SEEDS OF
PEACE
WESTON MAGAZINE A family of five from Scarsdale met a tragic end on the last day of 2017. Irene and Bruce Steinberg, and their three sons, Zachary, William, and Matthew, perished in the mountains of Costa Rica in a plane crash that killed their whole family and seven other people. As friends and family gathered in the days following to mourn and remember, it became clear that their loss reverberated further than one might expect.
INSPIRING AND CULTIVATING NEW GENERATIONS OF LEADERS
WILL STEINBERG (CENTER) WITH FELLOW CAMPERS AT THE SEEDS OF PEACE CAMP IN MAINE. PHOTO BY BOBBIE GOTTSCHALK
changemakers through fellowships and convenings, offering workshops and trainings for young leaders and rising professionals to come together across sectors and lines of conflict, sparking the connections and ideas to create social, political, and economic change. Seeds of Peace began 25 years ago, when founder John Wallach, an awardwinning author and journalist, dreamed of providing an opportunity for the children of war to plant the seeds for a more secure future. Since that time, world leaders from President Bill Clinton to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and King Hussein of Jordan have recognized the work of Seeds of Peace. Today, Seeds of Peace has nearly 6,700 alumni throughout 27 countries. In a recent alumni survey, 76% of respondents report contributing to conflict transformation either professionally or through personal endeavors. For those respondents who contribute through their work, they impact an average of 1,893 individuals each, while those who volunteer their time spend, collectively, over 1,000 hours each week on peacebuilding activities. To be a Seed is to be part of a globally-recognized cohort of leaders and visionaries working at the intersection of conflict resolution and social innovation. The organization is always finding new ways to expand its impact, and now offers capacity-building programs to train educators and community leaders with the skills, resources, and support necessary to promote critical thinking, cross-cultural understanding, and the peaceful transformation of conflict. (See sidebar) For those who become involved with Seeds of Peace – whether as a camper, a counselor, a Fellow, or an educator – the experience is lifechanging. For Will Steinberg, this was certainly true, as those who spoke at his funeral could attest. Elliott and Jonah, friends of Will’s since
W
ill Steinberg, a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania, was a “Seed,” having attended the Seeds of Peace Camp in Otisfield, Maine in the summer of 2015. Like the 6,697 other alumni of the program, his experience with Seeds of Peace had a profound impact on how he saw the world, whose lives he touched, and the kind of man he was on his way to becoming. Seeds of Peace is an organization that inspires new generations of leaders to become the change they want to see in the world. For most of its alumni, the journey begins at a summer camp in Maine where hundreds of young leaders and educators from communities divided by conflict join together to engage with the “other” side. Sharing meals, living spaces, and traditional camp experiences, these future seeds of peace — Israelis and Palestinians, Indians and Pakistanis, as well as teens from Jordan, Egypt, the UK, and the US — tackle topics that fuel oppression, hatred, and violence, and ultimately develop new perspectives. For many, this type of interaction is impossible at home, and camp is the first time they are encountering peers from across lines of conflict. It may also be the first time that they find themselves in a safe place to own their vulnerability, find their voice, and have the courage to share their feelings or traumatic experiences. But as Seeds form relationships and gain insights into the root issues that divide them, they build trust, respect, and empathy, which inspires their commitment to work for change back home. Will first heard about Seeds of Peace from his father’s colleague, an Israeli who had gone to the Seeds of Peace Camp in 1999. The program appealed to Will’s budding interest in international relations and public policy. After attending in the summer of 2015, he returned to camp a year later to take part in an enhanced leadership training and an advanced dialogue program. Hasan, one of Will’s counselors, recalled Will as being someone who “looked after people in a gentle and careful way when it was clear they were having a hard time… by simply being with them, refraining from helping them until they were ready.” Seeds of Peace is more than a camp, however. With the belief that change takes root at home, the organization offers over 100
year-round local leadership development programs that include community dialogue and facilitator trainings, multi-narrative tours of conflict zones, capacity-building workshops for educators, and mediation and negotiation seminars run by Harvard Law School faculty. In January of 2017, Will traveled to Jerusalem to participate in a mediation and negotiation workshop, further deepening his quest to “move through this world with care, thoughtfulness, and true compassion for those around him,” as described by Seeds of Peace’s Sarah Brajtbord. As nearly 6,700 Seeds of Peace alumni gain influence in their societies — starting companies and non-profits, making inroads in education, the arts, journalism and technology — they are increasingly positioned to challenge the status quo. So Seeds of Peace invests in these alumni and other TOP TO BOTTOM: ISRAELI, PALESTINIAN, AND AMERICAN SEEDS TAKING PART IN A MULTI-NARRATIVE TOUR OF JERUSALEM. PHOTO BY MADELEINE PRYOR; WILL STEINBERG IN JERUSALEM TAKING PART ALONGSIDE ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN SEEDS IN A 2017 NEGOTIATION AND MEDIATION SEMINAR. PHOTO BY MADELEINE PRYOR; SIGN MADE BY A CAMPER AT THE SEEDS OF PEACE CAMP IN MAINE. PHOTO BY MADELEINE PRYOR OPPOSITE: ARAB AND ISRAELI CAMPERS SHARE A MEAL OF TRADITIONAL MIDDLE EASTERN AND SOUTH ASIAN FOOD AT THE SEEDS OF PEACE CAMP IN MAINE. PHOTO BY BOBBIE GOTTSCHALK
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HOW TO GET INVOLVED WITH SEEDS OF PEACE CAMP
The camper selection process is a competitive one. Eligible candidates are current 9th or 10th graders who demonstrate passion for their communities, curiosity, critical thinking, leadership potential, and an open mind. Campers can either attend a session in Maine alongside peers from the Middle East and South Asia and share their voice on critical international issues, or attend a session alongside peers from across the United States and explore concepts of identity, community, power, and privilege. While both sessions for this year have already filled, Seeds of Peace has left two spots open in the second session for readers of this magazine. For information, contact Reggie Miller at rmiller@seedsofpeace.org
LOCAL CAPACITY BUILDING
You can bring the magic of Camp and innovative dialogue into your school, house of worship, business, or community center. Seeds of Peace offers a variety of workshops and trainings, ranging from half-day to two-or-three days. These programs can be designed to fit your community’s needs and can focus on empowering educators and students to create peaceful learning environments, giving communities tools to engage in conflict in healthier and more productive ways, or training community members to facilitate their own dialogues. For more information, contact Greg Barker at gbarker@seedsofpeace.org
25th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
preschool, commented on the fact that Will’s relationships with his fellow Seeds, people he had only known for a few years, ran just as deep as the friendships he had from his early childhood. Nawal, a Seed from Pakistan who was in Will’s dialogue group at Camp in 2015, thanked him for “being the warmth of a lighthouse, glowing steadily and gently and reminding me that even if I capsize, people like you will always drag me, drowning and sputtering, to safety. I hope we will be powerful enough to give birth to, and raise, a million more William Steinbergs, who dwell on empathy and selflessness.” Seeds of Peace, year after year, works to do just that. For more information about Seeds of Peace, visit seedsofpeace.org or follow them on Facebook @SeedsofPeace © All rights reserved by Seeds of Peace.
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Join hundreds of industry leaders, changemakers, luminaries… and Joe Biden!… as Seeds of Peace celebrates its 25thanniversary. There are several ways to celebrate: • Tuesday, May 8th, 8 a.m. | Symposium at Facebook Headquarters in NYC on “Innovating for Social Change in Conflict Areas.” • Wednesday, May 9th, 6 p.m. | Spring Benefit at Chelsea Piers honoring Seeds of Peace alumni and the Tanner Family, with keynote speaker Vice President Joe Biden. • Wednesday, May 9th, 9:30 p.m. | After Party at Chelsea Piers with free drinks and close friends, all going to support the Seeds of Peace mission and 25th anniversary milestone. For more details about tickets or sponsorship opportunities, contact Lori Holcomb-Holland at springbenefit@seedsofpeace.org
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SEEDS OF
PEACE INSPIRING AND CULTIVATING NEW GENERATIONS OF LEADERS
WILL STEINBERG (CENTER) WITH FELLOW CAMPERS AT THE SEEDS OF PEACE CAMP IN MAINE. PHOTO BY BOBBIE GOTTSCHALK
A family of five from Scarsdale met a tragic end on the last day of 2017. Irene and Bruce Steinberg, and their three sons, Zachary, William, and Matthew, perished in the mountains of Costa Rica in a plane crash that killed their whole family and seven other people. As friends and family gathered in the days following to mourn and remember, it became clear that their loss reverberated further than one might expect.
W
ill Steinberg, a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania, was a “Seed,” having attended the Seeds of Peace Camp in Otisfield, Maine in the summer of 2015. Like the 6,697 other alumni of the program, his experience with Seeds of Peace had a profound impact on how he saw the world, whose lives he touched, and the kind of man he was on his way to becoming. Seeds of Peace is an organization that inspires new generations of leaders to become the change they want to see in the world. For most of its alumni, the journey begins at a summer camp in Maine where hundreds of young leaders and educators from communities divided by conflict join together to engage with the “other” side. Sharing meals, living spaces, and traditional camp experiences, these future seeds of peace — Israelis and Palestinians, Indians and Pakistanis, as well as teens from Jordan, Egypt, the UK, and the US — tackle topics that fuel oppression, hatred, and violence, and ultimately develop new perspectives. For many, this type of interaction is impossible at home, and camp is the first time they are encountering peers from across lines of conflict. It may also be the first time that they find themselves in a safe place to own their vulnerability, find their voice, and have the courage to share their feelings or traumatic experiences. But as Seeds form relationships and gain insights into the root issues that divide them, they build trust, respect, and empathy, which inspires their commitment to work for change back home. Will first heard about Seeds of Peace from his father’s colleague, an Israeli who had gone to the Seeds of Peace Camp in 1999. The program appealed to Will’s budding interest in international relations and public policy. After attending in the summer of 2015, he returned to camp a year later to take part in an enhanced leadership training and an advanced dialogue program. Hasan, one of Will’s counselors, recalled Will as being someone who “looked after people in a gentle and careful way when it was clear they were having a hard time… by simply being with them, refraining from helping them until they were ready.” Seeds of Peace is more than a camp, however. With the belief that change takes root at home, the organization offers over 100
year-round local leadership development programs that include community dialogue and facilitator trainings, multi-narrative tours of conflict zones, capacity-building workshops for educators, and mediation and negotiation seminars run by Harvard Law School faculty. In January of 2017, Will traveled to Jerusalem to participate in a mediation and negotiation workshop, further deepening his quest to “move through this world with care, thoughtfulness, and true compassion for those around him,” as described by Seeds of Peace’s Sarah Brajtbord. As nearly 6,700 Seeds of Peace alumni gain influence in their societies — starting companies and non-profits, making inroads in education, the arts, journalism and technology — they are increasingly positioned to challenge the status quo. So Seeds of Peace invests in these alumni and other TOP TO BOTTOM: ISRAELI, PALESTINIAN, AND AMERICAN SEEDS TAKING PART IN A MULTI-NARRATIVE TOUR OF JERUSALEM. PHOTO BY MADELEINE PRYOR; WILL STEINBERG IN JERUSALEM TAKING PART ALONGSIDE ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN SEEDS IN A 2017 NEGOTIATION AND MEDIATION SEMINAR. PHOTO BY MADELEINE PRYOR; SIGN MADE BY A CAMPER AT THE SEEDS OF PEACE CAMP IN MAINE. PHOTO BY MADELEINE PRYOR OPPOSITE: ARAB AND ISRAELI CAMPERS SHARE A MEAL OF TRADITIONAL MIDDLE EASTERN AND SOUTH ASIAN FOOD AT THE SEEDS OF PEACE CAMP IN MAINE. PHOTO BY BOBBIE GOTTSCHALK
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changemakers through fellowships and convenings, offering workshops and trainings for young leaders and rising professionals to come together across sectors and lines of conflict, sparking the connections and ideas to create social, political, and economic change. Seeds of Peace began 25 years ago, when founder John Wallach, an awardwinning author and journalist, dreamed of providing an opportunity for the children of war to plant the seeds for a more secure future. Since that time, world leaders from President Bill Clinton to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and King Hussein of Jordan have recognized the work of Seeds of Peace. Today, Seeds of Peace has nearly 6,700 alumni throughout 27 countries. In a recent alumni survey, 76% of respondents report contributing to conflict transformation either professionally or through personal endeavors. For those respondents who contribute through their work, they impact an average of 1,893 individuals each, while those who volunteer their time spend, collectively, over 1,000 hours each week on peacebuilding activities. To be a Seed is to be part of a globally-recognized cohort of leaders and visionaries working at the intersection of conflict resolution and social innovation. The organization is always finding new ways to expand its impact, and now offers capacity-building programs to train educators and community leaders with the skills, resources, and support necessary to promote critical thinking, cross-cultural understanding, and the peaceful transformation of conflict. (See sidebar) For those who become involved with Seeds of Peace – whether as a camper, a counselor, a Fellow, or an educator – the experience is lifechanging. For Will Steinberg, this was certainly true, as those who spoke at his funeral could attest. Elliott and Jonah, friends of Will’s since
HOW TO GET INVOLVED WITH SEEDS OF PEACE CAMP
The camper selection process is a competitive one. Eligible candidates are current 9th or 10th graders who demonstrate passion for their communities, curiosity, critical thinking, leadership potential, and an open mind. Campers can either attend a session in Maine alongside peers from the Middle East and South Asia and share their voice on critical international issues, or attend a session alongside peers from across the United States and explore concepts of identity, community, power, and privilege. While both sessions for this year have already filled, Seeds of Peace has left two spots open in the second session for readers of this magazine. For information, contact Reggie Miller at rmiller@seedsofpeace.org
LOCAL CAPACITY BUILDING
You can bring the magic of Camp and innovative dialogue into your school, house of worship, business, or community center. Seeds of Peace offers a variety of workshops and trainings, ranging from half-day to two-or-three days. These programs can be designed to fit your community’s needs and can focus on empowering educators and students to create peaceful learning environments, giving communities tools to engage in conflict in healthier and more productive ways, or training community members to facilitate their own dialogues. For more information, contact Greg Barker at gbarker@seedsofpeace.org
25th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
preschool, commented on the fact that Will’s relationships with his fellow Seeds, people he had only known for a few years, ran just as deep as the friendships he had from his early childhood. Nawal, a Seed from Pakistan who was in Will’s dialogue group at Camp in 2015, thanked him for “being the warmth of a lighthouse, glowing steadily and gently and reminding me that even if I capsize, people like you will always drag me, drowning and sputtering, to safety. I hope we will be powerful enough to give birth to, and raise, a million more William Steinbergs, who dwell on empathy and selflessness.” Seeds of Peace, year after year, works to do just that. For more information about Seeds of Peace, visit seedsofpeace.org or follow them on Facebook @SeedsofPeace © All rights reserved by Seeds of Peace.
*
Join hundreds of industry leaders, changemakers, luminaries… and Joe Biden!… as Seeds of Peace celebrates its 25thanniversary. There are several ways to celebrate: • Tuesday, May 8th, 8 a.m. | Symposium at Facebook Headquarters in NYC on “Innovating for Social Change in Conflict Areas.” • Wednesday, May 9th, 6 p.m. | Spring Benefit at Chelsea Piers honoring Seeds of Peace alumni and the Tanner Family, with keynote speaker Vice President Joe Biden. • Wednesday, May 9th, 9:30 p.m. | After Party at Chelsea Piers with free drinks and close friends, all going to support the Seeds of Peace mission and 25th anniversary milestone. For more details about tickets or sponsorship opportunities, contact Lori Holcomb-Holland at springbenefit@seedsofpeace.org
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