Seeds of Peace

Dear Friends,

Over the past week, we asked you to vote for Seeds of Peace in the American Giving Awards on Facebook. Not only did you vote, but you shared stories about why you voted with your friends, family, colleagues, and even strangers on the street.

JERUSALEM | As diplomats debate Palestinian statehood and deadlocked Israeli-Palestinian negotiations at the United Nations, a new generation of leaders are engaging directly with each other, meeting face-to-face and strengthening the relationships and skills necessary for lasting peace.

In a letter this week to the nearly 5,000 Seeds around the world, Seeds of Peace Executive Director Leslie Lewin reminded them that the organization was founded on the "belief that Israelis and Palestinians had the right to live independently and safely."

NEW YORK | Seeds of Peace's director, Leslie Lewin, has been named a 3rd Annual CLASSY Awards Top 10 Finalist for Young Nonprofit Leader of the Year.

The announcement was made by StayClassy, a leader in social fundraising for nonprofits. The CLASSY Awards is the largest philanthropic awards ceremony in the country, recognizing the most outstanding philanthropic achievements by charities, businesses and individuals nationwide.

From July 25 to August 26, voting was opened to the public to determine the Top 10 Finalists.

CAIRO | Egyptian Seed Mostafa Fahmy (Camp 1999) and his friends filmed, edited and recorded a music video during a two-day period last week. The song, called Sout Al Horeya (The Voice of Freedom), has received over 1,750,000 views on YouTube since it was released on February 10, the day before President Mubarak's resignation. It is one of the 30 most-watched videos on YouTube this week, and the No. 7 music video on the site.