International Youth Conferences
In addition to regional follow-up programs, Seeds of Peace convenes high-level international youth summits.
At these gatherings, Seeds of Peace delegates are tasked with writing detailed charters or discussing and critiquing relevant topics. Most summits conclude with either a formal presentation to the United Nations or other world or business leaders.
Seeds of Peace held the first-ever Middle East Youth Summit in 1998, in Villars, Switzerland, bringing together 100 Israeli and Arab graduates to create an Israeli-Palestinian peace treaty. The result, a 50 page Charter of Villars, detailed viable solutions to the most controversial issues still dogging the leaders today; namely, the right of return of refugees, the status of Jerusalem, security arrangements, borders, water and sovereignty.
Moreover, the summit created a meaningful forum for our graduates to dialogue with world leaders, among them, Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, President Flavio Koti of Switzerland, Dr. Sa’eb Erekat (Chief Palestinian Negotiator) and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Following the September 11, 2001 tragedies, Seeds of Peace held an International Youth Conference in New York City on Uprooting Hatred and Terror, with 150 Seeds of Peace delegates from 22 countries.
The delegates completed a 28-page Youth Charter addressing the root causes of terrorism and focusing on education, media, pop culture, economic disparity, religion, security, and principles of governing. The Charter was formally presented to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
From October 10-16, 2003, Seeds of Peace held its third youth conference. The 2003 Seeds of Peace International Youth Conference moved beyond identifying the factors that contribute to conflict towards constructive action to reverse these trends in their societies. “Breaking News, Making Headlines” focused exclusively on the media and challenged the youth to answer the question they posed to themselves at the November 2001 conference, “How can we redirect the power of the media towards the positive aim of building a culture of peace?”
Click here for more information on Breaking News, Making Headlines.
