Seeds of Peace founder, John Wallach [1], award-winning author and journalist, was inspired to create Seeds of Peace. He invited Bobbie Gottschalk [2], a seasoned clinical social worker and program developer, to become the first executive director of Seeds of Peace. Timothy Wilson [3], a long-time camp director and high school teacher, became the first Camp director. 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 is 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.
Seeds of Peace doubles in size by welcoming a Moroccan delegation and adding an equal number of females to the program.
Jordan and Tunisia join the program. Seeds of Peace responds to crisis in the Balkans by inviting a group of Balkan youth to Camp. The Delegation Leader program for adults is formally created and launched.
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 [4], a youth magazine written and published by Seeds of Peace alumni, begins publication.
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.
The first Middle East Youth Summit [5] is held in May in Villars, Switzerland, 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 accepts the Charter in person. Also this year, the first Delegation Leader Annual Conference is held. During the summer, the Cyprus program [6] is launched and for the first time, two consecutive summer sessions are held at Seeds of Peace International Camp, with 226 Middle East graduates.
The Seeds of Peace Center for Coexistence [7] 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 [8], a secure listserve that provides a forum for alumni to correspond with each other through e-mail, is launched.
The Balkan program [9] is officially established and the Portland (Maine Seeds [10]) 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 software tool, is created and published by Arab and Israeli Seeds. Asel Asleh [11], a Seed from the Palestinian village of Arrabeh in the Galilee area of Israel, was killed on October 2, by Israeli police forces.
Seeds of Peace expands to 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 September 11, 2001, Seeds of Peace convened the International Youth Summit on Uprooting Hatred and Terror [12], which is held at the United Nations in November of 2001. At the conference, Seeds of Peace brings together 120 Seeds from 22 nations to address the 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.
Founder John Wallach passes away, but is able to see his dream enter its 10th season. The South Asia program [13] 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 documentary film SEEDS [14] is produced at Camp with a 2004 release date.
›› Read read more recent history (2003-present) [15].Links:
[1] http://www.seedsofpeace.org/node/873
[2] http://www.seedsofpeace.org/page/barbara_gottschalk
[3] http://www.seedsofpeace.org/about/staff/timothy_wilson
[4] http://www.seedsofpeace.org/olivebranch
[5] http://www.seedsofpeace.org/programs/middleeastyouth
[6] http://www.seedsofpeace.org/programs/cyprus
[7] http://www.seedsofpeace.org/page/center_for_coexistence
[8] http://www.seedsofpeace.org/node/1812
[9] http://www.seedsofpeace.org/programs/balkans
[10] http://www.seedsofpeace.org/programs/usa/maine
[11] http://www.seedsofpeace.org/asel10
[12] http://www.seedsofpeace.org/programs/uprootinghatred
[13] http://www.seedsofpeace.org/programs/southasia
[14] http://www.seedsthemovie.com/
[15] http://www.seedsofpeace.org/about/history2