17 Palestinians and Israelis graduate from Seeds of Peace facilitation program

JERUSALEM | Seeds of Peace’s second Facilitators Training Course concluded on June 5 with a graduation ceremony for the 17 young adult participants from Israel and Palestine who now join the pool of dedicated, highly-skilled professionals who are helping Seeds to bridge the gap of understanding created by the conflict.  

Thanks to a generous grant from ExxonMobil [1], these 17 facilitators now have the skills they need to lead dialogue sessions between opposing parties. These skills will be useful to Seeds of Peace at the International Camp in Maine as well as on-the-ground programs in the Middle East. In addition, other organizations bringing Israelis and Palestinians together for dialogue will also benefit from their expertise.  

"This was a great learning experience," said Leena, a 1996 Palestinian Seeds of Peace Graduate. "Not only did I learn the skills of group management, but I also got the chance to put myself in the place of the other participants, which helped me understand group dynamics in a better way."

"I also enjoyed working with a group of committed people from different places and backgrounds, and that added a lot to the course," she said. "The course is a perfect training opportunity for people who want to specialize in facilitating dialogue between young people in conflict situations, but these skills can also be useful in daily life."

Course instructors Danny Metzl and Farhat Agbariyah led the participants through 15-months of classroom learning and practical field work. Nearly half of the graduates have already facilitated new campers at the International Camp in Maine, and the other half will be on the shores of Lake Pleasant this summer.  

Most have already worked at cross-border meetings in the Middle East, including the Spring Seminar [2] in Netanya this past April, which was the first meeting of Israeli and Palestinian Seeds since the war in Gaza.