Graduate Seeds convene for summit in Morocco
During four intensive days of workshops, seminars and discussions, over 50 Afghan, American, Egyptian, Indian, Israeli, Jordanian, Pakistani and Palestinian Seeds created a mission statement and discussed a number of service projects graduate Seeds hope to carry out either in their own communities, or in cooperation with Seeds from other countries.
The summit also included several lively panel discussions with guest speakers. Panels focused on community service, business entrepreneurship and religious tolerance.
Highlights included the Seeds’ meeting with the seven Seeds of Peace Board members present, including Board Chairman Richard Berman, workshops on community service projects led by young Moroccan volunteers, and an intensive and successful negotiation—led by graduate Seeds themselves—on their long and short-term goals and objectives.
The Summit also saw the participation of a small number of Moroccan Seeds and Delegation Leaders, who helped enrich participants’ appreciation of Morocco’s history and its tradition of religious tolerance.
Spotlight on South Asia
Since 2001, in partnership with the U.S Department of State, Seeds of Peace has been bringing together young Indians and Pakistanis for one-of-a-kind conflict resolution programming—at the Seeds of Peace Camp in Maine and in Lahore and Mumbai. Seeds of Peace is the only nonprofit organization in the world doing this kind of programming.
Innovative follow up programs include Bring-A-Friend Workshops, where Seeds bring friends from the community to participate in intensive sessions to develop the critical skills necessary to be peacemakers and leaders. In December, Seeds of Peace will host a Bring-A-Friend Workshop in Mumbai where discussions will focus on recent events. This week, Seeds of Peace will host a special dialogue session in Mumbai for Seeds to address current challenges to peace in South Asia.
Peaceful environments: In classrooms and open spaces
Twenty-four Palestinian educators from Tulkarem, Jenin, Hebron, Walla Jay and Jerusalem participated in a Seeds of Peace workshop aimed at equipping them with skills to create peaceful learning environments.
They convened at the Paradise Hotel in Bethlehem on November 27th-29th. The workshop included sessions on peer coaching, coping with school and community violence, leadership development, and transforming the culture of classrooms and schools towards peace. During the event, participants committed to teacher and student exchanges so that they can visit other schools, learn from one another, and partner for special projects. They also took steps to create a Seeds of Peace Video Teaching Initiative. This new program is meant to be a communication tool to encourage the sharing of best practices.
On November 30th, Seeds of Peace convened a forum focused on the need of Israelis, Palestinians, and Jordanians to meet the shared environmental challenges related to water and human waste—and the potential for cooperative action to improve the environment while building trust, mutual respect, and peace.
The event took place at the Notre Dame Hotel in Jerusalem in partnership with Friends of the Earth-Middle East (FoEME). Presenters sketched a bleak picture of the water situation in the region: there is not enough water to meet increasing demand; the water that exists is increasingly polluted; and water resources are distributed with radical inequality. They then described real and dangerous challenges that can only be solved through joint action. Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians should cooperate-not because of an abstract longing for peace, but because of immediate, tangible, positive improvements.
The recognition of a common environment is bringing Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians together on the ground. During the period for questions and answers, the presenters spoke about the possibilities for Seeds of Peace and FoEME to work together. For example, FoEME manages a program to support students creating rain-water collection systems in their schools. This kind of project is an excellent leadership and community service opportunity for graduates of Seeds of Peace programs.
American Seeds meet at Princeton University
Since 2004, American Seeds have organized and led this important event, bringing together young people from across the United States who support Seeds of Peace and participate in its leadership programs. Middle Eastern and South Asian Seeds from colleges and universities throughout the U.S. joined their American counterparts for three days of intensive workshops, dialogue sessions, and networking events.
This year’s weekend gathering included opportunities to reconnect with old friends, meet recent graduates of the 2008 Camp program, and participate in trainings to enhance their skills as effective communicators and conflict resolution negotiators. Seeds were able to strengthen existing relationships, form new partnerships, and practice critical skills first acquired as young teenagers at the Seeds of Peace camp in Maine. Ashleigh Zimmerman, SOP’s Advocacy and Graduate Coordinator, provided staff support at the event and said: “American Seeds provided the critical leadership, hard work and commitment to make this event happen. It’s clear that they are an increasingly important part of our global network of nearly 4,000 Seeds creating positive changes around the world.”
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