Seeds of Peace

In the summer of 2002, with support from the new government of Afghanistan and the US Department of State South Asian Affairs, Seeds of Peace welcomed the first-ever Afghan delegation to the camp in Maine.

With full support from the newly-installed Afghan government, the Afghan Ministry of Education in collaboration with the US Embassy in Kabul administered an official selection process that included a written and oral exam in local languages as well as in English.

A delegation of six boys, six girls, and two delegation leaders representing various ethnic groups within Afghanistan joined the program with youth from India, Pakistan, and the Middle East. The follow-up program in Afghanistan began in Fall 2002 and has been going strong ever since, with peace education courses, English classes, leadership training and community outreach workshops.

Mujib, one of the first Afghan participants, recently said:

Seeds of Peace has made me realize that we are part of a whole that is South Asia and the world, and we certainly have our own role to play. Being kept away from the rest of the world by the Taliban for most of my childhood, I grew up not knowing much about the outside world—in fact, at times I doubted whether such a thing as "an outside world" actually existed. The fact that no international media was allowed in Afghanistan reaffirmed that childhood assumption for me. But in 2002 when Seeds of Peace gave me the opportunity to come out of my shell and meet people from other regions who were dealing with similar issues as I was, I realized how inter-connected our world was, and how we were just a piece that had to work to fit in the larger puzzle. 

Camp Program

The Afghan program differs somewhat from other Seeds of Peace dialogue and leadership models at Camp. Given the levels of trauma our youth had recently experienced, the first few years of the program focused on sharing personal stories as part of the healing process, developing their voices (particularly those of our young women) after years of being silenced, and empowering them to believe in their ability to contribute to change.

In 2009, the Afghan delegation joined our Indian and Pakistani campers in dialogue sessions in order to discuss and address regional challenges, while attending to their particular situation and needs in Afghanistan. With diverse delegations comprised of Tajiks, Pashtuns and Hazaras, the group has the unique opportunity to discuss ethnic tensions at home. In addition, Afghan and American campers have the chance to meet face-to-face, replace stereotypes and misconceptions with understanding and trust, and form partnerships to work towards a better future in Afghanistan.

Year-Round Program

Seeds of Peace immediately launched year-round programming in Kabul after the first Afghan delegation returned home in order to keep alumni connected and continue developing their leadership abilities.

Our Director of Afghan Programs regularly brings the youth together, encouraging and supporting the youth while engaging them in Seeds of Peace activities.

Since the summer of 2002, Afghan Seeds have done incredible work in their communities. One young man teaches an English course in his village outside of Kabul, while sharing the lessons he learned at Seeds of Peace. With his encouragement, the number of students studying English in his village has tripled.

Another Seed convinced her neighbor’s father to let his daughter go to school, and then helped her become first in her class so she would be allowed to continue.

Yet another Seed started a project with a group of teenage boys working on challenging the culture of violence in Afghanistan. His group organized and hosted the first peace seminar on World Peace Day in Kabul.

Other alumni have spoken at conferences on issues such as women’s rights and the impact of the Loya Jurga on Afghan society, and some teach English, computer, and peace education classes at their schools. One of the members of the first Afghan delegation is currently recording oral histories to record a fuller picture of Afghanistan during this period in history.

Seeds of Peace now has over 100 alumni in Afghanistan.