OTISFIELD, MAINE | Seeds of Peace will graduate its 5,000th young peacebuilder this summer from its International Camp in Otisfield. On June 26, over 200 Afghan, American, Egyptian, Indian, Israeli, Jordanian, Pakistani, and Palestinian youth ages 14-17 will raise the Seeds of Peace flag to open the organization’s 39th session of Camp. The flag-raising ceremony will inaugurate a summer of dialogue and leadership development as campers engage across lines of conflict with people they once considered bitter enemies. Among the … FULL STORY

NEW YORK | Seeds of Peace marked 20 years of empowering young leaders from conflict regions with a celebration on May 21 at 583 Park Avenue in New York City. The evening honored Janet Wallach, President Emerita of Seeds of Peace, for her contributions to the organization’s success, and featured legendary peacemaker Senator George Mitchell. Over 500 distinguished supporters, including politicians, diplomats, journalists, and policy-makers, joined Seeds from the Middle East and South Asia to celebrate the impact these Graduates … FULL STORY

Seeds of Peace is saddened by the passing of Kathryn W. Davis at age 106. Mrs. Davis was an inspiration to the entire Seeds of Peace family; we are honored to have known her and to have been a part of her commitment to peace-building and her vision for a better world. “Mrs. Davis has deeply impacted our organization and we will be forever grateful for her leadership and vision,” said Seeds of Peace Executive Director Leslie Lewin. “Seeds who … FULL STORY

NEW YORK | Over 1,300 guests gathered together for the 9th annual Peace Market, celebrating 20 years of Seeds of Peace mission to equip young leaders from conflict regions with the skills to make peace. The event raised more than $300,000 for Seeds of Peace programs, opening a new decade of Seeds of Peace initiatives. The 2013 Peace Market featured a live performance by City of the Sun and DJ sets by Dave 1 of Chromeo and Questlove. The two … FULL STORY

PORTLAND, MAINE | Twenty Maine Seeds helped organize two Martin Luther King, Jr. Day programs, in partnership with the Portland branch of the NAACP. This is the second year that Seeds of Peace has partnered with the NAACP to provide leadership opportunities for Seeds and introduce them to local community organizations. Twenty-three Seeds led an MLK Day community dialogue on race and poverty that addressed homelessness, civil rights and education equity on January 21. Nearly 100 participants, including high school students … FULL STORY

PORTLAND | A diverse group of Maine Seeds met with Maine Governor Paul LePage at the Augusta Statehouse on January 14. The meeting with Gov. LePage was part of the cross-generational leadership forum connecting current and future leaders in Maine. Gov. LePage questioned the six Seeds about their community work and the Seeds used the opportunity to share their concerns over how the state responds to Maine’s changing demographics. The Seeds engaged the governor with confidence, speaking eloquently about current … FULL STORY

JERUSALEM | More than 60 Israeli and Palestinian educators attended capacity building workshops on the concepts of nonviolent communication and resiliency. USAID funded the December “Supporting Resiliency in School Communities” series. Tarek Maassarani and Peggy Smith, respected educators and facilitators with deep experience promoting communication and the peaceful transformation of conflict within schools and communities, led the series, which is designed to equip teachers with tools to empower youth. Alumni of Seeds of Peace Educator Programs and educators new to … FULL STORY

JERUSALEM | Israeli and Palestinian Seeds met separately this week in preparation for joint post-ceasefire gatherings. Though the meetings focused on different topics, both addressed one of the main program themes of Seeds of Peace local programs: understanding core conflict issues within and between societies. Forty Palestinian Seeds came together for a daylong seminar in Ramallah to discuss Palestine’s status upgrade at the United Nations, violence in Gaza and Israel, and the credibility of the news media. “Most of us … FULL STORY

NEW YORK | Chief Palestinian negotiator Dr. Sa’eb Erekat engaged in discussions with 80 supporters, including Seeds, on September 24. Erekat, who is in New York for the opening of the United Nations General Assembly, discussed the stalemated Israeli-Palestinian peace process and how to move it forward. “I don’t think it’s God’s will or Allah’s will for us to remain in conflict,” he said. Erekat stressed how close past rounds of negotiations had come to yielding an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement … FULL STORY

Students at International Camp join 35 educators from conflict regions for summer’s second session OTISFIELD, MAINE | On July 24, a week after the departure of eight Middle East, South Asian, and American delegations, two new delegations—66 teenagers from Maine and 29 from Syracuse, New York—will arrive at the Seeds of Peace International Camp to engage in dialogue, build leadership skills, and tackle conflicts present in their communities. Joining them will be 35 educators from nine international regions of conflict … FULL STORY