Intent on opening new channels of diplomacy and cooperation between Pakistan and India, the US Department of State first approached Seeds of Peace in 1999 to explore the feasibility of a program designed for South Asian youth. In 2001, Seeds of Peace launched an unprecedented coexistence program for young leaders from Lahore and Mumbai. The next year, the program more than doubled in size. Regularly facilitated discussions, speaker series, workshops and homestays are part of their ongoing leadership development.
Camp Program
The International Camp in Otisfield, Maine provides the critical foundation for the empowerment of young people. Here, they begin to acquire the relationships, understanding, and skills required to lead efforts to advance peace.
For most Pakistani teenagers, the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Maine is their first opportunity to meet Indian peers face-to-face and engage in open and honest dialogue that aims to transform decades of conflict between their two countries.
In Pakistan, the Seeds of Peace program operates with tacit governmental support. In lieu of direct governmental involvement, a committee of educators, community leaders and consular representatives administer the essay contest and interviews that form the basis of the selection process.
The three-week conflict resolution program is designed to open young minds to the possibility of a new reality. Every aspect of the program fosters trust, challenges assumptions and narrows the psychological distance between the participants. The program’s intensity is deliberate. Daily dialogue sessions led by Indian, Pakistani and American professional facilitators challenge the youth to confront deep-seated prejudices and fears with real stories and experiences expressed openly by peers, and tackle the most painful and divisive issues that fuel the conflict back at home. Trust and understanding is fostered through such dialogue that encourages participants to empathize, communicate effectively, and demonstrate respect without regard to personal differences.
Year-Round Program
Because of the geographic distance separating Indian and Pakistani Seeds, year-round activities rely on technology in part to bridge the divide. IPnet, a designated list-serve, facilitates daily discussion on serious issues like the nuclear arms race, terrorism, elections and leadership. In addition, workshops, school presentations, a speaker series in both countries, and meetings with local officials enable Seeds to continue building their leadership skills while engaging their peers and communities in their efforts.
Since the beginning of the program, homestays that alternately bring Indian and Pakistani Seeds for weeklong visits to each other’s countries have been a major aspect of our regional programming in South Asia. The experience is profound for the participants and has an enormous ripple effect into the community. Families, friends, and classmates are able to meet and learn about those from the other side of the border.
Workshops train Seeds to make joint school presentations that promote respect and mutual understanding, spreading the message to hundreds and sometimes thousands of individuals in each of the homestay experiences. In the past, Indian and Pakistani Seeds also worked together on a Habitat for Humanity build in India. Although there were volunteers present from around the world, our Seeds were the only Pakistanis at the project.
“This truly was the practical application of the Seeds of Peace philosophy," said Parinaz, an Indian Seed. "Here were Pakistanis building homes for the Indian poor … I mean where would you ever find that?”
In addition, the South Asia Newsletter—called Sulha Aman Shanti, the words for peace in Dari, Urdu and Sanskrit respectively—has been produced twice a year since December 2004. Contributions typically include essays, book reviews, op-eds, political discussions, poems and illustrations. As a magazine by youth and for youth, it is easily distributed and well-received by many youth in South Asia.