Seeds of Peace
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All changes happen in the mind and are then acted out in reality. If we want to improve reality, we must effect the minds and hearts of the people.
- Danny, Facilitator Staff
Facilitators at Seeds of Peace
Our unique summer program offers an unforgettable experience for all involved, staff and campers alike. Conflict resolution facilitators at Seeds of Peace International Camp participate in up to two weeks of orientation and training prior to Camp. During each three-week camp session, facilitators work intimately with a facilitation partner to plan and conduct 90-minute dialogue sessions (two per day) and monitor the progress of their groups. They’re also expected to be an active member of the facilitation team, which is comprised of 14 professionals, plus supervisors.
Under supervision, facilitators work together on a formal and informal basis for mutual support, ongoing professional development, and coordination of the dialogue sessions. Facilitators also engage in frequent dialogue with Camp counselors about what is happening in other areas of Camp in order to assure coordination among bunk life, athletic and arts activities, and the conflict resolution program.
In addition, Seeds of Peace also hires facilitators to run daily dialogue sessions with our Adult Educator/Delegation Leader program. Each summer session, a diverse group of approximately 20 educators and community leaders escort the teenagers on their long journey to Camp. Serving as a resource for the youth, the delegation leaders form a dynamic international community of adults, coming from numerous countries. Their weeks at camp are primarily spent engaged in their own active coexistence program designed for adult professionals. Facilitators for this program work closely with program staff and coordinate regularly with the rest of the facilitation team.
Seeds of Peace expects applicants to hold one or several advanced degrees related to this work. The ideal candidate also has experience facilitating groups in conflict and has a basic knowledge of the history and culture of the program area with which s/he hopes to work (Middle East, South Asia, Maine Seeds, Adult Educators). For those applying to work on the camper side, we are also interested in specific experience working with young people. We especially welcome candidates who can speak one of the languages spoken in the conflict region. All of our applicants are expected to have explored issues surrounding their own identities and related dynamics of power, and to be able to function and take care of themselves in a less-than-luxurious Camp environment. In part this requires that applicants be flexible, dynamic, thoughtful, honest, and committed individuals who have a sense of humor and a tolerance for ambiguity.
It’s expected that conflict resolution facilitators have a clearly articulated approach to facilitating groups and promoting coexistence in communities in conflict, and are able to work in an interdisciplinary environment that encourages a variety of approaches to facilitation, with an emphasis on process. It’s not required, but facilitators may also bring additional expertise to their work, such as drama, oral history, visual art, etc.
Time of Employment: Facilitators are hired in coordination with their preferred conflict region (see below). Facilitators receive weekly compensation, commensurate with experience, in addition to full room and board.
Please note: For the past several years, Seeds of Peace has been fortunate enough to hire the majority of our facilitators for the Middle East camper program who are graduates of our facilitator training program, many of whom are Seeds themselves, who work together in Israeli-Palestinian pairs both at camp and throughout the year. Hiring from the region remains our priority where possible and for this reason, positions for this program area are minimal.
Dates for 2012 Summer Camp Positions
Staff Orientation: June 18 to June 24
Session One: June 25 to July 18
Session Two: July 24 to August 7
Submission deadline was January 17, 2012.
"I had a place here at Seeds of Peace to say what I feel in a free way. In a way that felt more natural than back home. I feel like, at Seeds of Peace, people judge me as a person."
