BY BOBBIE BRAUSTON | “The bravery peace needs is not any less than the bravery war needs.” That was the comment of Shouq Tarawneh, a 16-year-old girl from Amman, Jordan, who spoke at the fifth anniversary dinner of the Seeds of Peace held in New York City recently. Shouq personifies the hope, promise and commitment to peace voiced by the multinational youngsters who attended the Seeds of Peace International Camp, many of whom were at the dinner.
Honorees of the evening were Their Majesties King Hussein and Queen Noor of Jordan. They were recipients of the 1997 Ruth Ratner Miller Seeds of Peace Prize.
The 1997 Seeds of Peace Prize, dedicated to the memory of Clevelander Ruth Ratner Miller, was presented to the king and queen by Miller’s son, Aaron, who spoke glowingly about his mother, a strong supporter of the organization. Miller quoted his mother as saying, often, “Never accept limits to what is possible.” Jenny Miller, Aaron Miller’s daughter, also spoke about her grandmother and her own Seeds of Peace experience as a camper.
Seeds of Peace is an organization founded by author and journalist John Wallach to bring young people together from regions of intense conflict for a month of peaceful coexistence in a camp environment in Maine. The teenagers are from Bosnia, Serbia, Greece, U.S. inner cities and countries in the Middle East. They live together, play sports together and debate the issues of their countries, guided by counselors who are trained peace negotiators.
In this idyllic setting, young people learn to let go of fear of the past, to trust and to communicate with each other despite their differences. The teenagers come from all walks of life and are chosen on a competitive basis. Those who cannot pay are awarded scholarships. (The dinner raised funds for these scholarships.)
The Seeds of Peace dinner, held in the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Plaza, began with a lavish private reception and receiving line where we were individually introduced to King Hussein and Queen Noor. Following dinner, a live auction and entertainment, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright spoke and assured everyone affiliated with Seeds of Peace of the unwavering support of President and Mrs. Bill Clinton. “The young who stand for peace—you are progress—and you are not alone,” she told the children. “Our real hope is that one of you from Seeds of Peace might one day return to your country in a position of leadership.
“Ruth Miller,” the secretary continued, “represented a true champion of peace. She saw you as the bridge from the hatred of the past to the promise of a bright future. King Hussein’s steadfast opposition to terrorism and his dedication to peace is centered around the proposition that happiness cannot come through the misery of others. His vision is not of the past, but of the future, and his goal is true peace with his neighbors.”
In accepting the Seeds of Peace Award, King Hussein spoke from the heart and without using notes. “I have come here to assure you that for all time to come my most important objective is not to fail those who fought and struggled for peace before me,” he said. “To future generations, between the descendants of Abraham and the followers of the descendants of Allah, my promise is that we will not fail these children here today, nor their future generations. It is God’s will that we are descended from the same roots. Jerusalem is important for all of us and we should make it a symbol of our coming together for all the descendants of Abraham. We should not permit the minority of terrorism to overwhelm the majority for peace, for peace is the only worthy objective.”
Royalty not withstanding, the real stars of this evening were the Seeds of Peace campers who glowed with the confidence, commitment and conviction that they could and would make a difference. They felt their lives were forever changed by becoming one of the Seeds of Peace.
Cleveland chairpersons at the event were Lois and Robert Goldberg. The Miller-Ratner-Shafran family was well-represented, and many other Clevelanders also attended.