Seeds of Peace History:
A Decade of Peacemaking

1993

Seeds of Peace founder, John Wallach, award-winning author and journalist, was inspired to create Seeds of Peace after the first attack on the World Trade Center. That summer, a group of 46 Israeli, Palestinian, and Egyptian teenagers met for the first session of the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Maine. The program was designed to bring together future leaders, selected and designated as such by their governments, to reveal the human face of those they were raised to hate. By dispelling fear, mistrust, and prejudice—the root causes of violence and conflict—Seeds of Peace ensures that the future of peace is in the hands of friends rather than enemies.

Symbolizing a future marked by an end to decades of violence and hatred, this first group of “Seeds” were President Clinton’s invited guests to the historic signing of the 1993 Oslo accords between Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat on the White House lawn.

1994

Seeds of Peace doubles in size by welcoming a Moroccan delegation and adding an equal number of females to the program.

1995

Jordan and Tunisia join the program. Seeds of Peace responds to crisis in Balkans by inviting a group of Balkan youth to camp. The Delegation Leader program for adults is formally created and launched.

1996

Over 200 Israeli and Arab Seeds are hosted in Jordan by His Majesty King Hussein at the first Seeds of Peace reunion. Qatar sends a delegation to camp. The Olive Branch, a youth magazine written and published by Seeds of Peace alumni, begins publication.

1997

Seeds of Peace International Camp becomes an institution with its own camp facility in Otisfield, Maine. With seven delegations from the Middle East, Seeds of Peace has now tripled in size since 1993, and it begins regional programming in the Middle East with its alumni.

1998

The first Middle East Youth Summit is held in Villars, Switzerland, in May with Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian, Jordanian, and American alumni of the Seeds of Peace program. The result was the historic Charter of Villars, an Israeli-Palestinian peace treaty, agreed on by all delegates, resolving such final status issues such as Jerusalem, refugees, land, security, sovereignty. United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan was so impressed, he accepted the Charter in person. Also this year, the first Delegation Leader Annual Conference is held.

During the summer, the Cyprus program is launched and for the first time, two consecutive summer sessions are held at Seeds of Peace International Camp with 226 Middle East graduates.

1999

The Seeds of Peace Center for Coexistence in Jerusalem opens on October 27, 1999, in a remarkable ceremony attended by Palestinian, Israeli, American and European leaders of the peace process, and more than 500 Palestinian, Israeli, Egyptian, Jordanian, and Greek and Turkish Cypriot graduates of Seeds of Peace. Located on the former dividing line between East and West Jerusalem, the Center serves as a neutral, safe meeting space for Israeli and Palestinian Seeds of Peace graduates, their friends and families, and the headquarters of the expanding Regional Program.

Due to its program expansion, three successive camp sessions are held in 1999 with a record 405 Seeds. The Israeli and Palestinian Seeds release the award-winning documentary film, Peace of Mind. SeedsNet, a secure listserve that provides a forum for alumni to correspond with each other through email, is launched.

2000

The Balkan program is officially established and the Portland Project is launched. Yemen joins the other Middle East delegations while Greek and Turkish delegations join the Cypriot program. Seeds of Peace is awarded UNESCO Peace Prize and "Teaching Peace," an educational CD Rom, is created and published by Arab and Israeli Seeds.

2001

Seeds of Peace expands into South Asia with the India-Pakistan program. To help its alumni continue their education and leadership training, Seeds of Peace establishes the Educational Scholarship program. Israeli and Palestinian former campers return to camp as staff members.

In response to the attacks on America on September 11, 2001, Seeds of Peace convened the International Youth Summit on Uprooting Hatred and Terrorism, which was held at the United Nations in November of 2001. At the conference, Seeds of Peace brought together 120 Seeds from 22 nations to address the very roots of terror, hatred, and violence. Delegates met with visiting heads of state, renowned academics, business leaders, and media personalities to inform their Charter on Uprooting Hatred and Terror, which begins:

We, Seeds of Peace, young people representing 22 war-ravaged nations, hereby declare that we are tired of hatred, violence, and terror…Do not dismiss this as youthful idealism. Many of us live in places where killing and humiliation, poverty and homeless refugees are commonplace. At Seeds of Peace, we have experienced real equity, understanding, and joy…We now refuse to accept what is when we know what can be…We know it is possible to redirect human passions, even class for revenge, toward the positive goal for creating peace.

2002

Founder John Wallach passes away but is able to see his dream enter its tenth season. The South Asia program expands to include an Afghan delegation. Israeli and Palestinian Seeds win the Voices of Courage award by the Women’s Commission on Refugee Women and Children. Over 100 Seeds are on scholarships at universities and colleges in North America through the Education Program. The third commercial documentary film is produced at camp with an expected 2003 release date.

2003

Aaron David Miller, former Senior Advisor for Arab-Israeli negotiations at the U.S. Department of State, becomes President of Seeds of Peace. Seeds of Peace holds its third international youth conference Breaking News, Making Headlines: The Role of the Media in Conflict Regions, that is attended by 120 program alumni. Former U.S. Presidents George H.W. Bush and William Jefferson Clinton join the advisory board.

2004

Seeds of Peace partners with Sesame Workshop and the Daniel Pearl Foundation to help prepare Seeds of Peace graduates for future leadership positions. The independent documentary "SEEDS" about the Seeds of Peace program premieres at the Silverdocs Film Festival. Seeds of Peace launches a new pilot program called Beyond Borders, a groundbreaking exchange program for Americans and Arabs geared toward building mutual understanding and respect.