OTISFIELD, MAINE | Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian, Egyptian, Indian, Pakistani and American youth will once again meet as Seeds of Peace opens its 16th season with a unifying flagraising ceremony at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 26, at the Seeds of Peace Camp in Otisfield, Maine. Over 150 campers along with their adult Delegation Leaders will be attending the first session. For the third consecutive year, many of the Camp’s trained facilitators will be Seeds alumni who have graduated from a professional mediation and conflict management course run by Seeds of Peace in Jerusalem.
Despite the continued conflict between Israeli and Palestinian governments, Seeds of Peace has once again proven its program’s strength and capabilities in bridging borders by hosting both, the Israeli and Palestinian delegations.
During the opening ceremony, each delegation will sing their national anthem and the ceremony will conclude with the Seeds of Peace anthem and raising of the Seeds of Peace flag. Tim Wilson, Director Emeritus of the Seeds of Peace Camp, will deliver opening remarks.
This first Camp session runs from June 24 until July 15, 2008. After the first session, the South Asian delegation will participate in a special trip to Washington, D.C., to meet with State Department officials and political leaders on Capitol Hill. A second session of the Camp with delegates from the Middle East and the Maine Seeds Program will run from July 21 to August 12, 2008.
Since 1993, Seeds of Peace has graduated nearly 4,000 teenagers from four conflict regions from its internationally-recognized leadership program. Through its Camp in Maine, international youth conferences, regional workshops, educational and professional opportunities, and adult educator programs, participants develop empathy, respect, and confidence as well as leadership, communication and negotiation skills—all critical components that will ensure peaceful coexistence for the next generation.