Graduate Seed leaders making an impact
Adi Blutner, Israeli Seed | Seeds of Peace has helped me discover the possibilities and importance of political and social action. I learned of different aspects of the Middle East conflict through friendships and found a whole new reality which I wasn’t aware of.
Through the years I have participated in a number of meaningful programs for older Seeds. One of them was a facilitation course for Israelis & Palestinians, through which I had a chance to work as a facilitator and re-experience from an adult perspective the uniqueness of the International Conflict Resolution Camp. These programs allowed me to establish real partnerships, friendships and collaboration with Palestinian colleagues and friends that have become an important part of my life today.
I currently study law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and work as a facilitator inside the Jewish-Israeli society and with bi-national groups. A group of facilitators that I worked with helped me realize once more how dialogue can create change in people, how interaction influences people’s views of the conflict and of their role in it. Both my studies and my work are choices that were made following different SOP experiences and are tools for creating social and political change in this region.
Knowing that we are a whole group of professionals from both sides who have faith in this tool motivates me to continue working and learning in this field. I truly believe that by creating opportunities for more people to meet, interact, discuss their differences and break down cultural and political barriers we, stand a chance of influencing the current situation.
Lama Mashni, Palestinian Seed | Seeds of Peace has introduced me to wider opportunities in life; it has opened doors that otherwise I thought would have been closed. Through Seeds, I’ve learned more about our conflict, including how people around the world view it, and the common stereotypes associated with it.
Camp helped me realize that my work was not only limited to promoting peace in my society, but also portraying our cause to others, making it more personal for people to relate to. It has also helped me discover much about my own abilities and interests. In the past few years, I’ve worked for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, a South African radio station project that is attempting the same reconciliation it helped achieve at the fall of Apartheid, and a Palestinian English-language newspaper.
I have been active in Seeds of Peace since 1999 and have participated in different programs designed for older Seeds. Among these was a course in Conflict Management & Mediation—my first experience in working in the field of coexistence. The course made me re-think my career options. After I realized I wanted to continue on this path, I joined the Facilitation Course offered by Seeds of Peace, and last year had the privilege of working with an Israeli partner to run two dialogue groups at the SOP camp in Maine.
For several reasons, it wasn’t always easy to keep in touch with Israelis from Seeds of Peace. Still, I have sustained friendships that I view as important in my life. The anathema of “normalization” in Palestinian society has made it difficult to explain my choice of maintaining relationships with Israelis to my fellow Palestinians. However, being convinced of the importance of coexistence, I was able to maintain friendships on both sides. I also work closely with Israeli facilitators, and I cherish those partnerships.
Seeds in Jordan partner for peace
Forty-four Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian, Jordanian and American Seeds arrived in Aqaba, Jordan, in April for a four-day summit to launch a new Seeds network for those who have graduated college and are moving ahead with professional careers. The summit opened with presentations from representatives of the Jordanian government as well as the Israeli and Palestinian Ambassadors to Jordan.
Several invited speakers presented their assessments of Jordanian-Palestinian-Israeli regional cooperation. Dr. Bilal Bashir, Deputy Chief Commissioner of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, welcomed Seeds of Peace to Aqaba. Dr. Bashir, who is also the Commissioner for Environmental Regulations and Enforcement, spoke about plans to join the Red and Dead Seas by canal as a means of saving the Dead Sea, where water levels have declined dramatically in recent years. He also addressed some of the environmental challenges this project poses for the region. Ambassador Jacob Rosen of Israel spoke about economic cooperation with Jordan and took a number of questions about visa issuance to Jordanians and Egyptians. Mr. Mohammed Abu Laban represented the Palestinian Ambassador to Jordan and spoke about the impediments that the Israeli occupation places in the way of Palestinian participation in regional projects.
Seed participant Adham shared his experience of the difficulties particular to Palestinian businessmen. Ha’aretz reporter Akiva Eldar and CNN producer Nidal Rafe shared their experience as professional journalists, addressing the question of how to interest the media in covering positive, peace-promoting events. Hagai Agmon-Snir of the Jerusalem Intercultural Center and Khaled Salim of Taaoun spoke about community organizing. They were followed by presentations from a group of Seeds speakers.
Seeds visit Capitol Hill
Seeds of Peace hosted a “Seeds Day” on Capitol Hill on April 30th during which they met with several Members of Congress to brief them about our current activities and express appreciation for their continued support. Seeds spoke about their experiences and current work with various members of the House and Senate including Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY), Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL), Congressman Tom Allen (R-ME), and Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME). They also met with senior staff from the offices of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), Senator John Kerry (D-MA), and Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA). The Senate unanimously passed S.Res.537 on April 28th. The House is expected to pass H.Con.Res.337 shortly.
In honor of SOP, Senator Susan Collins said: “Seeds of Peace is able to bridge borders and foster peace in the midst of longstanding global conflicts. Perhaps a decade from now, one of the thousands of Seeds of Peace alumni will be in a decision-making position in his or her home country, and they will remember their time at a special summer camp in Maine where the ‘seeds of peace’ blossom every year.”
To cap off the day, Seeds of Peace hosted a reception for supporters on Capitol Hill and was grateful for the attendance of several Members of Congress and officials from a number of federal agencies including the U.S Department of State.
Seeds bringing Jerusalem together
About fifty Israelis and Palestinians from Jerusalem gathered on April 13th for ‘Seeds Café,’ a monthly gathering hosted by Seeds of Peace through the support of the U.S State Department. Two speakers addressed the issue of Women and Leadership: Naomi Chazan, former member of the Israeli Knesset, and Lily Habash, founder and Chair of the Board of Directors of a nonprofit, PARTNERS. Both spoke about the leadership roles women now play in politics, the peace process and education in Israeli and Palestinian societies. They addressed the critical role Seeds of Peace plays in empowering young people, especially women, to play a leadership role in society.
Upcoming Gala
Please join us at the Annual Gala with UN Amb. Zalmay Khalilzad on May 15th at The Plaza Hotel in NYC. Featured guests will include peace activist Yoko Ono, CBS The Early Show’s Harry Smith, and Seeds leaders from around the world.
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