Press Release
Please contact Rebecca Hankin at (212) 573-8040 or (207) 627-7202 for further information.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PALESTINIAN, ISRAELI, INDIAN, PAKISTANI, AND AFGHAN YOUTH INAUGURATE 11th SEASON OF SEEDS OF PEACE CAMP
SEEDS OF PEACE FLAG RAISING CEREMONY: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25
New President, Aaron David Miller, to Address Campers During Ceremony
Otisfield, Maine (June 16, 2003) Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian, Egyptian, Moroccan, Yemeni, Indian, Pakistani, and Afghan youth will meet as Seeds of Peace opens its 11th season with a unifying flag-raising ceremony at the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Otisfield, Maine. There will be over 170 campers during the camp's first session, including 54 Israelis and 37 Palestinians. For the first time in two years, Palestinians from throughout the West Bank will be attending camp.
The flag-raising ceremony will take place on Wednesday, June 25 at 9:00 am outside the main entrance of the camp facility in Otisfield, ME. During the ceremony, each delegation will sing their national anthem and the ceremony will conclude with the raising of the Seeds of Peace flag and singing of its anthem. After the ceremony and during the three weeks at camp, the only flag that flies is the Seeds of Peace flag symbolizing the importance of coexistence and understanding. Seeds of Peace President, Aaron David Miller, and Camp Director, Tim Wilson, will speak at the opening ceremony.
"Against the backdrop of war, terror, and violence, these remarkable young people continue to show extraordinary courage and determination. Seeds of Peace is continuing to train tomorrow's leaders and to equip them with the critical skills necessary for peacemaking and reconciliation, " said Aaron David Miller, President of Seeds of Peace and former Senior Advisor for Arab-Israeli negotiations at the State Department who came on earlier this year following the death of Seeds of Peace Founder, John Wallach. "I am excited to be part of this summer and I am looking forward to meeting each of these extraordinary young people."
Since 1993, Seeds of Peace has graduated over 2,000 teenagers representing 22 nations from its internationally recognized conflict-resolution and coexistence program. Through these programs, at the International Camp in Maine and at its Center for Coexistence in Jerusalem, participants develop empathy, respect, communication/negotiation skills, confidence, and hope - the building blocks for peaceful coexistence. A jointly published newspaper, list-serve, educational conferences and seminars provide year-round follow-up programming.
This first session of camp runs from June 23 through July 16 and culminates in a trip to Washington DC where campers will meet with US and international dignitaries at the Dirksen Senate House on July 15 from 8-10am. A second session of the Seeds of Peace International Camp with delegates from the Middle East will begin on July 21 and run through August 13.
The Seeds of Peace International Camp is located at 183 Powhatan Road in Otisfield, Maine. For more information on Seeds of Peace and the International Camp, please visit www.seedsofpeace.org or call Rebecca Hankin, Director of Communications at 212-573-8040 ext. 31 or 207-627-7202.
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Seeds of Peace