962 participants

“For me, GATHER+962 was more than a conference, more than an opportunity to meet people—it was a step towards what could be a movement based on shared interests [in] a just and equal future. A path that we can believe in, that goes beyond our small organizations to something that is so much bigger.”

—Dana

Moss (Tel Aviv)

Middle East Education Through Technology

“After witnessing what Seeds of Peace has generated, I am convinced that these bright, dedicated, young people should

be even more engaged in contributing to peace efforts in various parts of the world. It was amazing to observe how they were able to dialogue “across boundaries” on sensitive issues in such a collaborative and constructive way.”

—Nina Lahoud (New York) Office of the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations

“The GATHER+962 experience was mem orable, and I have the tools now that I need to continue the path from darkness to light. I made connections that I need to further my work on the journey to promote peace and

reconciliation in my community.”

—Iyad Dajani (Jerusalem)

PhD student, Social Media’s Role in the Context of Israeli-Palestinian Reconciliation

“I had never been to a Seeds event before, and my expectations were sort of mixed. Thanks for blowing away those ex pectations and for giving me the chance to connect with the assembled group. Good people. Good ideas. Honored to have the chance to exchange, present, and learn with them.”

—Mike Niconchuk (Amman) Questscope.org

Panels at GATHER+962 addressed a multitude of topics, including what it takes to build an entrepreneurship ecosystem that can contribute to economic development and alleviate challenges to peace; accurate reporting in conflict; ways to humanize people through storytelling; engaging women more directly in peacebuilding work; challenges and opportunities in Gaza; and the role that environmental sustainability can play in bringing unlikely partners together in solution-making.

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Tia Johnston Brown, a senior trainer for Ashoka, the leading global organization that coined the idea of social entrepreneurship, helps GATHER+962 attendees work through the unique challenges and opportunities of running a social enterprise. Boot Camp members learned how to effectively pitch a social change project and then shared ideas with their peers and received feedback from a panel. GATHER+962 participants are eligible for the Seed Fellowship Program, which will launch in London in June.

SKILL-BUILDiNG AT GATHER+962: ASHOKA ENTREPRENEURSHIP BOOT CAMP

KITO DE BOER, who heads the Office of the Quartet Representative, leads an inspirational talk with Ami Dar (on the right), founder of Idealist.org, a major innovator in the NGO community and a pioneer in building online communities. De Beor works directly with Tony Blair to spearhead initiatives that engage the private sector to drive economic growth and job creation across Palestine.

FAWZIA KOOFI, the first female Deputy Speaker in the Afghan Parliament, discusses Afghan society and the role of women in politics with Parnian Nazary (on the right), a 2003 Afghan Seed and Advocacy Manager at Women for Afghan Women, during a keynote conversation facilitated by Seeds of Peace Director of South Asia Programs, Awista Ayub.

INSPIRING AND INFORMATIVE: GATHER+962 SPEAKERS

SEEDS OF PEACE  IN ACTION

Asweentertheholidayseason,wearecognizantofjusthowmuchworkthereistodotorestoretrust,respect,empathyandcompassion intheworld.IamproudofthevaluesourSeedscommunityshares,andoftheleadershiptheyshowincreatingchangewithopen mindsandasenseofpossibility.ThankyouforsupportingourSeedsatthiscriticaltime,whentheirworkhasneverbeenmoreneeded. WishingyouandyourfamilymuchhealthandhappinessintheNewYear.

—Leslie A. Lewin, Executive Director, Seeds of Peace

Engaging communities in dialogue on racism, privilege

PORTLAND, MAINE | Seeds in Maine have initiated a dialogue series to tackle issues of race, power, and privilege.

The series comes at a time of national conversation about racism sparked by events in Ferguson and New York, as well as a high profile racial incident in Portland.

Over 90 Seeds participated in the first two sessions in November, which were facilitated by fellow Seeds.

Before engaging their classmates and the general public on the topics, the Seeds met for a series of workshops and internal dialogue sessions designed to build trust and consensus between them.

During the dialogue sessions, Seeds exam

ined the asymmetrical power dynamics they encounter in their communities, discussed the history of race and racism in America, explored stereotypes, and shared personal experiences of discrimination.

They also spent time reflecting on the various emotional triggers associated with discussions of race and racism.

“Although I recognize the racism in our community, I unknowingly block it out in order to feel better about having privileges that my friends do not have,” said one participant.

“It helped me to understand that it is prev alent. It also opened my eyes to what my friends have gone through their whole lives.”

“I already knew that race impacts a per

son’s opportunity and privilege, [but] it was eye-opening to see the individual situations where race influenced my friends’ lives,” said another.

The workshops also helped the Seeds plan this public engagement, starting with a two-day summit for youth from across the state planned for early 2015, and a series of facilitation trainings with public and private school educators in Maine.

For the past 15 years, Maine Seeds have worked to engage their schools and communi ties to address issues like racism, sexism, and bullying, as well as intercommunal tensions between different populations in the state, including refugees and asylum seekers.

Addressing Jordan’s growing refugee crisis

AMMAN | Jordanian Seeds and Educators gained a deeper understanding of the chal lenges facing their country and the millions of Palestinian and now Syrian refugees it is hosting.

The two-day November seminar involved a visit to Jordan’s oldest Palestinian refugee camp in Jerash, as well as discussions with the field coordinator of the Za’atari Refugee Camp for Syrians and others working to manage the crisis.

Participants also heard directly from refu gees, including educators and students at a United Nations school, who shared their personal experiences and frustrations as refu gees. Many urged the Seeds to help them to elevate their voices and turn talk into solutions.

Examining the impact of ongoing violence

JERUSALEM | In the wake of the horrific bloodshed in and around Gaza and recent clashes in Jerusalem and the West Bank, 53 Israeli and Palestinian Seeds spent three days in late November examining their individual emotional reactions to the violence.

The “I for an Eye” seminar provided partic ipants with an avenue to better understand conflict and the forces that perpetuate vio lence, hate, and injustice—from occupation and religion to media and politics.

“We created a safe space to address and process the emotional impact this summer had on all of us, and to better comprehend our own strengths, weaknesses and mecha nisms we develop to cope with the aftermath, both individually and collectively,” said one organizer.

In a powerful moment, the participants came together to support a fellow Seed whose

friend had been shot and killed near his refu gee camp, and then held a moment of silence for all of the innocent Palestinian and Israeli lives lost this year.

“This seminar was one which helped vali date my Seeds experience,” said the Seed.

“I learned about new things, but more im portantly, I felt the support of my Seeds family which helped me to overcome one of the worst times I have ever had.”

“In this, I realized the importance of listen ing, understanding and respecting others before we talk and judge them.”

The seminar took place near Jerusalem at the only intentional Arab-Jewish community in Israel.

In addition to workshops on media, the construction of narrative, and self-expression, the Seeds engaged in facilitated dialogue sessions—their first since the summer.

POSTER PROJECT SUPPORTS SEEDS OF PEACE

NEW YORK | The Hamsa is a universal symbol for protection, blessings and strength across the entire Middle East.

Our friends at Holstee have worked with calligrapher Josh Berer to bring the inspiring words of the Holstee Manifesto to life in both Arabic and Hebrew as a 12”x16” letterpress print.

For every poster sold, $10 will be donated to Seeds of Peace.

Prints are available for $36. Support us today by purchasing a print for yourself or as a gift at www.holstee.com/seeds

Seeds held their own dialogue sessions to reflect on what they had seen and heard, as a first step to taking action.

Helping peers understand Indo-Pak regional policies

MUMBAI/LAHORE | Pakistani and Indian Seeds organized simulations of their gov ernments and legislatures to gain a better understanding of the policies that impact regional stability.

Over 150 students from 22 schools in Lahore and Mumbai participated in the mock parliaments.

In Pakistan, which has witnessed overwhelm ing change at the national level since the 2013 elections, participants deepened their understanding of the political situation.

In Mumbai, participants explored both the Indo-Pak and Middle East conflicts.

BRINGING TOGETHER SUPPORTERS AND SEEDS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

JERUSALEM | In October, a group of Seeds of Peace board members and major supporters participated in a week-long educational trip to Israel, Palestine, and Jordan. The visit deepened understanding of the complex conditions under which Seeds of Peace works, and introduced the group to Seeds, Educators and staff and the impact they are having. Participants also engaged in discussion with diplomats, leading journalists, government officials, and business, nonprofit, and community leaders. Other highlights included a multi-narrative tour of Jerusalem, a briefing on water resources and environmental sustainability in northern Jordan with Friends of the Earth Middle East, and visits with the Seeds of Peace community in Sderot, Ramallah, Hebron, and Bethlehem.

370 Lexington Ave., Suite 1201 New York, NY 10017-6584

RAISING OVER $150,000 to support Seeds of Peace

NEW YORK | Over 800 young professionals attended Seeds of Peace’s 9th Annual Peace Market at New York City’s iconic Terminal 5. The fund-raiser included a live musical performance by Jermaine Paul, winner of the second season of The Voice, and a funky DJ set by AndrewAndrew. The evening, organized by the Seeds of Peace Young Leadership Committee (YLC), helped raise over $150,000 for Seeds of Peace programs. To learn more about or join the YLC, visit www.seedsofpeace.org/ylc

SEEDS OF PEACE IN ACTION

Manyhaveaskedushow—andwhy—SeedsofPeaceranitsflagshipCampprogramthissummeramidtheunspeakabledevastationin theMiddleEast.Eveninsuchterribletimes,weareremindedoftheimportanceofourworkandourvisionforaworldinwhicheveryone canlivewiththesamesafety,equality,andsenseofhopefulnessweexperiencetogetherinMaine.Iaminaweofthecouragethat eachandeveryoneofourcampersshowedbychoosingtocometogetherandtobringtheirvoicestothetable.AndIapplaudthemfor engagingsodeeplyduringtheirtimeatCamp.Itwasanhonortobepartoftheirprocess,andtoseetheirdifficultworkfirsthand.

—Leslie A. Lewin, Executive Director, Seeds of Peace

OTISFIELD, MAINE | This summer, 129 Seeds from Maine and Syracuse, and 182 Seeds from the Middle East, South Asia, and the U.S., became members of the Seeds of Peace family.

For the campers from the Middle East, the daily 110-minute dialogue sessions focused heavily on the Gaza war. They listened to stories that challenged them to the core. They raised their voices to audiences that would otherwise not hear them. They forged deep, meaningful, and unlikely connections.

And they found a space to actively counter

dehumanization, separation, fear, and hatred.

These new Seeds will carry with them the knowledge, values, inspiration, relationships, and skills from their Seeds of Peace experi ences—as leaders with courage and strength, with deeper imagination, understanding, empathy, and skill.

As Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said about Seeds in a recent policy speech, “To those who say peace between Israelis and Palestinians is impossible, I say, let them, visit America. I say, let them visit Maine.”

“It works. It’s real. It’s the future.”

SEEDS voices RESPONDING TO WAR

AHMED (GAZA) In a letter to fellow Seeds: My dear Seeds family, I am writing to you today because there is seriously no place I’d rather be more than Camp right now.

I find myself helpless, sinking in the sorrow of my people. I have been thinking of you intensely, as I find hope whenever I do. Your messages ignite hope inside me that has been there since the summer of 2012.

The situation takes me back two summers ago. I remember every single detail of the safe zone that took me away from the reality and at the same time made me much more aware of it.

I remember how peace was the only thing we were thinking about. I remember how love filled the place. I must say, I need nothing more than that.

The recent weeks were mind wrecking, but also illuminating. I have come to the realiza tion of how much a human life means, and how easily it can be taken away.

I hope the situation gets better as soon as possible to stop the brutal killing and the unbearable bloodshed. I am now three wars old with more to come, but I swear to you all I will never forget what each and every one of you said in your life-giving messages.

This is one of the times that I thank God for being a part of the Seeds of Peace family. I sincerely hope to see you all this summer, even if I know for sure that I won’t.

I won’t lose hope.

ALY (CAIRO) In a post to his Facebook followers: People always ask me how I can simultaneously be both proIsrael and pro-Palestine. The truth is, one can have a principled stance on this conflict, and that principle is nonviolence. Gandhi liberated the entire Indian sub-continent from British rule through non-violent means. If it’s good enough for India—a country of over a billion people with 21 languages, eight religions, and hundreds of regional and ethnic groups—then it’s certainly good enough for Israel and Palestine.

We need to start living by his timeless words: “I am prepared to die, but there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill.”

ADI (JERUSALEM) In a post to her Face book followers: Last night a rocket was shot at my grandmother’s bed.

The pictures are nothing compared to pictures from Gaza.

Still, a rocket was shot at my grandmother’s bed.

Dialogue in Seeds of Peace has taught me well: We are oppressors.

Still, a Palestinian rocket was shot at my grandmother’s bed.

I went to protest last night against the war with Jewish and Palestinian friends.

We had so much hope.

Still, a rocket was shot at my grandmother’s bed.

My grandmother is used to it. She’s been living on the border with Gaza for 65 years.

She’s been going to the shelter every once in a while for the past 10 years. She left her home two weeks ago when escalation started. It wasn’t luck that kept her safe.

Still, I seek no revenge. I seek an end.

I want rockets to stop being shot at our grandmothers and their grandmothers’ beds.

LIOR (TEL AVIV) To 10,000 Israeli peace protesters in Tel Aviv: I want to share some thing personal. Throughout this war, in which over 2,000 Palestinians were killed—includ ing nearly 500 children—and 70 Israelis, I have known that another way is possible.

Throughout this war, while my heart was with the citizens of the South and my friends who were drafted, my dearest friend has been a Gazan.

Through this war, we spoke several times a day. She told me about her sister, who sheltered for over six hours in a stairwell with her two children, ages 7 and 9, while heavy bombing shook her home.

She shared with me the lack of water and electricity, and the existential fear that you might be killed at any given moment.

This friendship between us in these difficult times is the proof that another way is possible and that there is hope. I don’t expect us all to become friends, but she is not ‘them’ and she should not be shunned.

Hear more voices at www.seedsofpeace.org/voices

SEEDS OF PEACE IN THE NEWS

For full stories and more news coverage, visit www.seedsofpeace.org/news

Peace Through Friendship, August 22, 2014

“For most contentious and violent conflicts, whether between Israelis and Palestinians or between other groups, the path to peace is likely to be long and hard. But programs like Seeds of Peace can help pave the way.”

Viewpoint from the West Bank: ‘We are all humans’, August 26, 2014

“I believe that at the end of the day we are all humans. We deserve dignity, rights and equal lives, so I don’t care if you’re Israeli or Jewish, I care about what you think, and I care about your humanity.” (Palestinian Seed)

Associated Press

Peace Camp in US Unites Israeli, Palestinian Teens, July 29, 2014

“Even years later, campers ... say they feel the impact of their experience gently nudging them to consider their words, to have compas sion and always, always to aim for peace.”

Camp Plants Seeds of Peace in Israeli and Palestinian Teens, August 5, 2014

“What makes this place so special is structured dialogues: private conversations among the Palestinian and Israeli campers where they are free to express their pain, their anger—even their hatred—and try to start working through it.”

Israeli and Palestinian Teens Confront Each Other Peacefully at a Camp in Maine, August 7, 2014

“As Israeli and Palestinian leaders begin to engage in peace talks—albeit indirectly, dur ing a 72-hour cease-fire—they would do well to follow the example set by some of their nations’ teenagers who have already started the difficult conversation.”

Convening 60 Educators from conflict regions

DEAD SEA, JORDAN | In July of 2014, 60 Seeds of Peace Educators from around the world met at the Dead Sea in Jordan for Making History, a workshop dedicated to engaging with the past in ways that integrate the arts and active learning, critical thinking, and cross-cultural understanding to affect a more just, peaceful future.

The group included history, civics, drama, music, and dance teachers, as well as curricu lum designers and leaders of initiatives that focus on engagement with multiple narratives through the arts.

They were joined by a faculty member from our partner organization, Facing History and Ourselves, and by Seeds of Peace staff.

The workshop was made possible by longtime donors Jim and Nora Orphanides and The Germanacos Foundation.

Support from the Orphanides allowed Seeds of Peace to bring 10 distinguished Orpha nides Fellows from Pakistan, India, Cyprus, and the United States together with counter parts from Israel and Palestine.

As Fellows, they are committed to using the connections that they made at the workshop, along with the newly-acquired skills, to move forward with their own projects and to build a cross-border community of educators with the unique potential to make a positive difference.

“My hope for peace is built on the idea that a new generation will understand things differ ently,” said Nora Orphanides.

“I believe that if young people have teachers and role models who expose them to a more complete story of their respective histories, and to the common humanity of their peers across the border, they can break the chain of hatred and distrust.”

Anne Germanacos has been a long-time advocate of the use of arts and creativity in peacebuilding. Through her family founda tion, Seeds of Peace is able to provide

“seed” grants to empower educators to pursue projects that further the mission of Seeds of Peace. Notable grants from the past year include:

• “Identity, Empowerment and Community Building Through the Arts and Social Games,” by Karen AbuZant, a Palestinian Seeds of Peace Educator.

• “We Make the Road By Walking,” a song album that grew out of the 2012 Seeds of Peace Educators’ course, Expressive Arts; Educational Transformations. This is a coop erative project of graduates of this course.

• “Adinu,” an audio recording with the Jerusalem Youth Chorus, founded by American Seed and Seeds of Peace Educator, Micah Hendler.

Ms. Germanacos sees the arts as particu larly suited to the task of empowering young peacebuilders.

“The arts are a unique way of allowing young people both to express and to know themselves,” she said.

“In gaining profound knowledge through the arts, they will understand the precise tenor and location of our common humanity. Without it, there can be no hope for peace. Coming upon it through creative expression, the realm of possibility remains open.”

The Making History workshop’s focus on the arts and how to learn and teach about the past built on the themes of the last two years, providing the opportunity for a cohort of veteran participants to share their wisdom, to reflect on their experiences, and to move forward with new projects.

At the same time, the workshop was a precious opportunity to broaden the circle of Seed of Peace Educators and to make new connections. The result was a rich conversa tion during the week’s formal programming.

The workshop in Jordan took place during a time of escalating violence in the region. ,

Even as the situation grew worse, participants continued to meet and work together in the weeks after the workshop. In cooperation with Facing History and Ourselves, Seeds of Peace offered a set of workshops, Creating Social Change and Teaching Values; Making Meaningful Choices, in Jerusalem, Beit Umar, and Tulkarem. The educators also conducted a series of follow-up meetings, evaluations, and action planning sessions.

The success of the Making History workshop and the activities it is generating stand out against a background of increasing tension, hatred, and violence.

COMING UP

OCTOBER 19-26 The Seeds of Peace Board of Directors and supporters will visit Israel, Palestine, and Jordan to deepen their understanding of conflict dynamics, meet with Seeds, and engage with members of the busi ness, NGO, and policy communities on the ground. [at capacity]

NOVEMBER 20 The Seeds of Peace Young Leadership Committee will host over 1,200 young professionals at the 9th Annual Peace Market benefit at Terminal 5 in New York City for an evening of food, drink, and live entertainment.

www.seedsofpeace.org/peacemarket

FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 1 2015 Seeds of Peace launches GATHER+962, its inaugural ideas and action summit aimed at amplifying the impact of a growing network of changemakers in the Middle East and South Asia.

GATHER+962 will take place at the Möven pick Resort at the Dead Sea, Jordan.

www.seedsofpeace.org/Jordan2015

Crossing bridges to peace with Seeds and supporters worldwide

NEW YORK | Starting in late September and continuing throughout the fall, Seeds of Peace will celebrate the International Day of Peace and host its fourth annual Bridges to Peace campaign.

The event gathers Seeds and supporters from around the world to cross a bridge in their community and raise money and aware ness for Seeds of Peace.

“We are incredibly grateful to everyone around the world who walked across literal and metaphorical bridges in support of Seeds

of Peace this year,” said Executive Director Leslie Lewin.

The 2013 event was an overwhelming success. More than 1,400 people from 45 different cities participated, raising nearly $150,000. Elected officials, musicians, artists, and news outlets such as CNN sup ported and showcased the event.

The organization has even bigger plans in 2014, with ambitious walks and gatherings planned in London, Mumbai, New York, and elsewhere.

Former Seeds of Peace Camp Counselor Matthew Courey first started the Bridges to Peace initiative in London in 2011.

Courey, a Lebanese-American, joined the Seeds of Peace Young Leadership Committee in 2003 and now serves as a member of the Board of Directors and as Chair of Seeds of Peace UK.

Supporters across the world can sign up online to join the campaign, start their own walk, open a fundraising page, or donate at www.crowdrise.com/B2PGlobal2014

Recognizing supporters for THEIR generous legacy gifts

The generosity of thousands of supporters have helped make Seeds of Peace one of the premiere people-to-people peacebuilding organizations, recognized internationally for its innovative leadership programs.

Contributing to Seeds of Peace during one’s lifetime has an immediate impact on the suc cess and effectiveness of the organization. A

gift provided in an estate plan acknowledges a very special commitment that helps assure that the mission will endure. A planned gift to Seeds of Peace reaffirms the belief that peace is possible, and with ongoing stewardship, sustainable.

We are deeply appreciative of friends who have recently made their planned giving

known to us. Through their generosity, the values they hold dear will be supported long after they are gone.

We are grateful to legacy donors Mike and Joan Spero, Bobbie and Tom Gottschalk, and Gene and Carolyn Mercy, and are honored that they let us share some of their motives for including Seeds of Peace in their estate plans.

GENE & CAROLYN MERCY

Eugene “Gene” Mercy, Jr. became involved with Seeds of Peace when a friend, Fred Gould, told him that he’d met a man with a powerful idea that he thought Gene should meet. Over lunch, Seeds of Peace founder John Wallach eloquently shared his plan to help establish a lasting peace in the Middle East by working with young people.

Gene understood and believed in the vision and was an early and generous supporter, eventually becoming a member of the Board of Directors. He is now an emeritus member of the Board.

Gene and his wife Carolyn have included Seeds of Peace in their estate plans because they believe in the long-term work involved in building a pool of peacemakers in the region. Gene says that there is a great need for constructive and forward-looking initiatives, and he is taking the leap of faith that the work we are doing will have an effect.

“We can’t give up,” he said. “I want to make sure that the effort keeps going long after I’m gone, when I can’t contribute my annual support any more.”

That view was reaffirmed recently when Gene and Carolyn visited Israel and Palestine this past spring. Spending an afternoon with Seeds of Peace Palestinian Programs Director Mohammed NasserEddin and visiting Ramal lah with Seeds, Gene was encouraged by what he saw, including the dynamism of local staff and volunteers.

C. Michael “Mike” Spero was introduced to Seeds of Peace about fifteen years ago through several serendipitous occasions which included listening to President Clinton ask a group of prominent foundations to support projects such as Seeds of Peace.

Soon after, founder John Wallach asked him to join the Board of Directors and serve as Seeds of Peace’s General Counsel. When John passed away, Mike stepped into the or ganization in a more involved way. Mike still serves on the Board, where he plays an ac tive role in the governance of Seeds of Peace.

Mike and his wife, Joan, have always believed in leaving the world a better place. Each has served on many nonprofit boards, and contributed generously over the years to those organizations nearest to their hearts.

They have decided to include Seeds of Peace in their estate plans because they “love the mission, and care deeply about the need for a lasting peace in the Middle East.”

Mike agrees with John Wallach’s original assertion that governments alone can’t do this work, and that youth are essential to a solution.

As a retired tax attorney, Mike advises everyone to create an estate plan. He says, “No matter your age or wealth, an estate plan will assure that your assets will go to the people and organizations about which you care.” Too often people neglect to even cre ate a simple will and their assets are held up in probate court or are directed in a way that would not have otherwise been chosen.

Consider A Planned gift

There is no minimum amount for a planned gift. It can be as simple as including a set sum in your will or trust, can include gifts of real estate or other valuables, or can be designat ed through retirement funds or life insurance.

If you would like information on estate plan ning structures or would like to learn what others have done, members of our staff and board are available to work with you and

your financial advisors. Inquiries can be sent to Jason@seedsofpeace.org.

Planned gifts are a testament to the values you cherish. Thank you to all of you who are considering this incredibly special means of giving. Please let us know of your intentions; all gifts, great and small, are truly appreci ated.

Bobbie Gottschalk is one of the founders of Seeds of Peace. From the start, she valued John Wallach’s idea of creating a summer camp for youth from conflict regions as a means of peacebuilding.

As a college sophomore, during the height of the Cold War, she was chosen to attend a program that brought together students from the Soviet Union and the U.S. outside Kiev for a two-week camp experience.

“From this experience, I learned a lot about so-called enemies,” she says. “I found out that enemies could become friends pretty rapidly by living together.”

Bobbie, Seeds of Peace’s first executive director, saw the organization through many ups and downs—from its euphoric start to the pitfalls of politics and war, including the Second Intifada. She helped set up the in-country programs, crucial to the success of maintaining relationships, building skills, and harnessing the network of alumni.

Bobbie has spent every summer at the Seeds of Peace International Camp, working and volunteering thousands of hours. She currently serves on the Seeds of Peace Board of Directors.

Her commitment and generosity have be come a life calling.

Bobbie and her husband, Tom, have included Seeds of Peace in their estate plans because they believe that there will always be a need for peacebuilding.

“Our commitment shouldn’t die just because we do,” she says.

“We have to take care of peace, it doesn’t happen by accident. The young people—they are so resilient and they need Seeds of Peace to stay strong, to know that we feel compas sion and are afraid for them, but that we never give up hope.”

What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived.

It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.

MIkE & JOAN SPERO

BOBBIE & TOM GOTTSCHALk

Honoring journalist Fareed Zakaria, celebrating the impact of Seeds

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 journal ist Fareed Zakaria, who received the John P. Wallach Peacemaker Award. Al Jazeera America anchor Ali Velshi hosted the event.

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

“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 commit ment toward peace.”

Over 400 distinguished supporters heard directly from older Seeds about the impact they are making on their communities.

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.”

Sherife, a 2003 Egyptian Seed, spoke about the necessity of building peace and described his path from Seeds to running one of the largest renewable energy advising companies in the Middle East.

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

“What 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?”

Watch highlights from the Dinner at http://bit.ly/zakaria14

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Convening Seeds of Peace supporters in communities around the globe

NEW YORK | Over the past six months, Seeds of Peace and its supporters have organized events around the world to raise funds, engage new communities, and strengthen the organization’s capacity to empower young leaders eager to make a difference in their communities.

In January, Miami supporters gathered for an evening of cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Hosted by Jane and Bob Toll, the event fea tured remarks by both Israeli and Palestinians Seeds discussing the organization’s personal and global significance. The evening raised nearly $50,000 and helped galvanize organizational supporters in Miami.

In New York City, Seeds of Peace continues to open new doors. On March 7, board member Vivek Bantwal hosted a luncheon at Goldman Sachs. Before a room of partners and senior management, Executive Direc tor Leslie Lewin and Director of South Asia Programs Awista Ayub discussed the organi zation’s regional programming. An Israeli

Seed and Goldman Sachs vice president, Koby Sadan, then shared his story about the organization’s role in changing his life. The event was a major success, as Seeds of Peace raised over $50,000 and established new connections.

One month later, the Seeds of Peace Young Leadership Committee organized an outreach symposium, Transform, with a focus on Seeds of Peace’s impact. Hosted at the School of Visual Arts in New York and attended by nearly 400 people, Transform showcased the work of Seeds around the world through a series of interactive talks and media. Ami Dar, the founder and executive director of Idealist. org, delivered a though-provoking keynote address.

On May 8, the Seeds of Peace community came together for the Annual Spring Benefit Dinner in New York City, which raised over $1 million. Two weeks later, the Seeds of Peace UK community came together “across the pond” on May 27 for a dinner in London,

graciously hosted by Board Member Beth Blood and her husband David Blood.

His Excellency Kemal Mazen Homoud, the Ambassador of Jordan to the UK, offered warm remarks about Seeds of Peace and reflected on his friendship with the organiza tion’s founder, John Wallach.

As 2014 moves forward, Seeds of Peace is humbled by the support demonstrated over the past months! Thank you!

SEEDS OF PEACE IN ACTION

OurSeedsandEducatorsaretacklingsomeoftheworld’smostcomplexconflict-relatedchallenges,andIamthrilledtosharewithyou theirmostrecentinitiatives.Theworktheyaredoingonthegroundhasneverbeenmorerelevant,substantive,orimportant,andtheygive usallreasontobehopeful.Thankyouforsupportingtheirefforts.

Using music to engage Israelis, Palestinians in dialogue

JERUSALEM | Can music play a role in resolving conflict? Two groups which are working at the intersection of music and dialogue, and are run by Seeds and Seeds of Peace counselors, believe it can.

Micah, a 2004 American Seed, founded the Jerusalem Youth Choir to bring together young Israelis and Palestinians through song and dialogue.

“I’ve spent many years pursuing the connec tion between music and conflict resolution,” he said.

“The more I immersed myself in the world of conflict as experienced at Seeds of Peace, the more I discovered that music could, and

indeed did, play a critical role in creating and solidifying community and common identity.”

After graduating from Yale University, where he studied music and international relations, Micah moved to Jerusalem to start the Choir in 2010.

Another organization, Heartbeat, founded in 2007 by Seeds of Peace counselor Aaron Shneyer, also creates opportunities for Israeli and Palestinian musicians to meet, engage in dialogue, create music, and perform for audi ences around the world.

Aaron founded Heartbeat with a Fulbright Fellowship in conjunction with MTV after

graduating from Georgetown University.

With the help of Seeds like Tamer, a Pales tinian citizen of Israel who attended Camp in 1999, the organization’s programs have expanded from Jerusalem to the cities of Jaffa and Haifa, with dozens of musicians meeting weekly for dialogue and music sessions.

Over 100 musicians have been involved with Heartbeat since its inception.

“I play music with Heartbeat because every time we perform I feel that I have delivered a message and that my voice is out there,” said Siwar, a 2009 Seed and Heartbeat member.

“I have found the way to peacefully express my thoughts and feelings.”

Running Boston Marathon to send camper to Maine

Sarah Sladen is a 2003-04 Seeds of Peace Camp counselor who works in Washington, D.C.

Q: Why are you running the Boston Marathon?

In light of the violence at last year’s mara thon, supporting an organization that is dedicated to peace-building is how I choose to respond.

Becoming better negotiators through Harvard Law training

DUBAI | The 100th Seed has been certified through Bridging the Gap: How to Resolve Disputes Through Negotiation

The intensive three-day training, held in both Jerusalem and Dubai in January, is a partner ship between Seeds of Peace and Harvard Law School’s Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program (HNMCP).

The impact of the program on Seeds is immediate: post-program surveys indicate that Seeds emerge as more confident mediators able to manage disagreement and intervene positively to resolve disputes.

“The training allowed us to get a feel for how critical it is for a mediator to maintain im

partiality, establish ground rules, and maintain effective communication between the parties in dispute,” said Schezreh, one of seven Paki stani Seeds to graduate from the program.

This is the third year that Harvard Law School students have created a custom training curriculum for Seeds of Peace, then traveled to the Middle East with HNMCP Director Robert Bordone to implement it.

For the first time this year, the training was expanded to include Seeds from India, Paki stan, and Afghanistan, who met in Dubai.

Later in January, the Harvard team spent three days in Jerusalem training 36 Israeli and Palestinian Seeds.

Premiering ‘The Square’documentary

NEW YORK | Seeds of Peace and the Committee to Protect Journalists co-hosted the premiere of the Oscar-nominated® documen tary The Square in New York City on January 17.

A 1996 Egyptian Seed, Mona, moderated a panel discussion with the film’s Director, Jehane Noujaim, and producer, Karim Amer, following the screening.

The Square examines the Egyptian Revolu tion through the personal exchanges and powerful motivations of the revolution’s participants.

Following the sold-out screening, Mona, who reports for The New York Times and is herself a documentary filmmaker, interviewed Noujaim and Amer about The Square’s depic

tion of the four main characters.

The Square was nominated for an Acad emy Award® in the Best Documentary category and won the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing for Documentaries. The film is now available on Netflix.

Read about Seeds of Peace’s programs in Egypt at www.seedsofpeace.org/me

I qualified in 2012. Boston is the world’s oldest annual marathon that brings together elite runners (and non-elite regular folks like me) from around the world.

Running the marathon in April is a chance to experience a bit of history and take part in a celebration of something I love in a great city.

Q: How much do you hope to raise?

This is my second marathon and my first major fundraising effort. As a Seeds of Peace counselor, running this marathon is a great opportunity to support an organization I love, and contributing to Seeds of Peace’s mission felt like the best way for me to respond to last year’s events in Boston.

My baseline goal is to raise $2,000, with an overall goal of $6,000, enough to fully sponsor a Seed at Camp this summer.

Q: What’s your personal best?

3:23 (Marine Corps Marathon).

Q: Will you be wearing a Seeds of Peace shirt when you run?

I have about 25 green shirts in my closet, so ...

Q: How are you fund-raising?

Friends, family and former counselors have been incredibly generous. I’ve also received donations from fans of Seeds of Peace whom I’ve never met.

One of the best messages came from a counselor [at a neighboring camp] who had visited Seeds of Peace.

He wrote, “We had sports days with Seeds and attended Muslim services. I loved getting the chance to see the Camp spirit in action.”

This emphasizes for me what a lasting impact Seeds of Peace has on those who’ve been there, and why I’d like to help send another Seed to Maine next summer.

No donation is too small, and every dona tion is added motivation in these dark, snowy, Polar Vortex-ridden days of winter training.

Contribute to Sarah’s fundraiser here www.bit.ly/SeedsRun

—Leslie A. Lewin, Executive Director, Seeds of Peace

SEEDS OF PEACE IN THE NEWS

Abbas, Talking to Israeli Students About Peace, Finds a Receptive Audience February 16, 2014

“... several Israeli students praised [Palestin ian President] Abbas for his courage, noting the pressure he faced from Palestinians who oppose any kind of normal ties with Israelis. And in a more personal aside, Mr. Abbas told his guests that his grandchildren had attended the Seeds of Peace summer camp in the United States with young Israelis.”

camp as a teen, Micah Hendler had an idea. What would happen if he launched an Israeli-Palestinian choir that encouraged Jerusalem-area Israeli and Palestinian high school students to make music and engage in dialogue? Two years ago, the 24-yearold Maryland-born Yale graduate moved to Jerusalem to do just that.”

COMING UP

APRIL 10 The Young Leadership Committee presents Transformations, an event examining the ways Seeds of Peace empowers teens to transform their understandings, communities, and conflicts. SVA Theater, New York, 7 p.m.

MAY 8 The 2014 annual Spring Benefit Dinner in New York City will honor Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS. 583 Park Ave. Dinner tickets now available at www.seedsofpeace.org/dinner

Israeli-Palestinian youth choir makes peace through song February 17, 2014

“While attending a U.S.-based interfaith

Students gather to solve problems in Maine’s school system March 9, 2014

“... the Seeds of Peace students will present the governor, leaders of the Legislature and Maine’s congressional delegation with a document outlining what they perceive to be the biggest issues facing the state’s education system and proposed solutions.”

JULY 7 The 22nd summer of the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Maine kicks off, bringing together delegates from the Middle East, South Asia, the US, and UK.

OCT 23-26 Seeds of Peace is launching an international summit for Seeds and other emerging changemakers positioned to amplify ideas and actions that transform conflict. www.seedsofpeace.org/Jordan 2014

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Addressing communal tensions in Pakistan through interfaith dialogue

LAHORE | Seeds in Pakistan organized three days of interfaith dialogue for over 50 Christian, Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh students from across the country.

The program equipped the students with a deeper understanding of the different religions in Pakistan, and an appreciation for the diversity of beliefs and customs within their communities.

Students left the seminar with concrete plans for sharing their experiences with others, including starting school and campus groups focused on interreligious discussion, and launching pen pal projects promoting interac tion between religious groups.

“What I have learned at this camp, I will promote in my neighborhood, with family and friends, so that the message goes on,” said Jessica, a Christian participant.

“I wanted to bring a change in the world,

and now I am sure I can.”

Participants engaged in dialogue about their varying beliefs, religious violence, discrimina tion, and national identity.

Several students noted their surprise at learning that other religions often emphasized similar beliefs and values.

In a country marked with tension between different religious groups, they expressed a desire to live with more religious tolerance.

The spirit of the seminar was captured in the words of Sukhvinder, a Sikh participant, on the last day.

“I will spread the message of peace to my friends,” he said.

“I will not say bad things about other religions and will not believe something that I have not seen myself. I will work for human ity, and will learn more about the religions of others.”

SEEDS OF PEACE IN ACTION

Iamfeelingverythankfulthisfall—forourSeedsandthechangetheyareleadingintheircommunities;foryou,oursupporters,without whomourworkwouldnotbepossible;andforthe1,200+walkersin52citieswhojoinedustoraiseawarenessandcrossbridgesto peace.Thestoriesofcommitment,initiative,andcourageinspireeverypartofourorganization,andforthatIoffermydeepestthanks.

—Leslie A. Lewin, Executive Director

Tackling critical issues across borders in South Asia

MUMBAI | In early November, Afghan, Pakistani, and Indian Seeds met in Mumbai for a week of dialogue, workshops, and skillbuilding. Due to restrictive visa policies, such cross border meetings are exceedingly rare in South Asia—this is the first such Seeds of Peace event to take place since 2011.

The 25 Seeds discussed U.S. drone strikes, terrorism, Kashmir, and economic issues. Guest speakers included journalists, diplo mats, and professors, who helped the partici pants better understand these critical issues.

“Even though we live in the same region, through the conference we came across infor

mation that was new to us,” said Shahzaib, a Pakistani Seed who was visiting India for the first time.

The program included a series of work shops in which Seeds worked with staff from Ashoka’s Youth Venture to identify ways to address issues in their communities. The Seeds will now submit proposals to address these is sues as part of a Seeds of Peace small grants initiative.

Throughout the week, Indian Seeds and their families hosted the Afghans and Pakistanis, a meaningful opportunity to humanize the conflict and those on ‘the other side.’

Drafting a youth charter for Maine

AUGUSTA, MAINE | In October, students from across Maine presented a revised youth charter to state officials.

The teenagers, graduates of Seeds of Peace, outlined issues facing Maine youth in their schools and communities, and suggested tools and measures to address them.

“Student leaders who are engaging these issues on a daily basis are bringing them to the attention of policymakers, who have the ability to fix them statewide,” said Director of Maine Seeds Programs Tim Wilson.

The students—first generation Americans, multi-generational Mainers, and new im migrants—presented the charter to the Maine Congressional Delegation and Governor LePage at the Capitol Building.

Walking in communities around the world in support of peace

NEW YORK | To honor the bridges Seeds of Peace builds between groups in conflict, over 1,200 Seeds, family members, and friends crossed bridges around the world in September.

The walkers took to the streets in 52 cities from Amman and Madrid to Kampala and Maine. In London, where Bridges to Peace started two years ago, hundreds crossed the Thames River and celebrated Seeds of Peace at a post-walk festival.

In Augusta, Maine, Governor LePage kicked off a walk with 100 Seeds. In New York, Seeds and supporters crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, handing out information about the organization to curious passers-by.

Over 120 walkers in Mumbai appeared on the local CNN channel, while in Lahore, na tional news outlets covered the march, during which 175 supporters carried banners calling for unity and peace.

In addition to taking a stand for peace, attracting significant media attention, and cel ebrating the work of Seeds, Bridges to Peace walkers raised over $150,000 in support of Seeds of Peace’s mission.

Many took the initiative to introduce Seeds of Peace to their hometowns by organizing smaller walks.

In Madrid, Seed Maysa helped raise $3,000 with her school. Meanwhile, in Rhode Island, Jason, a volunteer who helps prepare the Camp grounds each summer

motivated friends and family to raise over $1,000 for his walk.

“It was hugely rewarding to walk the Brooklyn Bridge with so many others commit ted to the mission of Seeds of Peace,” said Stephanie, an American Seed. “And it was so inspiring to know that all over the world, fellow Seeds were walking bridges in the name of peace.”

Jack Savoretti releases SONG in support of Seeds of Peace

Influenced by the movement of people around the world marching in the streets for a better tomorrow, singer/songwriter Jack Savoretti has released a single in support of Seeds of Peace graduates working for change in conflict regions.

Savoretti debuted “Written in Scars” for Seeds of Peace supporters during the Bridges to Peace Walk in London.

“It’s about taking things into your own hands when the current situation warrants so, regardless of the harm that may come,” says Savoretti. “It’s a brave song for a brave cause.”

Savoretti, whose poetic lyrics have been regularly featured on One Tree Hill and Grey’s Anatomy, is donating profits from sales of the recording to Seeds of Peace.

The song is available to purchase on iTunes: http://bit.ly/writteninscars

The new charter addresses issues like cultural diversity, standards-based education systems, and English as a Second Language Programs.

“We have drawn from our personal experi ences in drafting this charter,” wrote the Seeds. “In particular, we focus on concerns relating to the growing diversity in the State of Maine.”

Twenty-eight students from 12 public and private schools spent two months drafting the charter, meeting regularly with each other and with experts in relevant fields.

This is the 10th anniversary of the original Maine Youth Charter, which addressed mul tiple aspects of education policy in the state and was presented to Governor Baldacci in 2003.

Read the new charter at online at http://bit.ly/mecharter

Facilitating a gathering of fellow Middle East and North Africa activists

By Alia | 2003 Seed (Morocco)

In October, I organized a weeklong meeting in Jordan of changemakers from across North Africa and the Middle East, including Israel and Palestine.

We hold this Youth Leadership Jam annually in order to connect activists—several of whom are also Seeds—for a week of community building, networking, and learning.

Through reflecting on our work, sharing indi vidual struggles to better understand the larger picture of the region, and building authentic relationships and support systems, we left Wadi Rum better able to develop new pos

sibilities and synergies for positive change.

My work with these activists is rooted in my experience as a Seed, and I first participated in the program because I yearned for some thing similar to my Camp session ten years ago. I wanted to engage with big questions, meet people who would both challenge and inspire me, and whose experiences would make my understanding of the world more nuanced and richer.

Today I help organize this unique gather ing, hosted by an organization called YES!, with other freelance dialogue facilitators from the region. Similar to a musical jam session,

what is created comes from each individual’s unique experiences and perspectives, rather than a predetermined outcome.

We meet in the belief that meaningful change must include deep transformations on the personal, interpersonal, and systemic lev els. In creating spaces for personal discovery and nurturing relationships with other changemakers, we build and strengthen communities working for change.

Participants go home feeling empowered, energized, and supported, and equipped with tools and ideas to implement in their work towards meaningful change.

Leading peacebuilding camps for young Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank

JERUSALEM | More than 160 young Palestinians ages 10-12 participated in two different Bara’em El Salaam (“Sprouts of Peace”) camps in the West Bank and Gaza organized by Seeds of Peace.

In Jenin, Seeds and Educators led a four-day overnight camp during which participants en gaged in group discussions, workshops, and

community dialogue and explored various themes of peacebuilding, including coexist ence, cooperation, and volunteerism.

In Gaza, the campers developed conflict resolution skills during a six-day program. That camp incorporated trauma relief exercises that allowed the participants to openly discuss their fears, hopes, and the daily impact of the conflict on their lives. They also had opportu

nities to express themselves through writing, art, and music.

Fatma, an Educator who led workshops for the Gaza campers, summed up the signifi cance of the USAID-supported program.

“It took these kids out of their gloomy atmos phere and planted the seed of peace in their hearts.”

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Putting Indian and Pakistani students in each other’s shoes

MUMBAI/LAHORE | This fall, over 100 students from 20 schools in Mumbai and Lahore took part in the Seeds of Peace Mock Parliaments. They engaged with issues at the forefront of South Asian politics and learned hands-on about political decision-making processes.

Indian and Pakistani Seeds organized the model parliaments, which gave delegates the opportunity to step into the other side’s shoes and view their conflict from different angles.

Seeds of Peace started the annual Mock Parliament series in 2007 as a simulation of the Pakistani Parliament. It has since grown into a conference hosting two committees, one focused on historical events and the other on contemporary issues facing South Asia. Delegates representing conflicting views were challenged at every step as they debated, negotiated, and found compromises with their counterparts.

The engaging and interactive nature of the

programs exposed delegates to narratives with which they were less familiar.

Indian participants were able to connect via video conferencing with Pakistani Seeds for a lively discussion on Pakistani foreign policy.

For two days, participants worked in com mittees mirroring those of the Pakistani Parlia ment. Committees drafted bills to present the following day to the National Assembly for general discussion and voting.

The delegates concluded the simulation by passing a resolution to address the longstand ing Kashmir issue.

Aziz, an Indian Seed who helped to organ ize the Mock Parliament, spoke of it as an assurance to society that “at least for the next generation, the world is in good hands.”

The simulations were designed and led by Seeds, and are part of Seeds of Peace’s mission to equip young leaders with essential skills and new understanding with which to transform conflicts.

SEEDS OF PEACE IN ACTION

What a summer! Seeds of Peace is celebrating the graduation of the 5,000th Seed from our intensive leadership program in Maine. We hit the milestone in our 21st summer of bringing together young leaders from countries in conflict. And with two ses sions of Camp this summer, we hosted a record number of participants: 334 campers and 49 adult educators. We also ran an incredible set of programs in the Middle East, and South Asia for Seeds, Educators, parents and other community leaders. Thank you for making all of this happen!

—Leslie

A. Lewin, Executive Director

VOICES OF SEEDS

Reflecting on the profound impact of Seeds of Peace

JASIR (Pakistani Delegation)

Sixteen that’s the number of years it took me to come face to face with “the other side.” I labored under conventional hate for 16 en tire years without trying to find out the identity of the “real” enemy.

Whenever I imagined Indians—except for the beautiful Bollywood stars, of course—I easily associated all the monstrous things I’d ever heard to them. And then one morning, I jumped off a bus at the Seeds of Peace Camp and started dancing with the people I considered my enemies.

The epiphany for me at Camp was that In dians were not the real enemy, but rather that artificial boundaries, borders, and man-made divisions are the real deterrents to peace.

Deepening understanding of conflict

JERUSALEM | For many American Seeds, dialogue sessions at Camp in Maine are the first exposure they have to the reality of lives of Israelis and Palestinians living in conflict. Fourteen of these Seeds were able to further deepen their understanding of the region and its complexities through “Bayti,” a two-week Seeds of Peace educational trip to Israel and Palestine.

The Seeds visited major cities in Israel and in the West Bank, and participated in meetings which exposed them to issues and experiences they would otherwise not have access to as tourists.

Participants spent time in Haifa, Bethlehem, Jaffa, Jericho, Ramallah, and Neve ShalomWahat al-Salaam, a cooperative intentional community of Jewish and Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel located outside Jerusalem.

Highlights of the trip included a multi-per spective tour of the Old City of Jerusalem; sessions with Graduate Seeds involved in women’s rights, immigration policy, business es, and community youth organizations; a tour of the Knesset and briefings with elected mem

bers from different political parties; visits to Palestinian refugee camps near Hebron and in Jenin; and a trip to the southern Israeli city of Sderot. The Seeds were also able to expe rience the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Through conversations with Graduate Seeds active in public life, politicians, activists, and other youth, Bayti participants came to understand the complexities and nuances of conflict both within and between Israeli and Palestinian communities.

“We saw raw, untainted human experi ence,” said Hayley, a 2011 Seed. “We saw things that can’t be described in dialogue.

The people we spoke to painted a very three dimensional picture of life there; I feel like I now understand the psychological impacts of living in the region.”

Central to Bayti were daily debrief sessions in which the Seeds could process what they saw, heard, and felt as they moved through a challenging and intense region.

This was the third and longest Bayti session, a term which means ‘my home’ in both Arabic and Hebrew.

JOHNATHAN (American Delegation) November 26, 2008. Lashkar-e-Taiba attacks sites in Mumbai. I’m sitting on my couch, watching on TV. I flip the channel. It’s just news. All I identify are facts and figures; noth ing connects. I know I should feel something, but I don’t.

Three years later, as I was emerging from a Seeds of Peace South Asia dialogue ses sion that had yielded significant progress, I was greeted with news of another bombing in Mumbai. Suddenly the abstract concepts discussed in dialogue were confronting me.

Surrounded by the faces of those who were most affected by what had happened, I real ized that I now had a stake in the conflict, and that that stake was my friends. I needed to act, to do something. I tore through my belongings searching for phone cards to distribute to my fellow Seeds so that they could call home. I found myself frustrated that I couldn’t do more.

I was no longer sitting on my couch, this was not just news. This was something tangible. Now, I no longer have the luxury of sitting back and changing the channel.

In fact, I have a responsibility to take action. This is what Seeds of Peace can achieve. Seeds of Peace gave me the tools, the pas sion, and the drive to make a difference in the world.

Examining how to teach history in ways that mitigate conflict

OTISFIELD, MAINE | This summer, educators from around the world gathered in Maine to participate in Making History: Pluralism, Peace and the Past, Seeds of Peace’s third an nual Educators Course.

The two-week session explored ways in which history contributes to conflict and the role history education can play in encourag ing mutual respect, cross-cultural understand ing, pluralism, and a more humane and peaceful future.

“The primary question we are concerned with is how educators can engage with the past in a way that encourages perspectivetaking, humility, and openness,” said Daniel Moses, Director of Seeds of Peace Educator Programs.

The 30 participants from Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Italy, India, Jordan, Pakistan, Palestine, and the United States en gaged with questions of collective narrative,

examined ways in which history contributes to conflict, and developed the tools necessary to use history to encourage pluralism and crosscultural understanding.

“Participants engaged with one another as educators facing common challenges and as individuals from societies in conflict,” said Moses. “Seeds of Peace is the only place I know of where educators from opposite sides of these conflicts are engaging with this much depth face-to-face. It is a rejection of the status quo, a commitment to actively creating a bet ter, more just, more peaceful future.”

Workshops focused on topics such as how to inspire and empower young people, ways to encourage active listening and critical think ing, using the visual arts and music to teach history, and designing creative and effective lesson plans.

The workshops were led by faculty from a broad range of fields, including Doc Miller,

Senior Associate for Staff Development at Fac ing History and Ourselves, and Professor Anil Sethi of Azim Premji University in India, who created the new textbooks about Partition that are now being used in public schools across India

Site visits around Maine allowed partici pants to hear contrasting narratives about the history of the state from the Governor of Maine to the Mayor of Portland, members of the Abyssinian Church, and the Native Ameri can Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The course participants will have the op portunity to build on the skills they acquired during the summer at a four-day follow-up workshop to be held in Jordan next spring.

Seeds of Peace Educator Programs seek to inspire and equip educators with the profes sional relationships, understanding, and skills needed to transform schools and communities and create a culture of peace.

Developing leadership, dialogue, and sailing skills at sea

Boston | For the third summer, older Ameri can, Israeli and Palestinian Seeds engaged in an intensive leadership and dialogue program while working with each other to crew a 137foot schooner out of Boston Harbor and down the East Coast.

“We talked about the conflict, of course,” said Erica, an American Seed.

“But this time we also had a new kind of dialogue: leadership dialogue.”

“We were all on the same page—we all felt like we’re there for the same reason: change,” said Ahmed, a Palestinian Seed from Gaza.

“I learned more during Seas of Peace than I have anywhere else.”

Dialogue sessions during the Seas of Peace program were based on the three principles of the Harvard University leadership model— dignity, adaptive leadership, and immunity to change—and were designed and imple mented by two facilitators who had previously taught these concepts at Harvard.

The Roseway, built in 1924, is operated

by World Ocean School and is listed as a National Historic Landmark. The 16 Seeds learned how to navigate and maneuver the red-sailed boat, building off of a week of sailing training held at the Seeds of Peace International Camp in August.

Spending a week at sea also allowed the Seeds to continue to break down barriers and challenge stereotypes.

“Seas of Peace taught me that we can reach an incredible understanding with people we have always thought about as “enemies,”’ said Ahmed.

“When I was a little girl, ‘Palestinian’ was a word I rarely used,” said Erica. “It was a label for the other side, the evil, wrong other side, and as a part of my family I was expected to either say it with contempt or not say it at all. Now it’s not a word I have to be afraid of.”

Seas of Peace is the initiative of two former Seeds of Peace counselors who are avid sailors. Learn more about the program at www.seasofpeace.org

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SEED PROFILE

Addressing a United Nations conference about peace and sustainability

NEW YORK | Prashanth, a 2011 US Seed who returned to Camp this summer as a Peer Support, is on a mission to redefine the concepts of peace and sustainability.

His activism began in middle school when he undertook a project to raise awareness about plastic waste.

Today, his understanding of sustainability is much wider and holistic than the strictly envi ronmental approach. He now defines sustain ability as a state of environmental stability and good governance where conflict is minimal and society is open and just. And he is using all platforms available to him to speak about this human, social approach to sustainability.

This August, Prashanth spoke at TedxUp perEastSide and in the United Nations Gen eral Assembly on a panel with representatives from organizations dedicated to sustainability.

“I credit Seeds of Peace with my open ness, my passions, and my questions,” says Prashanth. “My whole approach to sustaina bility, to the world, and to my goals, changed when I became a Seed.”

Prashanth also started Peace Perspectives, an online publication that aims to “report all perspectives regarding an issue in order to give a comprehensive and complete under standing of the situation to the reader,” thus allowing readers to “make up their own minds about the issue, rather than having it made for them.”

The Peace Perspectives team is primarily made up of Seeds who act as country and regional liaisons and writers.

There are currently over 100 correspondents in eight countries reporting on three conflict zones.

SEEDS OF PEACE IN ACTION

InhisvisittotheMiddleEast,PresidentObamachallengedyoungpeopletoliveintheshoesoftheotherandremindedthemthatitwould bethem—nottheirleaders—whowouldleadthewaytopeace.Thismessagehasbeentheheartandsoulofourmissionfor20years. IhopeyoutakeprideinthewaysSeeds,includingtheoneshere,areleadingintheircommunities. —Leslie A. Lewin, Executive Director

JERUSALEM | Seeds of Peace has re launched a popular program for parents of Seeds, allowing dozens of Israeli and Pales tinian parents to take part in facilitated dia logue similar to what their children experience at Camp. The program builds much-needed support for Seeds activities, while engaging a new set of Israeli and Palestinian adults in peacebuilding.

Following a winter 2012 pilot program, Seeds of Peace began facilitating three meet ings a month: one for Israeli and Palestinian parents in Jerusalem, another for Arab and Jewish parents in Beit Berl in Israel, and a third for Palestinian parents in Ramallah.

Between 10 and 20 parents are currently attending each meeting.

Seeds of Peace Co-Director of Facilita tion Farhat Agbaria is directing the parents’

“For most of the Israelis, it was their first time meeting a Palestinian,” Dor says. “For the Palestinians, it was their first time meeting parents of their kids’ closest friends from the other side.”

“Many of them found themselves sharing the same stories and memories their kids had brought home with them from Camp.”

The initial meetings took place just weeks af ter the violence in Gaza and southern Israel. Despite the tension, parents were eager to meet and share their perspectives.

“Parents also voiced their desire to better understand what their place is in the Seeds of Peace community, and how they can be of help in supporting their children and the program,” says Dor.

Tackling gender inequality in India

MUMBAI | Inspired by her experience on a Seeds of Peace program in Northern Ireland, an Indian Seed is working with classmates and local groups to raise awareness around social issues, including gender equality and female infanticide.

Mili, a 2009 Seed, launched the Enough is Enough project earlier this year. The initiative brings together students and NGOs to paint public buses with messages highlighting a problem in order to change the way society thinks about it.

TALKING PEACE EDUCATION IN JORDAN

53 ARAB AND ISRAELI Seeds of Peace Educators examined ways to use the arts to help youth develop leadership skills, cross-cultural understanding and civic engagement to build more peaceful societies. For more about our Educator Programs, see www.seedsofpeace.org/educators

Honing mediation skills with Harvard project

JERUSALEM | For the second year in a row, Seeds of Peace partnered with Harvard Law School’s Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program and USAID to offer 36 Palestinian and Israeli Seeds a three-day training in basic mediation and negotiation called Bridging the Gap: How to Resolve Disputes Through Negotiation

The training curriculum was designed for Seeds of Peace by two Harvard Law students. Participants engaged in a range of activities, including several negotiation and mediation role plays, where each Seed was challenged to take on specific roles, including that of ‘the other side.’

They also took part in active listening exercises, highlighting the significance that emotion plays in negotiation.

The Seeds also learned about negotiation in conflict settings through a multiparty negotia tion simulation case based on the Northern Ireland conflict.

“Since the program, no conversation has been the same,” says Palestinian Seed Ameen.

“I’m able to reach a middle ground without anyone feeling as though they are on the losing side. The program made me rethink everything I do.”

Seeds also gained advanced leadership training and took on greater responsibility for

guiding and supporting younger alumni.

While at the training, Seeds met in discus sion groups to talk about how the new skills and concepts they were learning could be applied directly to their relationships and com munication with each other and with others across lines of conflict.

The Seeds who attended the training will put their new skills to use by leading community dialogue and becoming peer mediators in their schools and communities.

The Seeds reconvened on February 15 for a daylong follow-up session to reflect on what they had learned, discuss their experiences applying their skills, and prepare for upcom ing community dialogue in their societies.

Harvard Law School Negotiation and Me diation Clinical Program faculty and students have also been working with Seeds of Peace to research the current relationships between nearly 30 Israeli and Palestinian peacebuild ing NGOs.

The project’s aims are to understand the extent to which the different peacebuilding groups are talking to each other and working together, and to explore the possibility of stronger individual and collective impact.

Harvard Law School faculty met with repre sentatives from the organizations on March 19 and 20 outside Jerusalem to report on the findings and discuss avenues for cooperation.

“Alarming stories about the lack of gender equality in our city led us to choose women’s empowerment as our first theme,” says Mili.

The idea for the project began to grow last summer when Mili and 60 other Seeds met in Ireland. As part of the Game Changers program, Seeds formulated creative ways of solving issues in their own communities.

“As we roamed the city of Derry, I was drawn to a certain mural that I was told is repainted on a regular basis to represent the current political situation at any given time,” says the 17-year-old. “As an art student, my mind began to race with ideas of evolving murals, and it was at this time that the thought of mobile murals first occurred to me.”

Mili worked with peers at the Dhirubhai Am bani International School in Mumbai to launch the female infanticide campaign.

“It’s disturbing to know that, although the statistics are murky, it’s believed that three mil lion girls have been killed in the last decade,” she says.

Mili’s project has gained wide notice through social media.

“I received a message from a group of stu dents in Delhi who wanted to collaborate to take our project forward in their city as well.”

program and co-facilitating the binational meetings with Dor, a 2009 Israeli Seed.

Launching community projects in refugee camp

JERUSALEM | Hashem, a 2010 Palestinian Seed, is organizing volunteers in Arroub Refu gee Camp to address environmental issues and instill community pride.

Hashem’s organization, Trash the Occupa tion, Not Our Land, paints murals, sets up trash bins, plants trees, refurbishes and cleans up public spaces, and works to promote en vironmental awareness and community pride among the camp’s youth.

Through this work, Hashem and his team of volunteers are creating a new face for the streets of the camp: a face that reflects belonging to the community and genuine care for the land.

“I am deeply tied to culture, community values, rights, and duties,” says the 18-yearold, who grew up in Arroub, near Hebron. “I hope that my project will positively influ ence not only the physical environment of my camp, but also the long-term habits and consciousness of its inhabitants.”

Recent events organized by the group have included arts and music workshops with young children to foster environmental aware ness, school and street clean-ups, and com munity brainstorming about future projects.

Hashem credits Seeds of Peace for the in spiration and skills that have made his project possible, most particularly the 2011 People Power seminar in Jordan which explored the power of youth to create change.

“At Seeds of Peace, I learned how to start

creating change. I learned about the role of education and the media and how I can bet ter use them to promote my ideas and inspire others to participate in my journey to create change.”

“Seeds of Peace supplied me with support and with a network,” he says, pointing to the importance of the relationships he’s built with others since his first summer at Camp.

“I can’t imagine myself in my position today without the role of Seeds of Peace. It is the experience that ignited the light of change in my heart.”

Hashem’s project was featured on Fox News and has garnered wide attention on social media.

VOICE OF A SEED

Rejecting stereotypes: how teens can make a real difference

Darling, a 2012 American Seed from Illinois, makes the case for why the world should pay more attention to young people working for peace and justice.

Many people question teenagers’ abilities to make a difference in the world. It may seem like our generation cares more about who Justin Bieber is dating than we do about the fact that millions of individuals across the globe are being denied their basic human rights.

What is often overlooked is that there are thousands of teens all around the world who are fighting to make the world a better place.

In school, we are taught about war and justice, but we are rarely taught about what we, as teens, can do to make a difference.

At Seeds of Peace, teens come together to learn about peacebuilding and conflict resolution and spend two hours a day, six days a week in intense and powerful dialogue talking about conflict. They spend weeks living and playing with other teens— many of whom they have grown up viewing as enemies.

These teens come to realize that it is not about who is right or who is wrong, or who is suffering more, but about the fact that no one benefits from the conflict. They stop seeing the “other side” as enemies or nameless faces and start seeing them as their brothers and sisters.

The enduring impact that Seeds of Peace has is almost indescribable. Today, there are more than 5,000 Seeds planted worldwide. They leave Camp and go out into the world to create meaningful change. These teens will grow up to become writers, lawyers, politicians, and more. The values they learned at Seeds of Peace will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

So when you think of our generation, think about those children who are striving for peace and social justice.

Think about those teens who spend their summers learning about conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

Think about those teens who are fighting to make sure that everyone is being granted basic human rights.

Think about the teens who are planting seeds of peace around the world.

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EGYPTIAN SEED RAMY (Camp 1998) co-chaired the 2013 Peace Market Benefit in New York City on March 13, which raised over $300,000 for Seeds of Peace programs from 1,300 supporters.

SEEDS OF PEACE IN ACTION

Violence challenges our Seeds in very real ways. Our graduates must turn to each other as they reconcile the safety and security they shared at Camp with new dangers at home. I am proud of how Seeds—from Kabul to Cairo, Gaza City to Ashkelon are speaking directly, supporting each other, and sharing their stories about what is happening around them. This is when our work becomes so critical—we’re one of few organizations on the ground committed to building the human infrastructure needed for positive change. Our work locally has intensified as we strive to meet the needs of our alumni with thoughtful, relevant programming. I thank you for supporting Seeds of Peace at this pivotal moment. —Leslie A. Lewin, Executive

Director

Exchanging perspectives on Gaza-Israel violence

JERUSALEM | Galvanized by violent images on TV and by the personal accounts of their Palestinian and Israeli peers, Seeds have taken to the organization’s social media channels to share their reactions with one another to the bombing and rocket attacks.

Many Seeds in Gaza or within rocket-range of Gaza received worried calls from peers.

“I was having a phone call with my friend from Seeds in Gaza and heard the sound of explosions,” said one Seed. “My friend started to shout and the call was disconnected, and I thought that something bad happened to him. I didn’t know what to do and I kept trying to call him for the next five hours until he answered.”

Seeds responded to heated exchanges between their younger peers, reminding them that you can’t only be a Seed when it’s convenient.

“You can’t be a part-time Seed,” said one. “You can’t just be a Seed when everything is good and everyone is happy. As a Seed, you should be an example for others. You should be a leader.”

Several Seeds addressed the pressure they face from friends and family during times of war.

“One of the worst things that can happen to a Seed is when the people closest to you say your brain got washed,” said a Jordanian Seed. “Or when they tell you to delete a post

on Facebook just because you were asking about the other side.”

“Being a Seed in my community—well it’s not easy,” said an Israeli Seed. “People will always look at you like “What? Why are you talking to Palestinian people? Why?’”

“Then there are the people that come to you—and there were a couple for me, which made me very happy—that come and ask, “You know people in Gaza; what do they think?”

“And then you can try to explain. Knowing that you can try to explain and try to understand the other side is one of the most amazing things that I’ve taken from Seeds of Peace.”

VOICE OF A SEED

Reflecting on impact of Seed of Peace

Keren, a 1999 Israeli Seed and current law student, looks at how her reaction to IsraeliPalestinian violence has been shaped by her Seeds of Peace experiences.

As rockets and missiles tear apart my region physically and emotionally, Seeds of Peace is one of the only organizations that attempts, and succeeds, to mend what is broken.

The way I get updates on what’s going on is by reading Facebook updates from my Seeds friends in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ramallah and Gaza; thanks to Seeds of Peace, the manner in which we experience the conflict has completely transformed. My eyes and ears are open to the strife on both sides.

Harvesting olives together in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM | On November 2, 18 Seeds and staff met in Jerusalem for the annual harvest. The Israeli and Palestinian Seeds gathered olives at the Augusta Victoria Hospital on the Mount of Olives. The harvest will be pressed into oil and sold to benefit the hospital’s patients.

“I got to experience an important Palestinian tradition with ‘the other side,’ said Melina, a Palestinian Seed.

“Most importantly, we came to understand the value and symbolism of olive trees to each

one of us.”

“The olive harvest was special for me,” said Adaya, an Israeli participant. “There truly was an atmosphere of peace about the event.”

A speaker from a local human rights organization addressed the group about his cross-conflict work.

“He briefed us about the goals this organization tries to achieve for ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” said Melina.

“He left everyone at the harvest with a desire to do better, be better,” said Adaya.

The experience is that of challenging dialogue rather than blinding governmental propaganda. The truth comes from real people, who in a safe environment are able to express their anger and fear to their friends—friends who should be enemies if our governments would have had their way.

Those unique summers [at Camp] become a life-changing experience that sticks with us and is intertwined in every important decision we make in life. As I celebrate my 13th year as a member of Seeds of Peace, I continue to be inspired by my friends and colleagues who, despite the worsening circumstances, won’t stop trying to change the world.

Learning professional group dialogue facilitation skills

JERUSALEM | With funding from USAID, Seeds of Peace is training Israelis and Palestinians, including Seeds, as professional dialogue facilitators able to contribute directly to peacebuilding. Seeds of Peace is the only organization that brings together Israelis and West Bank Palestinians to offer this type of much-needed training.

This is the fourth year that Seeds of Peace has offered the intensive certification program, which started in November in Jerusalem and runs for a year. Of the 20 participants, just over half are Seeds.

The facilitation course this year will include methods of engaging diverse and hard-to-

reach communities and include an examination of technology’s potential for increasing access to dialogue.

In addition to running this course in basic dialogue facilitation, Seeds of Peace is for the first time offering an advanced certification in facilitation and conflict transformation for 21 participants ages 22 and up.

Both programs require students to supplement the courses’ 108-140 classroom hours by guiding 40 hours of conflict-related conversations in their communities.

Graduates will be considered for the dialogue program at the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Maine.

Exploring worldwide reaction to US election

NEW YORK | Twenty American Seeds met over Thanksgiving weekend to examine international perspectives on the US election.

“Our elections have a ripple effect across the entire world,” said American Seed coordinator Sarah Brajtbord. “It’s vital for American Seeds to recognize these connections and understand how our choices at home impact America’s standing and policies abroad.”

Seeds also spent time discussing the Gaza/ Israel flare-up and the role of the US in securing a ceasefire. Mohammed NasserEddin and Eldad Levy, who run regional programs for Seeds and who are Seeds themselves, explained how they are adapting their work in light of the violence and how American Seeds can help to support their peers.

Graduate Seeds from around the world spoke to the seminar via Skype. From Kabul, Afghan Seed and journalist Mujib addressed the US elections from an Afghan perspective. He also shared the local outlook on President Obama’s plans to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014, discussing potential implications of a US disengagement without a long-term investment to the country.

Mona, an Egyptian Seed who covered the Arab Spring for The New York Times spoke to the Seeds in person about her experiences as a journalist and her views on the US role in the Middle East.

“Her ability to remain an objective journalist in the face of a revolution in her home country was especially astounding,” said Kalyani, an American Seed. “I have decided that when I grow up I want to be her. Not necessarily a journalist, but to have the same desire to do research and learn for myself in the hopes that it will educate others. That is the part of her journalism and documentary that I find most admirable.”

Reflecting on the biggest lesson learned from her Seeds of Peace experience, Mona challenged the Seeds to understand that there are more than two sides to a story—and to a conflict.

“It’s frustrating that people in my community either don’t know about the conflict or think that their side is right when they don’t even know a legitimate other side exists,” said American Seed Erica after the seminar. “I think spreading awareness, getting people out of their comfort zones, and exploring the real conflict is a huge part of what I have to do in my community.”

An Israeli Seed gave her perspective via Skype on Israel’s role in the presidential campaign and her thoughts about US support for Israeli policies toward Palestinians.

Another Israeli Seed spoke to the group about the continued importance of US involvement in the region and efforts to achieve a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

His views were echoed by an Arab-Israeli Seed, who critiqued the Obama administration’s approach to the conflict. He also spoke about his work as the founder of a non-profit that works with underprivileged youth in his community.

LAHORE | Seeds in Pakistan and India held separate parliamentary simulations this month for local high school students. The two-day exercises helped them better understand the policies of countries that are often perceived as being hostile.

For example, the mock parliament in Mumbai simulated the Pakistani legislature.

“In this way they can find the similarities in Pakistani and Indian internal problems,” said Jasir, one of the 19 Seeds who helped organize the event.

“Moreover, viewing matters as a Pakistani politician will help them understand the other side. This can bridge the gap between two neighbours.”

In Lahore, Pakistani Seeds organized a simulation of the US House of Representatives for 55 students from 19 area schools.

“This gives them the opportunity to think and act as policy makers, which prepares and empowers them as leaders of tomorrow,” said Jasir.

“They get the chance to think and view things from a different perceptive, which helps them to realise how policymakers were or were not justified in their actions.”

Past simulations in Lahore have included the Indian and Afghan legislatures.

DECEMBER PROGRAMS

• Community dialogue series for Israelis and Palestinians

• Uninationals for Israeli and Palestinian Seeds to discuss recent violence and Israeli elections

• Afghanistan youth outreach camp

• Training for Maine Seeds to address issues most pressing in Maine right now.

• Seeds-run Interfaith Camp in Pakistan

Putting yourself in the shoes of a politician

FALL 2012

SEEDS OF PEACE IN ACTION

It was an incredible summer for Seeds of Peace and I am thrilled to report on the impact of our work directly through the voices of our participants.

We pushed hard this summer to equip Seeds with the skills they need to act as forces for change in their home countries.

In Ireland, 60 Seeds examined rec onciliation efforts, drawing tangible conclusions for how to advance peace at home. Senator George Mitchell, honor ary chair of the program, told the Seeds, “I believe in your ability to become

‘game-changers’ that can play a role in ending conflict and advancing peace.”

Meanwhile, their Seas of Peace peers tackled tough issues through dialogue while crewing a 125-foot tall ship.

Finally, we marked our 20th Camp season in Maine with a record number of campers, each one demonstrating courage and commitment. It was also wonderful to have so many Seeds return to Pleasant Lake as Counselors, Facilita tors and Educators.

At Camp, I saw both hope and po

I’ve been involved with Seeds of Peace as a camper, a Seas sailor and a Counselor, and each time it reminded me why I can’t stay away. As a 14-year-old camper, I learned to listen and understand others that I disagree with. As a returning camper and Seas sailor, I became more confident and participated in dialogue at a more mature level.

This summer, as a Counselor, it was my turn to give new campers the safe and warm environment I had. I did everything I could to make their experience unforgettable and, at the same time, learned so much from them.

— Hiba, Palestinian Seed and 2012 Counselor

tential in the eyes of our newest Seeds, the same hope and potential that John Wallach saw at the end of the summer 20 years ago.

Thanks to your support, their hope solidi fied and their courage deepened. I look forward to sharing with you the impact they will have on their societies.

Thank you for believing in us; thank you for believing in our Seeds. Join me in feeling proud of their leadership, poten tial and impact.

—Leslie A. Lewin, Executive Director

As a counselor at Camp this summer, I finally had the chance to say thank-you to Seeds of Peace by sharing the important skills I have acquired through the organization with a new generation of campers.

But, I wondered, will I be swept away by the Camp experience this time as well? After all, I have grown older and more cynical since my last visit to Camp.

I am glad to say that the experience led me toward an even better understanding of the oth er side—this time along with my campers—and once again I left exhilarated, inspired, and most of all, hopeful that a better tomorrow is possible.

— Yotam, Israeli Seed and 2012 Counselor

Inspiring the next generation of campers

Exploring reconciliation in Northern Ireland

What I found really interesting in coming to Northern Ireland is to see that even though there are really big conflicts on both sides, still peace can be achieved.

— Omer, Israeli Seed

In the workshops about sources of conflict, I learned how to connect between conflicts. Seeing the similarities between the Northern Ireland conflict and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict really surprised me and made me

understand my conflict in a deeper way.

Right now I feel like an iceberg is melting in my heart. I am so, so happy in this place and I’m really happy for these experiences. I’m grateful to all the people who helped in giving me these opportunities. I see myself as a “game-changer” in the future.

—

Hashem,

Palestinian Seed

I feel that dialogue is so important because it is only once you talk to people that you real

ize how to solve things. Only once you know what they’re thinking can you challenge what you’re thinking inside of yourself.

Sometimes you just feel like nothing is go ing to change. But then, when you come to Northern Ireland and see the amount of hope others have for their own conflict and they tell you what hope they have for you, it makes you feel like you can go home and spread that hope to other people.

—Magdy, Egyptian Seed

Discovering understanding at sea

Seas of Peace was very challenging, but I learned countless lessons, like how to acknowledge others in dialogue without judgment, regardless of who they are. I’m so proud to be a part of Seeds and Seas and I feel so lucky to have more brothers and sisters who really care about me.

—

Razan,

Palestinian Seed

It’s about throwing us all out of our comfort zones into the unknown world of sailing where we’re learning how to coexist with each other in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

We must trust that the emotional, personal stories we share in dialogue will be understood and acknowledged, and with that acknowledgement comes forgiveness and hope.

Peace is possible if more small groups like Seas of Peace could reach a similar level of understanding.

— Emily, American Seed

Connecting educators from regions in conflict

When I was a camper at Seeds of Peace in 1994, I first learned the meaning of peace. This is the thing that has given me hope for all the things I am facing in Gaza.

This time I came back as an Educator. I learned a lot and I’d like to go back home and share this experience with my students. I’d like to see my society benefit from my experience here.

— Lubna, Head of Lower School, American International School in Gaza

The experience of this program has been fascinating. I work with an NGO called Citizens for Peace and we deal with issues of difference that cause conflict, like caste, religion and language. The arts have a uni versal language so I feel that by using these methodologies I’ll be able to draw people in. When they speak of their identities they’ll be able to find a common language through the arts, which transcend all boundaries.

It’s a wonderful space in which to bring people together.

— Gulan, Indian Leadership Facilitator

370 Lexington Ave., Suite 1201 New York, NY 10017-6584

SEEDS OF PEACE IN ACTION

As we welcome 300 new Seeds to our 20th summer of Camp, we are also set to launch Seas of Peace and a “Game Changers” conference for 60 Seeds in Dublin, two initiatives among the regional programs that sustain older Seeds throughout the year. As the campers learn the foundations of peace-building in Maine, their predecessors will advance their skills at home, on the high seas, and in Ireland, where they will learn from a divided island where peace is now taking root. —Leslie

Tackling tough domestic issues: settlements, normalization

JERUSALEM | Post-Camp programming builds Seeds’ knowledge of conflict issues and ability to understand differing perspec tives through regular gatherings within each country. Accordingly, single-delegation meet ings for Israelis and Palestinians this spring, known as “uninationals,” focused on two con tentious issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: settlements and “normalization.”

Settlements constitute a deeply divisive domestic issue for Israelis. A dauntingly complex matter with legal, security, religious and human dimensions, their existence and status have drawn international attention and engender ongoing contention within Israel as

well as between Israel and its neighbors.

As any Seed who has participated in Camp’s dialogue sessions knows, direct interpersonal experiences are the best way to gain understanding of others’ mindsets.

In this spirit, a 2010 Seed organized a mid-April visit for 16 Israeli Seeds to Ma’ale Adumim, one of the largest Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The Seeds tackled tough discussions, learning the differences between Israeli and international law and the criteria that distinguish between “illegal” and “legal” settlements under Israeli law. Such knowl edge—and the ability to engage with it—will enable Seeds to speak and act with greater

intention both within their own society and during cross-border dialogue and endeavors.

A Ramallah uninational also took place in April to allow Palestinian Seeds to discuss “normalization” and Palestinian identity. For Palestinian Seeds, debate on the topic looms large.

Many Palestinians define “normalization” as contact or cooperation with official institutions in Israel or, at other times, to any contact between Israelis and Palestinians where the primary stated purpose is not to resist military occupation and where the Israeli side doesn’t

Leading discussions on Pakistani unity

LAHORE | Seeds of Peace Director of Paki stani Programs Sajjad Ahmad envisioned a forum in which youth of the many provinces of Pakistan could cross their internal borders for dialogue that would reduce tensions between the regions.

Under his guidance, 25 Pakistani Seeds and Educators coordinated the first National Integration Camp in Lahore this spring.

Teaching history, shaping understanding in South Asia

LAHORE | At Camp, Qasim (Pakistani Seed 2001, 2004, Counselor 2007) discovered that the national and regional textbooks of Indian and Pakistani schools, while ostensibly describing the same history, contain com pletely contradictory narratives. As a Seed, he knew well that such contradictions compli cated the dialogue process, and he hoped someday to reshape and reconcile the Indian and Pakistani understandings.

As soon as the Seed Ventures small grants program was announced, Qasim and his Camp colleagues submitted an application for what they called “the History Project,” which they developed in order to create cohesive yet multifaceted educational materi als that could be used to teach history in both countries. Winning the grant allowed them to fund travel to Lahore for six Indian Seeds, who worked intensively with an equal number

of Pakistani Seeds on the project.

All Seeds prepared for the trip by research ing various topics in the standard Indian and Pakistani history textbooks. Once in the same location, the two delegations compared their findings and began to design a new curriculum that would incorporate and reflect on the different historical narratives found in India and Pakistan. The Indian Seeds spent the week living with the families of their Paki stani peers and led several presentations for students in Pakistani schools.

Ira, one of the participating Indian Seeds, said, “It has been very surreal to be here in Lahore and this will be an experience that I … will carry with me wherever I go. I found many stark similarities between the home of my host family and my own home; it felt like being home all over again, and it had that feeling of being loved.”

Using the Internet for education in Kabul

KABUL | The Internet Training Course, a Seed Ventures project developed and led by Shapoor, a 2009 Afghan Seed, launched in March at the Ghulam Haidar Khan High School. Shapoor aims to provide over 300 Kabul public school students with computers and workshops on using the Internet as an educational resource, a way “to learn, search and communicate.” More than 250 teachers, participants in an Afghanistan Ministry of Edu cation training seminar, attended the launch.

Access to the Internet is rare in Afghanistan; its absence leaves a void in students’ ability

to access information about other countries and cultures. Many schools in Kabul lack both computers and related curricula.

In addition to increasing technological awareness and facility among Kabul youth, the Internet Training Course will provide substantial leadership development oppor tunities: while professionals taught the first workshop, subsequent workshops will turn that first session’s students into the next session’s teachers. The investment Shapoor has led will be leveraged into widening circles of training in essential skills for Afghan youth.

Representing all four provincial capitals and the federal capital of Pakistan, 50 youth, aged 14-17 years, and 10 educators came together in delegations comprised of 10 students and two educators each to discuss domestic challenges and dynamics as well as regional issues.

Pakistan’s provinces range greatly in political and economic power, and major national issues like the distribution of resources have sparked friction. While the political debate occupies the governmental level, for youth, the differences are perceived culturally.

The camp helped participants understand and appreciate each other’s cultures. The participants discussed terrorism and internal violence, law and order, and gender divides.

Ahsanullah Mohsin, principal of a public school in Quetta who escorted 10 students from Balochistan to the camp, said his students developed a better understanding of other people and “got to know about other cultures in the country and how similar we all are despite our apparent differences.”

Follow-up work with the participants in each province will continue over the next nine months as they bring the lessons they have learned back home to their schools and com munities.

A. Lewin, Executive Director

Looking ahead with Jared Cohen, Madeleine Albright & Graduates

NEW YORK | Hope and determination took the stage on May 16 as the Seeds of Peace community celebrated the accomplishments of Seeds and honored two of its dedicated spokespeople, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Google Ideas Direc tor Jared Cohen, with Peacemaker Awards.

At the Spring Dinner, speakers combined a cheerful mood with practical considerations and measured idealism.

“We cannot wave a magic wand and turn ignorance to understanding and pry open minds that have long since closed. But … we can sow the seeds of healing and knowl edge,” Secretary Albright stated.

“Unlike people who believe that conflict is the natural order of things, we believe that strife comes most often from ignorance, which can be dispelled through personal contact, dialogue, and the will to understand.”

The importance of knowledge and commu nication formed a trope across the evening’s speakers. Parnian, an Afghan Seed who had returned to her school after the Taliban fell only to find it “destroyed,” spoke of her plan for the immediate future “to do field research and secure funds and safe access to educa tion for girls in Afghanistan.”

“I don’t want them to live the life that I lived,” she said. “I want them to be educated. It empowers. And it brings peace.”

Jared Cohen, the second keynote speaker of the evening, called Seeds of Peace “the quin tessential example of an organization looking to bridge the divide and understanding gap that so often and unfairly plagues our world with different challenges”—an organization that he has “long admired.”

Mahmoud, a Palestinian Seed, and Lior, an Israeli Seed, joined Jared Cohen in discus sion; both have significant experience in the world of journalism.

Lior and Mahmoud spoke with authority on the role that technology and the media play in disseminating knowledge and opinions.

Lior commented, “A lot of kids in Israel, when they’re 18 and join the army, get a very powerful weapon, an M-16. I think I got an even more powerful weapon, because I got a microphone. And when you get a micro phone ... a lot of people hear what you have to say.”

Lior believes that his experiences as a Seed influence the way in which he delivers the news: “I get a report about something that happened in Hebron, or in Gaza, and I get to thinking, okay, this is Hebron ... Mahmoud is in Hebron. Maybe this is close to him. It gets a different treatment than it would with any other news editor or presenter.”

Mahmoud noted, “without technology, for me as a Seed, I wouldn’t be able to continue to be in touch with many of the friends I’ve made.”

His analysis went deeper: “The way we are using the Internet as young people, it’s shifting power, but we have to know that it’s putting more responsibility on us. Now we have to share and to think about a strategy as youth, to use it in a way that unites us together ... to take us to common ground.”

Upon hearing the Seeds speak, Jared Co hen reflected that they “embody the reasons we should all be optimistic about the future.”

The evening retained a sense of solemn purpose.

“Tonight really is a time to celebrate but also to recommit ourselves,” Secretary Albright said. She noted political and psychological roadblocks to the pursuit of peace: “After all, the world is big, and the obstacles to progress can seem intractable.”

She emphasized the importance of what may seem to be small steps, advising those present “not to expect instant miracles, but instead to plant some seeds.”

“We can answer the cynics by working harder than they do, caring more passionately and relying on the kind of hope that is fertile because it never stops growing within us.”

Reflecting on Camp dialogue sessions

TEL AVIV | The 2012 campers will have their most powerful experiences in Dialogue. Israeli Seed Shira (Camp 2011) describes the path they are about to travel:

If I could describe my dialogue sessions in one word it would be “intense.”

Before Camp, I dreaded Dialogue: I was so afraid I wouldn’t know enough, that we would just be talking cold, hard facts. But now, dialogue is one of the things I miss most. At first, my group would only yell at each other. Each camper came with very clear opinions and we were so set in our own opin ions that we wouldn’t listen to anyone else.

If someone from one side talked, the other side would just think about something else to say to defend themselves. There was a lot of crying and anger ... I was actually scared of my group!

Every dialogue ended with everyone asking our facilitators for more time—there really isn’t enough time in the world to finish saying all you have to say about the conflict. Even by the end of Dialogue, we still had more to say to each other. About a week and a half into Camp things calmed down a bit. We actually started listening to each other—at least part of the group did.

Dialogue at Seeds of Peace teaches you to respect others’ opinions and not to judge anyone before you know them. I also learned that we are so much more than the sum of our political views.

SETTLEMENTS/NORMALIZATION CONTINUED

first support all rights asked for by Palestinians. Some use the term as a critical accusation of those perceived to promote Palestinian accept ance of the status quo

The day-long program featured several speakers, most notably Ali Abu Awwad, a Palestinian peace activist who came to his belief in dialogue after shocking losses. He was shot in the leg by an Israeli settler and returned from rehabilitation to find his brother had been killed by an Israeli soldier. He has teamed with the Bereaved Families Forum, a group of 500 Israeli and Palestinian families that have lost close relatives, to work toward reconciliation and a just resolution to the conflict. Awwad was joined by Maisa Shkier, whose work centers on concepts of identity and cultural development and the perception of Palestinians at home and abroad.

These uninationals provided Seeds with an opportunity to engage in honest and, at times, gritty dialogue on community-dividing issues, providing an important supplement to the binational gatherings that also occur through out the year.

370 Lexington Ave., Suite 2103 New York, NY 10017-6594

SEEDS OF PEACE IN ACTION

The year is off to an incredible start! From Maine to Pakistan and many places in between, this edition of Seeds of Peace in Action gives you a great taste of the breadth and relevance of Seeds of Peace regional programming. Our Seeds continue to engage their communities and lead the way toward a more peaceful future. Thank you for believing in them, and believing in us.

—Leslie A. Lewin, Executive Director

Exploring strategies to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace

JERUSALEM | Does the road to peace go through the United Nations or through direct negotiations?

Who has the right to declare independence? Can the international community deny this right?

If the Palestinian bid for statehood in the UN is successful, what effect will it have on the peace process?

Leading dialoguecommunity in Maine

PORTLAND | In an extended observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Maine Seeds partnered with the Portland branch of the NAACP to help organize and lead three days of celebration and education.

On January 7, 10 Seeds met for facilitation skills training and a discussion about democracy and poverty with young adults from across Maine.

“We explored techniques for guiding a dialogue while allowing it to develop into a deep and meaningful conversation,” said Spencer, a participating Maine Seed.

Equipped with new knowledge and skills, the Seeds helped to facilitate a community dialogue in conjunction with the City of Portland, Maine Interfaith Youth Alliance, the University of New England, and other organizations.

About 150 community members participated in the January 14 discussion, forming small groups to talk about Dr. King’s ideas regarding race, class, and power.

The Seeds credited Seeds of Peace with helping them become leaders, both in the framework of this event and in tackling socioeconomic challenges facing their state.

The NAACP selected two Seeds to take part in the State of the State address on January 16. The two were also named as MLK Fellows and will continue their involvement in social action projects that address issues related to justice and poverty in their communities.

The Maine Seeds Program was created in 2000, when Seeds of Peace adapted its international conflict resolution model to focus on intercommunal tensions in Maine.

The program provides a diverse group of high potential Maine youth—including refugees and asylum seekers, as well as those whose families have been in the US for generations—with the relationships, understanding, and skills to effectively bridge divides that exist in their communities.

Israeli and Palestinian Seeds came together to explore these and many other questions during a December 3-4 binational featuring prominent experts who presented different perspectives on diplomatic strategy and potential paths toward peace. Dr. Omar Awadallah, head of the United Nations Department of the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, and Meital Nir-Tal of the Israeli Foreign Ministry Legal Ad-

viser’s Office, both addressed the 60 Seeds who were gathered in Jerusalem.

The two-day conference also featured intensive dialogue sessions, led by a team of older Seeds trained as dialogue facilitators. The Seeds examined efforts at the UN to admit Palestine, the stalemated peace process, and the relative effectiveness of unilateral and bilateral efforts towards peace.

Participants in the intensive January 13-15 program engaged in a variety of role-playing and active listening exercises that highlighted the significant role emotion plays in the negotiation process. They also learned specifically about multi-party negotiation during a simulation based on the Northern Ireland conflict.

“It was a fascinating opportunity to learn how to overcome obstacles in the negotiation process and how to be a good mediator between people, which as Seeds is something we often experience,” said one participant.

HNMCP pairs Harvard Law faculty and students with corporations and organizations to provide services in the fields of negotiation, dispute resolution and conflict management.

While at the training, Seeds also met in small discussion groups to talk about how to apply the new skills and concepts they were

Peace staff can lead the training independently in the future.

“It was an honor to partner with Seeds of Peace on this project,” said Robert Bordone, HNMCP director. “I was deeply impressed by the Seeds’ passion, energy and enthusiasm for the material. The path-breaking work they do every day is inspiring and so important.”

“On behalf of the Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program, I hope this is the beginning of a fruitful collaboration that will give us opportunities to engage Seeds and help develop their skills in conflict resolution, mediation and peace-building.”

The Seeds will reconvene for day-long sessions in February and March in order to share their experiences using the techniques acquired in the training, and to continue their skill development.

Reuniting to learn the religious and historical significance of Haifa

JERUSALEM | Over 100 Israeli and Palestinian Seeds reunited in Haifa on January 28 to hear about the city’s history and to engage in cross-conflict dialogue.

A city with a large Arab population, Haifa holds particular importance to many Seeds. Some of the West Bank Palestinians who attended the event come from families who have refugee status and relatives who lived in Haifa before 1948.

Given this context, the Seeds focused on learning about the city, its past and present inhabitants, the different narratives about its history, and how these relate to the larger nar-

ratives of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The day began with Bahá’í guides providing insights on their faith and leading the Seeds on a tour of the Shrine of the Báb and its gardens.

Seeds then toured Wadi Nisnas, a neighborhood with particular historical significance in relation to the events of 1948. Today, the neighborhood is home to an arts festival and tolerance project. Guides from the Beit Hagefen Arab-Jewish Community Center led the tour, after which Seeds gathered at the Center to debrief and meet with visiting Seeds of Peace Executive Director Leslie Lewin.

Addressing local community issues in Pakistan

LAHORE | Seeds Ventures initiatives continued this December as Pakistani Seeds organized a free medical clinic and the second annual Interfaith Harmony Camp.

Designed to enable Seeds to plan and implement projects addressing needs in their communities, Seeds Ventures programming in South Asia was developed in partnership with Ashoka Youth Venture.

In early December, the Seeds-run medical clinic provided health screenings and medical checkups to over 300 people, 65 percent of whom were female.

“We wanted to provide basic health screening and create awareness about the importance of health and hygiene in this underprivileged community, which cannot afford private consultants,” said Rana, one of 15 Seeds in charge of the clinic, which was located in the Green Town area of Lahore. “These people only visit doctors when they have reached the last stage of terminal diseases.”

Gynecologist and Graduate Seed Dr. Mahak was one of the four doctors who volunteered for the day to give diabetes, cholesterol, calcium, and eye tests as well as OBGYN, dermatological, respiratory, and gastrological consultations, all free of charge. She noted that the number of women attending the clinic highlighted the need to increase opportunities for women from rural and impoverished areas to learn about reproductive health. Programs like the medical clinic, she said, were also essential to instilling a sense of social responsibility in youth.

Kathryn A. Kiser, the Cultural Affairs Officer at the US Consulate in Lahore, was among the dignitaries who visited the clinic.

these young minds,” said Tooba, one of the Seeds who organized the event in order to bring an aspect of the Seeds of Peace experience to youth who do not have the chance to travel to Maine. Campers played team sports,

participated in group challenge activities, and engaged in dialogue sessions during which they spoke about their religions and explored each other’s perspectives.

“We discussed the similarities and stereotypes about our beliefs,” said Mubashar, a 16-year-old Muslim participant who, like many others in attendance, had never met Sikh students before and enjoyed the opportunity to learn about their culture and religion.

Through the camp, he said, he learned both to live with diversity and to respect that diversity.

Ted Gehr and Brinille Ellis from the US Consulate in Lahore distributed certificates of participation to the campers, praising the teens’ efforts as peacemakers as well as the work of Seeds of Peace.

Engaging with Sen. Mitchell and Sir Cohen on Middle East peace

NEW YORK | Seeds and their supporters had two opportunities to broaden their understanding of the elements necessary to attain lasting peace in the Middle East by hearing the perspectives of prominent leaders.

In November, Sir Ronald Cohen, Founder and Chairman of the Portland Trust, and parent of a Seed, delivered an address on “Peace and Prosperity: The Connected Imperatives.”

The Portland Trust is a private not for profit British “action tank” committed to promoting peace and stability between Palestinians and Israelis through economic development.

Sir Ronald stressed the role that Palestinian financial security and growth plays in the peace process and described some of the Trust’s initiatives, which include the development of financial and economic infrastructure, housing, trade, investment and entrepreneurship. He stated his belief that “the development of a thriving and sustainable Palestinian economy is a necessary condition for peace.”

Sir Ronald emphasized the importance of Seeds of Peace and urged the organization to “scale up its efforts” in empowering youth to create societal structures which will enable reconciliation.

Senator George Mitchell presented his assessment of the current state of the IsraeliPalestinian peace process at a forum held in January.

The Senator, who has had broad experience negotiating the conflict, both as the chair of the international summit held in Sharm El Sheikh after the outbreak of the second Intifada and during his two-year term as President Obama’s Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, cited many reasons for pessimism, but stated that he does not accept that the conflict is unsolvable. He recalled that 83 percent of people in Northern Ireland believed a peace agreement to be impossible just five days before one was reached.

Recognizing self-interest as a primary motivator during negotiations, the Senator stressed

the need for individuals and governments to realize that the positive outcomes of peace are worth the act of compromising on what may seem to be non-negotiable. At the same time, he acknowledged that leaders often display an inability to find common ground to end conflict in a way that is acceptable to their societies. He noted that each side has a profound sense of victimization and each has a realistic basis for it. There is a mutual fear of the future and anxiety about change.

Mitchell concluded his remarks by stating that what is needed to move the process forward are leaders with the courage and determination to harness their societies’ support for positions that are thought to be impossible—the type of leaders that Seeds of Peace is developing. “It is so important that organizations like yours expand at times that seem most pessimistic,” he said.

“Despair, like many diseases, is infectious. Through its young leaders, Seeds of Peace brings hope.”

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SEEDS OF PEACE IN ACTION

We are proud to be closing out 2011 having strengthened our impact around the world and having launched innovative programming. Our Seeds continue to provide real leadership in their societies and to engage in issues most others choose to avoid. Sixty Israelis and Palestinians will meet in Jerusalem for two days in December to examine questions surrounding Palestinian statehood, analyze diplomatic strategies and explore possibilities for moving forward towards peace. In addition, stay tuned for the much-anticipated launch of our new website, designed by a Graduate Seed and highlighting the breadth of our programming and the impact of our Seeds. We remain grateful for your support. —Leslie A. Lewin, Executive Director

Facilitation course certifies Seeds to run dialogue sessions

JERUSALEM | While some Seeds have just completed their first summer of dialogue, others are taking the step to gain professional training in the pursuit of peace.

Seeds of Peace will again be offering a Professional Certificate in Dialogue Facilitation and Conflict Transformation. This is the third time Seeds of Peace has offered the year-long course, and candidates applied in record numbers.

The 20 participants, both Seeds and new peace-builders, began the program on

VOICE OF A SEED

HEBRON | Palestinian Seed Mahmoud (2007) continues to make headlines as a photographer and journalist. Mahmoud is a strong advocate for the role of youth in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and created one of 12 videos screened at a special session of the UN Security Council in December 2010. More recently, he became a rallying force for Seeds and friends of peace worldwide after he was arrested in March while photographing a protest in his hometown of Hebron, one of the hazards of reporting from a conflict zone. Despite his week-long imprisonment, his commitment to peace is undeterred.

He says that Seeds of Peace affected his life “to the deepest point” and that his experience at Camp “was the beginning of my peace activism.”

“I discovered that [Israelis] were not just soldiers, settlers, tank drivers,” he recently told The Christian Science Monitor. “These were people similar to me. We have common dreams. I was seeing people differently than I did in the media.”

The following is an extract from Mahmoud’s blog:

I want to draw attention to the most serious stumbling block to peace between the two sides the misinformation and dominance of political extremists and religious fundamentalists.

Young people in Israel and Palestine yearn for peace and a normal life, and if we really want to develop a future of peace between Palestinians and the Israelis which should include a seed of hope and readiness for understanding between the two sides then our leaders must be made aware of what is really influencing young people at mosques, schools and public places.

I believe that there should be action taken by young people for other young people, concentrating on giving both sides a clear and active role in the political process.

Young Palestinians and Israelis are excluded from the political process and any future progress must include a free and open education that raises awareness and expectations and limits the damage caused by ignorance and religious hatred wherever is comes from.

I call upon Israeli and Palestinian youth to send out a shared message of peace and reconciliation in front of the world community.

November 4. Through their coursework and bi-weekly class meetings, as well as mandatory field service at Seeds of Peace programs in the Middle East, they are gaining theoretical and experiential knowledge and skills. Continuing the Seeds tradition of communi-

at the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Maine during the 2012 and 2013 summers. Their work, however, will extend far beyond Camp in the coming years. As credentialed facilitators, graduates will lead dialogue between Seeds as part of our year-round

schooner during the inaugural summer of Seas of Peace.

This July, 15 Israeli, Palestinian, and American Seeds learned the traditional sailing and navigation skills necessary to sail South Carolina while engaging in the same coexistence and daily dialogue that have made summers at the International Camp in Maine powerful for years.

While the combination of sailing and conflict resolution may seem incongruous at first, crewing a ship served as a tangible exercise in unifying disparate functions and roles in the service of a common goal.

Collaborative work aboard the vessel complemented a rigorous leadership curriculum, and Seeds ended the voyage more connected to each other and more assured in their visions for a peaceful future.

Seas of Peace is the initiative of David Nutt and Monica Balanoff, two Seeds of Peace counselors and recent Dartmouth graduates who received Dartmouth’s Richard D. Lombard, ’53 Public Service Fellowship to launch the pilot program.

Seas of Peace amplifies possible opportunities for second-year Seeds, providing a complement to Camp and a way to delve deeper into the experience of coexistence. This first group of sailors lived up to Monica’s vision of “challenging the participants to truly engage with each other—offering them no choice with whom they interact.”

Before hoisting the sails of The Spirit, the Seeds spent 10 days learning how to navigate small boats on Casco Bay and translate

the rapport and confidence that the crew developed during their three weeks together. In this communal record, comments about “laughs and gleeful conversation” and the importance of plankton mingle with mentions of “the idea of dignity” and “team cohesion.”

As early as their third day on the Atlantic, one participant writes, “we were getting at the idea of how we can be optimists about the future in the days and years to come, and what we can do as individuals to make a difference.”

This first group of sailors returned from a profound experience at sea with strong friendships and renewed hope. We are already planning for next summer’s voyage.

Watch a video of the sailors performing their self-composed “Sea Shanty” at http://bit.ly/sopshanty.

‘We have common dreams’

South Asia Seeds as social entrepreneurs Vibrant post-Camp regional programs

MUMBAI | Seeds of Peace has initiated a program partnership with Ashoka to provide social entrepreneurial training to Afghan, Indian and Pakistani Seeds. The new Seeds Ventures program gives our South Asia Seeds the tools needed to develop innovative, effective approaches to societal issues while emphasizing the power of youth leadership and cross-border cooperation.

Ashoka Youth Ventures “inspires and invests in teams of young people to start and lead their own social ventures.” The partnership adds an important new dimension to our programs. While Seeds of Peace as an organization connects and empowers young leaders, it is now launching the Seeds themselves as the actors who must change the future.

Seeds Ventures is now in full swing. A series of local workshops and an online training has already focused on social innovation, needs assessments and project planning. Seeds worked under Seeds of Peace mentors to develop social impact projects focused on issues of particular concern to them and then submitted proposals online for small grants to

carry out their ideas.

Those whose projects advance to the second round will present their proposals in person to a panel of government officials, and local business and non-profit leaders. The strongest projects will receive funding.

Throughout all aspects of the program, teams in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan communicate through video conferences and social media platforms in order to gain insight into each other’s lives and perspectives, and the issues affecting their communities. They share their struggles, learn from each other’s experiences, and look for appropriate opportunities for cooperation.

Ultimately, Seeds will gain a concrete understanding of the issues affecting their societies and the steps needed to create change, as well as the skills, confidence, and opportunities needed to have an impact upon their world today.

In 2012, Seeds Ventures will launch a program to equip Middle East Seeds with

• 100 Israeli and Palestinian Junior Seeds are providing translation work and entertaining activities to patients and their families at a Tel Aviv hospital through the Save a Child’s Heart program.

• Indian Seeds organized the second annual Mock Parliament program this August in Mumbai, during which Seeds and their classmates learned to understand the challenges facing the Pakistani government.

• Over 40 Seeds and family members gathered for a Ramadan iftar meal at the Salam Restaurant in Gaza on August 20. Other iftars were held in Amman and Jerusalem.

• Pakistani Seeds submitted their community development projects before a Seeds Ventures panel for review on August 27.

• 76 Israelis and Palestinians who were at Camp this summer attended a reunion in Jerusalem on September 16.

• Palestinian negotiator and Seed parent Dr. Sa’eb Erekat spoke to 65 Seeds in Ramallah

Multinational explores ‘People Power’ and the Arab Spring

AMMAN | At the first Middle East multinational conference for younger Seeds in over a decade, 55 Egyptian, Israeli, Jordanian, Palestinian, and American Seeds united in Petra, Jordan, for a week under the guidance of 10 Graduate Seeds to explore the power of young people to create peaceful change.

They worked together to analyze and appreciate the development of worldviews and the ways in which these shape the present. Seeds examined the forces and structures that underlie current societal dynamics, identity formation and reinforcement, the difference between power and influence, and the concept of personal agency.

At the close of the People Power program, the Seeds explored various tools and methods that have been employed successfully by young people in the pursuit of change throughout the world, gaining comfort with them during a final simulation.

The Seeds appreciated the practicality of “really eye-opening” workshops, designed and taught in their entirety by Graduate Seeds and ranging in topic from business to national identities, that emphasized the translation of ideas into actions. As one Seed commented, “We’ve got the chance to turn what we learned from Camp into something that can affect our society.”

Participants met with the Commission for Community Development in Petra, as well as with senior US diplomats.

Before People Power, American Seeds spent a week in Amman meeting with local

Middle East.

In hallmark Seeds of Peace style, the multinational was an opportunity for Seeds to travel and live together. At at time when crossborder contact among Arab and Israeli youth is exceedingly rare, this diverse, tightly-knit gathering was exceptional.

The Graduate Seeds who led the workshops reported that this event, taking place at a pivotal moment in the history of the region, counts among the best programs that Seeds of Peace has ever run.

“People Power is the first Seeds Reunion I

attended since I returned from Camp,” said Hatem, a 2010 Egyptian Seed. He called the program “an effective, extraordinary experience that I will surely never forget” and cited “the two excursions in Jordan, the awesome workshops” and “seeing so many Seeds and spending time with them” as highlights.

“The things I learned will always be pillars in what I do in becoming a better leader in my community.”

Clearly, our older Seeds have transferred their energy, knowledge and enthusiasm to younger Seeds. One Egyptian Seed was busy planning for the future before the program had even ended:

“When I get back, I can’t wait to apply all the things that I’ve learned.”

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SEEDS OF PEACE IN ACTION

I’m writing as we start the second session of Camp while anticipating the return of our American travelers from the Middle East and our sailors off the coast of Maine. This has been one of our richest summers ever, and we look forward to an equally full edition of Seeds of Peace in Action this fall, when we tell you about People Power, Seas of Peace, and the amplified Educators’ and ongoing regional programs. We are incredibly grateful to the many people who made this extraordinary summer possible, from you, our supporters, to the hundred Toll Brothers volunteers who hammered, sawed and swept Camp into shape, to the counselors, facilitators and support staff who provided the Seeds a life-changing experience. Thank you. —Leslie A. Lewin, Executive Director

Skype-bridged dialogue: an American Seed’s initiative

NEW YORK | American Seeds are also building on the power of their Camp experience: recently, Jacob Blumenfeld-Gantz (Camp 2006) together with his college roommate Corey Metzman created Dorm Room Diplomacy (DRD), a program that aims to cultivate mutual understanding for young people in the Middle East and United States.

This program won accolades from longtime Seeds of Peace champion President Bill Clinton. This April, at the Clinton Global Initiative University 2011, President Clinton noted that Dorm Room Diplomacy echoes Seeds of Peace—“the most astonishing example of this kind of interaction I have personally

witnessed”—as he honored Cobi and Corey at the award ceremonies.

Dorm Room Diplomacy is coupling University of Pennsylvania students with college students in the Middle East, engaging them in weekly two-hour facilitated dialogue sessions using online technologies such as Skype.

In these conversations, students have the opportunity to go beyond media coverage in understanding issues. They examine their own assumptions and even biases, and build cultural connections.

Cobi drew on his Seeds of Peace Camp experience in crafting the new initiative and ser ves as one of the program’s facilitators.

VOICE OF A SEED

‘Be the hope for the hopeful’

OTISFIELD, MAINE | Jehan (Indian Delegation 2008, 2011) addressed his fellow campers at the first session of Camp on June 29. He implored new campers to understand the magnitude of their work and time together, and to think, then act, in the name of peace. Here, he shares an abbreviation of his remarks; for the full version, please visit www.seedsofpeace.org/jehan

Largest Camp session ever in Maine

OTISFIELD, MAINE | At this pivotal time in history, when the power of young people to bring about change is being demonstrated in countries across the globe, the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Maine hosted its largest ever summer session.

There, in a safe and secure environment, 190 remarkable Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian, Jordanian, Indian, Pakistani and American teens met their historic “enemies” face-to-face (often for the first time) and began to develop the friendships, understanding and trust necessary to build lasting peace.

“I was really scared to come here,” wrote an Israeli camper at the end of the session. “I met my enemy. He doesn’t have wings or a tail. He was a kid. He was a kid just like me.”

An Egyptian camper wrote about being partnered with an Israeli on the high ropes course. “I’m not afraid of heights, but in this particular situation, I had to depend on him for balance ... He had to close his eyes while

he walked on the rope. I thought he wouldn’t accept, but he just smiled and said, “I trust you.’ ”

For three and a half weeks, the Seeds worked hard and played hard. Through bunk life, daily dialogue sessions, sports and other activities, they discovered their common humanity and former enemies soon became friends. The apprehension and fear that many of the teens experienced when they first arrived at Camp turned to tears on departure day as they took leave of their new friends and prepared to face the challenges of home.

The transformative Camp experience is just the beginning of a long journey for the Seeds. Year-round Seeds of Peace programs in their respective communities keep them connected and provide the knowledge, skills and relationships they need to become agents of change and make their mark on the world.

Read the Camp blog at www.seedsofpeace.org/camp2011

We all wake up to the most beautiful lake in the world, the greenest grass. And the first thing we do is jump out of our bunks and charge for the shower house. Just when you think you’re going to have a nice hot water bath, someone overtakes you and steals your precious first place. There is anger and conflict in the bunk for around 30 seconds and then we’re all friends again and another happy day at Seeds of Peace begins.

Now, multiply that “conflict” by a million and that’s what’s happening in the world. To make that million a zero—well, that’s why we come to Camp.

A great leader once said, “Dream, dream, dream. For dreams transform into thought and thoughts result in action.”

We’ve all been dreaming and at Seeds of Peace, we’ve got to think—just coolly, calmly, and collectively, think. Think of yourself; think of the other side, and then think of the millions and millions of people we represent.

We just think and at the end of Camp we return home, and act. We act because we want to have an impact; because we don’t want our family to be afraid. We start acting because we want the world to smile with us.

To many, a world without boundaries—no fear, no war, no nuclear weapons—is a farfetched dream. But it’s not. It really isn’t. Not when we Seeds are around.

Seeds of Peace changes lives. Camp shows what a world full of smiles looks like. I have learned to smile a brilliant smile all the time.

We children can’t go to a nightclub, but we can make the entire world dance to one rhythm. We can’t get a tattoo, but we can ink history. That’s how Seeds of Peace empowers us. That’s the power we have to make the world a world like Seeds of Peace.

So, be the hope for the hopeful; be the motivator and the motivation; be the story and the storyteller; be the teacher and the teaching.

Be a Seed of change; be a Seed of love; but, most importantly, be that Seed of peace who makes a difference.

Seeds head organization’s Middle East programs

JERUSALEM | This summer, we continued to build a leadership of Seeds in our programs. Most recently we welcomed Ethan Schechter (Camp 1994) as our new Middle East Program Director following the June appointment of Mohammed NasserEddin (Camp 2002) as Director of Palestinian Programs.

A few months ago we said a sad goodbye to Sawsan Samara (Camp 1998), who guided our Palestinian programs for almost four years and then decided to pursue graduate studies. Sawsan left big shoes to fill, but we are delighted that a team of Seeds is now in place.

Mohammed has been an active participant in regional programming for more than eight years, and brings great professional experience, passion for Seeds of Peace, and vision for Palestinian programs. After earning a bachelors degree at the University of Jordan, he began his working life with the American Chamber of Commerce in Jordan and then spent two years as a program officer with the Norwegian Refugee Council in Palestine. Mohammed is also a partner with the Oxfam International Youth Program. He is multilingual (English, French, Hebrew as well as his native

Arabic) and will be working closely with Mohammed Isleem, our Program Director in Gaza, and fellow Seed Eldad Levy (Camp 1998), our Israeli Program Director, who joined us in September 2010.

Ethan, who has known Seeds of Peace almost from its inception, will work to strengthen a coordinated, connected program for Egyptian, Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian Seeds. We have been looking for a Middle East Programs Director with strong knowledge of Seeds of Peace and have in Ethan a Seed, former counselor and regional program coordinator (2002-2003).

Ethan holds a Masters degree in Coexistence and Conflict, and has worked at the United States Institute of Peace and CDA Collaborative Learning Projects, a non-profit committed to improving the effectiveness of international actors who provide humanitarian assistance, engage in peace practice, and support sustainable development. Ethan will be moving to Jerusalem this summer. This strong team knows first-hand the challenges and needs Seeds face as they return home, and launched their connection to the newest Seeds by visiting them at Camp in Maine.

Two powerful women, noted journalist Kati Marton and Carlson Chairman Marilyn Carlson Nelson, affirmed the importance of Seeds of Peace as guest speakers at the Spring Dinner on May 18. Marton (above) accepted the John P. Wallach Peacemaker Award given posthumously to Ambassador Richard Holbrooke and Nelson (below) accepted the Corporate Peacemaker Award on behalf of her company, Carlson, which provides worldwide travel services to Seeds of Peace.

Using media and Homestays to build unity in South Asia

MUMBAI | In May, 32 Seeds from Afghanistan, Pakistan and India par ticipated in Voices of the People—an eight-day regional Homestay program in Mumbai, India designed to teach Seeds how to use media to generate awareness and understanding of varying perspectives on issues central to the conflicts in South Asia.

During the conference, Seeds worked in groups of three—one from each country—to learn videography, photography, and creative writing.

Local educators who participated in our Adult Educators program at our International Camp were on hand to teach techniques and ser ve as resources for each group. Seeds were invited to propose their own ideas for a group project, and each team produced media content around its chosen topic. Themes ranged from religious coexistence to marriage, corruption, and even food distribution. Each group worked together to produce

a narrative, photo gallery and short video. As part of this initiative, Seeds built a website to showcase and house the content they created. They will continue to update this website monthly

Voices of the People culminated in a media exhibition where Seeds presented their projects to an audience of more than 300 friends, family members, partners and local educators. Those in attendance had the op portunity to hear from each group of Seeds about their projects during an enthusiastic question-and-answer session. Two of the most popular presentations were “Coming Together with Cricket” and “Bonding through Biryani.” Visit www.seedsofpeace.org/vop to learn more about these and other projects created by Seeds.

Since its launch earlier this year, the website has already begun to provide an accessible platform for peer-to-peer and peer-to-community sharing and dialogue. Teachers, community

leaders, NGOs and others working toward peace have begun to benefit from the VOP website as Seeds have shared stories from the site formally and informally with their networks of peers. Currently, the VOP site has an integrated Facebook connect feature, which allows for ease in sharing the contents of the site as well as for live interactive feedback on the stories.

A critical component of this project was the Homestay. More than 15 Indian families played host to Seeds from Afghanistan and Pakistan, allowing Seeds to experience the family environment of their counterparts.

Simple things such as morning wake-up routines, family time around the dinner table, and evening chores and activities helped to build unity across borders.

Through this shared living experience and afternoon trips around the city, Seeds immersed themselves in the daily life that makes up the local culture.

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SEEDS OF PEACE IN ACTION

At a time when the power of youth in the Middle East is on full display, the need for our conflict resolution programming and leadership development is all the more pressing. For nearly 20 years, Seeds of Peace has been empowering a new generation of leaders uniquely capable of and committed to promoting dialogue and peace—and they are at the forefront of efforts to bring change to their regions. On behalf of our Seeds around the world, huge thanks for all you are doing to allow our work to continue and to grow in these remarkable times.

— Leslie A. Lewin, Executive Director

Seeds on the Front Lines of Peace in Egypt

CAIRO | Drawing on leadership skills acquired through Seeds of Peace, Egyptian Seeds have been deeply engaged in many of the changes sweeping their country.

In Tahrir Square, Seeds protested peacefully and helped shape opinion about the demonstrations through reporting and information sessions.

Seeds also initiated events ranging from fundraisers to dialogue groups for young people.

Journalist Mona El-Naggar, a Seed from 1999, helped US audiences make sense of the revolution through her reporting from Tahrir for The New York Times

Mona wrote or contributed to dozens of stories, many front page, in the Times and authored a New York Times Week in Review piece, ‘The Legacy of 18 Days in Tahrir Square.’ She also appeared on Charlie Rose twice to share her analysis of the situation.

Another 1999 Seed, Mostafa Fahmy,

“I used passion and all my abilities to peacefully defend what I believe in,”

Mostafa says. “We made the song with love and pride. We wanted to make our voices loud—really loud—for all the world to hear.”

audiences were touched by the headlines of youth clearing the protest sites of litter. In fact, Seeds organized a day-long community service activity to clean up after their compatriots, removing refuse and rubble from the streets.

The commitment to peace is enduring, and Seeds are creating new NGOs to sustain dialogue, writing op-eds and continuing to organize the youth voice for peaceful change.

Preserving History in Afghanistan

KABUL | Mujib Mashal, an Afghan Seed from 2002, initiated the “2011 Stories from Kabul” oral history project and led its first workshop in January.

Mujib, who trained at the Columbia University Oral History Summer Institute, imparted the skills he developed interviewing compatriots in his own coursework to a group of 13 younger Afghan Seeds.

In Afghanistan, a country where oral tradition is the central vehicle for preserving history, a rich national narrative is being lost, a casualty of war and insurrection. When these stories go untold, a nation’s lessons, pride, culture, and identity vanish.

“Through this project I can learn a new way of expressing all those stories that have dried up on every single Afghan’s lips,” said project participant Feroz.

LAHORE/MUMBAI | Pakistani and Indian Seeds held a direct video conferencing session in January as part of a series of meetings that will help the two sides gain a deeper understanding of each others’ socio-cultural and political systems.

The series will prepare Seeds for a threeday Mock Parliament, scheduled for this summer, during which Seeds will simulate each others’ parliaments by stepping into the roles of legislators from across the border.

The video conference series addresses issues that include the role of youth in promoting peace and non-violence, the Taliban, social entrepreneurship and community work, terrorism in the subcontinent, and the Indian elections.

During the video conference, three

Indian Seeds presented to their Pakistani counterparts the working of the Indian Parliament and system of governance, covering topics like the role of the civil service and media, recent judicial activism, local self-governance, representation of women in politics and efforts to keep India a democratic republic.

Their presentation was followed by an interactive question and answer session with the Seeds in Lahore, who asked about India’s electoral system, whether there were any benefits to reserving seats in parlia ment for women and minority groups, and about the secular image of, and the place of Muslims in, the politics of India.

Pakistani Seeds will present their form of governance to Indians in an upcoming video conference.

“We discussed the importance of oral history in Afghanistan at a time when factual histories of the atrocities of the past four decades cannot be written because those who caused the atrocities are still prominent,” Mujib said.

“Our generation is also working with an absence of archives, what traditional histories are based on. So oral history can play a massive role here—to record stories that are at risk of being lost.”

Mujib taught the Seeds the basics of interviewing, transcribing, and writing narrative pieces based on their interviews with their elders. Some interviews relate nostalgic tales of youth. Others are filled with accounts of misery and suffering.

The collection of stories will be published later this year in their original language (Pashto/Dari) and in English.

JERUSALEM | Sixty Israelis and Palestinians (from across the West Bank) engaged in two days of dialogue exploring Jerusalem, one of the defining unresolved issues of the conflict. By connecting the discus sion to these issues directly, the seminar aimed to build on the Camp dialogue sessions.

In the weeks leading up to the event, Seeds met by delegation to research topics relating to Jerusalem. The result was six hours of focused dialogue that gave the Seeds a much deeper understanding of the challenges that face Jerusalem’s residents, as well as concrete action plans to address some of these issues.

“The dialogue was so much more insightful,” said one Israeli Seed. “It was more mature than Camp. I now understand the Palestinian point of view referring to how Jerusalem should look, and sympathize with their situation of living under occupation.”

Two guest lecturers spoke about Jerusalem. Elie Isaacson, a spokesman for the Jerusalem mayor’s office, discussed vari ous city policies.

constructive environment,” Isaacson said, calling the Seeds “a group of exceptional young people who quite possibly possess the right mix of conviction and open mindedness that is capable of leading us to a very different future.”

Aziz Abu Sara, Director of Middle East Projects at the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy, and Conflict Resolution at

Conflict Resolution Week in London

LONDON | As they led a full week’s worth of classes for students of all ages during the American School in London (ASL) Conflict Resolution Week in Decem ber, six Seeds—three each from India and Pakistan—saw their own life lessons from Seeds of Peace profoundly reinforced by imparting them to American and British students.

The Seeds conducted classroom visits and met with the South Asia, Model UN, and Amnesty International clubs on campus. The ASL students gained exceptional insights into the South Asian conflict, as well as practical methods for resolving conflict through purposeful dialogue in their daily lives.

The Seeds of Peace network offered an experience that no other group could provide. For example, in Peggy Elhadi’s 9th grade English class, which had just finished reading Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns, students were eager to ask someone from Afghanistan whether the novel reflected the reality of life under the Taliban, how women really felt about the veil, and how families handled the restrictions imposed on them.

Although our Afghan Seeds were unable to obtain visas, technology bridged the distance. The class wrote interview questions and Seeds of Peace arranged for two ASL students to record an interview

with one of our Afghan alumni via Skype. (The time difference did not allow the full class to join in real time.)

Students were captivated as a young woman, close in age to them, answered each of their questions. Every page Hosseini wrote, she said, resonated with her life. She highlighted a particular incident near the end of the book that depicted a young woman being stoned to death at a sports stadium, and spoke of the day that her father and brother returned home from the nearby stadium with news of a similar event.

She assured them that the novel’s passage was not a flight of imagination. She went on to discuss the meaning of the hijab and spoke firmly about the impor tance of women’s choice in wearing the veil. She briefed them on the complicated history of Afghanistan, life in Kabul now, and her hope for the future. She made their assigned text come to life.

The Seeds, invited from Lahore and Mumbai to London by ASL, were impressed by thought-provoking questions and responded with their reflections on the importance of distinguishing between governments and people.

Following one of the activities led by Seeds, an ASL student commented, “If we kids understand what needs to be done to create peace, why don’t the leaders?”

ties and dialogue throughout the seminar. Thus the event was also an effective apprenticeship for PLs, who won the praise of the younger participants.

“Dialogue is about understanding the other’s agenda and state of mind [and] the PLs made it happen,” said one younger participant.

Graduate Seeds Orient New McKinsey Partners

JERUSALEM | As part of the McKinsey & Company Global New Partner Orientation week, recently held in Jerusalem, pairs of Israeli and Palestinian Graduate Seeds teamed with groups of new McKinsey Partners to engage in dialogue, and explore the theme of leadership and ways in which a new generation of leaders can pave the way to a more peaceful future in the Middle East.

A total of 40 Seeds joined 250 McKinsey Partners and their spouses for a full day of formal and informal gatherings.

“The Seeds of Peace were the energy, passion and drive for the whole atmosphere of the day,” said one McKinsey organizer. “The Seeds’ engagement and interaction transformed strangers into friends.”

In addition to the opportunity for Graduates to tell their personal stories of living in conflict, the event allowed the Seeds to reconnect with one another and network with some of the world’s leading business professionals.

“We could not be more grateful to McKinsey for including Seeds of Peace in their program and believing in the importance of supporting local initiatives and voices,” said Seeds of Peace Executive Director Leslie Lewin.

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SEEDS OF PEACE IN ACTION

With this edition we launch a newsletter that will illustrate some of the extensive programming that is sustaining our Seeds in their life-long mission as leaders serving the cause of peace and mutual understanding. As you will see in this and future issues, Seeds of Peace is an active force in zones of conflict through the wide-ranging personal and professional pursuits of individual Seeds. — Leslie A. Lewin, Executive Director

Sharing traditions and perspectives on Jerusalem

JERUSALEM | There was an air of excitement on September 4th when 86 Israeli and Palestinian Seeds from the 2010 Camp season reunited in Jerusalem for continued dialogue and a dinner to mark Ramadan and Rosh Hashanah. The gathering was remarkable in a conflict zone where research shows that less than one percent of Palestinian and Israeli youth have had an opportunity to engage in an organized dialogue or encounter with someone from the other side since the start of the Second Intifada in 2000.

Seeds graduates gave presentations and led discussion on the significance of Jeru salem for Jews, Muslims and Christians.

The youngsters were then encouraged to share their family traditions surrounding Ramadan and Rosh Hashanah and seek information from each other about specific religious practices. The event culminated with a holiday meal when the East Jerusalem canon fired to mark the end of the Ramadan fast.

The evening was made possible through the generosity of an American Seed’s family.

Aiding victims of the Pakistan floods

LAHORE | In response to the recent devastation in Pakistan, Seeds have mobilized to aid in the flood relief efforts.

In an appeal to their peers, Pakistani Seeds wrote: “With many lives already lost and millions more at risk, we urge you all to help us fuel a coordinated effort to do the best we can to support those in need.”

In answer, over 60 Seeds from around the world have launched initiatives in their communities:

• Seeds in India working with schools to collect and send materials and supplies to Pakistan.

• School-wide campaigns in Jordan, the US, and other countries to reach out to students and ask for their support;

• Educational events that raise awareness about the situation in Pakistan and raise money to help those affected;

• A “Two-gether for Pakistan” campaign jointly run by campus Hillels and Muslim Student Associations asking students to donate $2 to the campaign;

• Barbecues, bake sales, henna tattoos, raffle tickets, and play performances all benefiting flood relief;

• Outreach to other Seeds, family members, schoolmates, and community groups to let them know about the campaign and ask for their support.

“It really is great to see all the Seeds over the globe participate in this and take the initiative,” said a Pakistani Seed. “People at home are really impressed by the fact that Seeds are raising money even in India. It makes me so happy to see our SOP mission come to life through this.”

To donate or learn more, please visit www.seedsofpeace.org/flood

Planting trees; tackling heroin trade

KABUL | In partnership with the Afghan Ministry of Education, Seeds designed and implemented a project intended to encourage farmers to halt poppy cultivation and at the same time beautify Kabul schools. The Seeds purchased 150 trees from nurseries in the Nangarhar/Jalalabad region that participate in the Alternative Livelihoods Project—a USAID-funded program to combat opium production by providing meaningful economic options to poppy farmers. Our Seeds then recruited friends and family to help them plant the trees at partner schools throughout Kabul.

Upon completion of this project, the Ministry of Education held a ceremony in honor of Seeds of Peace which was cov-

possible through a grant from the U.S. Department of State.

Leading Middle East programs

JERUSALEM | When Eldad Levy was appointed Director of Israeli Programs this fall, he joined Palestinian Programs Director Sawsan Samara whom he first met when they were campers in 1998. Now the leadership of year-round programming in the Middle East is led by Seeds, who are building on their experience of the past 12 years.

Sawsan and Eldad are working together to design and implement high impact regional programs to provide Seeds of all ages with the leadership skills, experiences and opportunities to enable them to become agents of change in their societies and advance lasting peace.

In commenting on the critical need for year-round programs, Sawsan and Eldad said, “As former campers, we know how important these leadership development and conflict resolution programs were for us. There were many times throughout the years when we felt pressured to give up on peace. But the programs and the Seeds of Peace family kept us on track.”

Eldad and Sawsan are working closely with Executive Director Leslie Lewin to define programs that implement the vision of being a Seed as a life-long identity, not just a summer experience.

Learn more about our graduates at www.seedsofpeace.org/graduates

Learning the art of effective communication

JERUSALEM | More than 50 Israeli and Palestinian Seeds participated in a sixweek summer leadership institute focused on the Art of Communication.

The program, led by counselors who had spent past summers at the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Maine, began with a series of local training sessions designed to encourage self expression and active listening.

The sessions included activities to encourage greater understanding of stereotypes and core conflict issues, illustrate the power of words and learn how best to frame an issue for targeted audiences.

Following the trainings, Seeds spent several weeks creating media projects that addressed topics that were of greatest interest to them.

Projects ranged from original documentary films to short videos edited from

Reflecting on the International Camp

By Michael Avi-Yonah, 2010 American Seed

CRANBROOK, MI | It took me 15 years to meet the enemy, only to find that the enemy was me.

Because of my heritage, I was the enemy, both in other people’s perceptions and my own unacknowledged prejudices against them. First I reacted with confusion, then anger, and finally empathy and the beginning of understanding.

I am an American, but after my dialogue group discovered that my parents are Israeli and that I speak Hebrew, a number of Arabs and Muslim South Asians were less willing to speak with me.

In one fateful dialogue session, a Palestinian girl rhetorically asked the Israelis in the room what Palestinians should have to give up for peace. I blurted out that Israelis should be able to travel throughout the country without the fear of terrorist attacks. My response only made the Palestinians less willing to talk to me.

… But we behaved completely differently outside of dialogue, when we played sports, ate, and bunked together. By the

end of camp I became very good friends with some of the people I had the nastiest fights with, including a boy who said in a dialogue session he could not be friends with any Israelis.

It was not just teenagers from conflict regions who changed—I did too. While still disagreeing with some of his views, I understand the Gazan who declared he would not be friends with Israelis after getting bombed by Israeli planes and tanks, suffering food and water shortages, and seeing his friends die in front of his own eyes during the 2009 Gaza War.

During the last few days of camp I felt sad thinking about the lives of some of my new friends and the daily challenges they will face upon their return home. … I am more convinced than ever that no matter how great the differences that divide us— religious, ethnic, racial, national—what we have in common is even greater. When we lose that perspective, we lose ourselves, and we are left with only the enemy inside, while creating enemies outside.

Michael is one of 4,337 Seeds who have graduated from the Camp since 1993.

Exploring conflict through the eyes of their peers

Seeds participate in pilot program in Israel, West Bank

JERUSALEM | A group of American Seeds visited Israel and the West Bank this summer as part of a unique program planned by the Seeds of Peace Graduate

Each of the 12 days of the trip was planned and executed by Graduate Seeds consultants and included visits to Seeds’ families, historical sites, local NGOs and areas affected by the conflict. During the course of the trip the Americans met with over 50 Israeli and Palestinian Seeds, ranging from those who were part of the first group of campers in 1993 to those that began their lives as Seeds in 2003.

This provided the group with an incredibly diverse set of perspectives and allowed them to see the region through the eyes of Israelis and Palestinians rather than those of a tourist.

The Americans Seeds credited the participation of so many Graduates as key to the success of the trip.

“We were able to see the different ways the Seeds of Peace experience affected each of the Graduates we met as well as catch a glimpse into our own future as Seeds,” said one participant.

“This is the most challenging thing I have done with Seeds of Peace,” said another. “I have been to Camp twice and my views on the conflict never really changed. This trip has given me a whole new set of questions I never knew to ask before.”

the European Union.

During their day-long visits, the Seeds work with the patients, their families, and

Another Seed added, “The most important thing was meeting people from the Gaza Strip and listening to their stories.”

Learn more about programming at www.seedsofpeace.org/us

existing content to spoken word poetry, photography exhibits and more. The program culminated in a three-day

cross-border seminar where the Seeds presented their projects and entered into an in-depth discussion about their work.