SEEDS OF PEACE
BULLETIN
Empowering Leaders of the Next Generation
UNANIMOUS SUPPORT In an overwhelming display of bipartisan support, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution honoring Seeds of Peace for its promotion of understanding, reconciliation, acceptance, coexistence, and peace among youth from the Middle East and other regions of conflict. The introduction stated that Seeds of Peace is a “model of hope that living together in peace and security is possible.”
SPRING 2004
“Inspired by the example of Seeds of Peace, let us cast our lot with those who choose to climb the path to reconciliation. Let us support them, help them, and see them safely through. Thank you for everything you are doing for my favorite organization, Seeds of Peace.” Madeleine K. Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State
To highlight a few of the Center’s accomplishments: • Seeds of Peace has partnered with Sesame Workshop to create “Sesame Seeds,” Israeli and Palestinian Seeds that work in Arab and Jewish schools and use the Middle East Sesame Street programs as lesson plans. • Seeds of Peace organized a 2-day seminar in Ramallah for 100 Seeds from the West Bank and Gaza.
Also reaffirming was the success of the Sixth Annual Bid for Peace Celebrity Auction held in New York this February. The event featured Madeleine K. Albright, Al Franken, and a live performance by Hootie & The Blowfish. Other upcoming events include the Seeds of Peace gala dinner on May 20 at the Mandarin Oriental in New York featuring Thomas L. Friedman, Foreign Affairs Columnist for The New York Times. In addition, Seeds of Peace is launching a speaker forum that will hold its first event on April 19 featuring former U.S. Senator George Mitchell.
REGIONAL ACTIVITY Amid continued violence, the Seeds of Peace Center for Coexistence in Jerusalem is now coordinating 8 weekly programs for Israelis and Palestinians and has increased programming for Egyptian and Jordanian Seeds. These programs are not just targeted at camp alumni, but at their peers, families, and communities, thereby multiplying the regional impact of Seeds of Peace.
• Groups of Israelis and Palestinians are meeting twice a month to teach each other Arabic and Hebrew. A workshop participant remarked, “Language is like a key to open doors to other people's worlds. If you don't have the keys, you pass by the doors and never know what's inside.” • Three separate groups of Israeli and Palestinian parents are meeting monthly to get to know each other and participate in in-depth discussions.
• More and more Seeds are being admitted to U.S. colleges through the Education Program; Harvard and Yale just each admitted 2 Seeds for Fall 2004. On both these campuses, Seeds have already been responsible for starting campus dialogue groups between Arab and Jewish students.
NEW INITIATIVES
• In January, a group of 40 Palestinian, American, Jordanian, and Israeli Adult Delegation Leaders met in Aqaba, Jordan to focus on how to conduct “difficult conversations.” Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and Seeds of Peace, the group spent 5 days in challenging exercises that they could apply to their work at schools, community centers and Ministries of Education.
As Seeds of Peace prepares for another summer in Maine, in addition to the regular camp line-up, this summer will launch Beyond Borders, a groundbreaking exchange program to build and strengthen relationships between Arabs and Americans. Sixty teenagers and 20 adults from the U.S. and the Arab world will meet for a 2-week session at the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Maine. In Spring 2005, they will reconvene in Jordan for a week of intensive dialogue sessions, leadership training, and continued activism.
• Two Pakistani Seeds started dialogue groups in their schools and, as a direct result of their camp training, are acting as the mediators for the discussions rather than the participants.
As we approach the 5th anniversary of the Center for Coexistence in Jerusalem, we will be holding a rededication ceremony December 10, 2004 to honor our late founder, John Wallach.
• In Afghanistan, 7 Afghan Seeds spoke to NPR Worldwide via teleconference about their Seeds of Peace experience.
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