NEW YORK | As part of its regular Speaker Series, Seeds of Peace hosted a breakfast conversation with National Public Radio President Gary Knell and Egyptian Seed and journalist Mona El Naggar on May 2.
Mona, who attended Camp in 1996, started the morning off with reflections on the influence Seeds of Peace has had on her over the years.
“I wanted to unravel what I had accepted, to unlearn, and then relearn,” she said about the years following her Camp experience.
Mona described the struggle for peace as a “personal quest for truth and change … a question of how far we’re willing to challenge our accepted version of reality.”
This process of critical questioning and challenge led Mona to a career in journalism, which she uses as a tool to gain insights into complex realities and critical issues.
“Journalism is an approach that allows me to challenge my own perceptions about all things, including conflict, religion, politics, identity, and humanity.”
Gary Knell echoed this belief in the power of the media in changing and shaping reality. His remarks focused on the idea of youth education as a tool for promoting tolerance and understanding. Having led Sesame Workshop for 12 years prior to joining NPR, Knell was instrumental in expanding the famous television program to conflict areas around the world.
Knell spoke of the shared values and goals of Sesame and Seeds of Peace, both of which are based on the premise that people are not born with divisions and hatred, but that they are handed down and can be countered.
“One idea can change the world,” said Knell, “Sesame Street and Seeds of Peace are examples of that.”
Knell’s commitment to educating a new generation based on trust and hope was apparent throughout.
“We need to build a generation of people who have information and who are informed with nuanced human stories,” he said. “We need to educate the public about the humanity behind the headlines.”
The event, hosted at the law offices of White & Case, LLP, drew a diverse crowd of Seeds of Peace supporters.