Fall and Winter bring seasons of growth for U.S. Seeds and youth

In classrooms, public parks, religious spaces, activity centers, and virtual platforms, fall and winter programs helped 2021 Seeds further develop their collective and individual leadership skills, while also expanding opportunities to new groups of youth.

Among those new opportunities were pilot programs for youth in the first through fourth grades offered by Kids4Peace-Cincinnati. While exploring universal values such as listening, kindness, patience, and taking care of the world around them, the youngsters had opportunities to practice living out these virtues through interactive activities, like using art to explore caring for others, composting, and even meeting a few raptors from a local bird conservation group and learning how to protect their local habitats.

These new programs aimed to provide a foundation for youth to dive deeper when they enter Kids4Peace Middle School programs, like those held in the College Hill neighborhood this fall. Thirteen students in grades six through eight completed a 10-week program that focused on building trust and establishing relationships that create atmospheres of acceptance and peace, rather than seclusion and fear.

Also this fall, 10 new Seeds took their dialogue skills to the next level by earning a certification in Dialogue Facilitation. Over the course of four days, this skills-rigorous training program gave 2021 U.S. Seeds the skills to facilitate peers in dialogue and engage in deeper, more courageous, and productive conversations with people in their lives.

“Even though it was initially very daunting, it was really cool to see us actually do something that we didn’t think we could do on Day 1,” said Adina, a 2021 New York City Seed who completed the facilitation course. “I left wondering how this would manifest in my life and imagining in which situations I could use these new skills.”


Bushra/Corcoran Seeds of Peace

The program was offered as part of a series of Fall Virtual Programs, which included monthly roundtables, dialogues, and short programs for youth from across the U.S. But perhaps some of the most exciting gatherings are those organized by Seeds themselves.

Seeds of Peace clubs, which are run by Seeds in partnership with their schools, held more than two-dozen self-organized meetings this fall and winter. Together and with their peers, they engaged in dialogues and planned community-action projects, including efforts by Seeds at Corcoran High School in Syracuse, New York, to make extra-curriculars and enrichment opportunities more widely available to all students.

Applications are now open for U.S. youth to apply to the 2022 Seeds of Peace Camp in Maine, as well as the Global Institute in Washington, D.C. Learn more at seedsofpeace.org/join.

Challenging biases and discovering truths: Indian programs engage 68 young leaders

Once a Seed makes up their mind, there are few things that can slow them down—not even Mumbai traffic.

When India’s COVID-19 restrictions finally lifted in November just enough to allow small in-person gatherings, youth did whatever it took to come together during a busy six weeks of programming for Seeds of Peace India.

In total, 68 students attended one or more of the various in-person and online programs offered for Indian youth in the final weeks of 2021. For some, this meant sitting hours in traffic each day, while also adhering to rigorous health protocols and balancing school and family obligations.

“The level of commitment made this group special,” said Sagar Gangurde, director India programs. “Despite having to travel for hours, adjusting to a horde of new people after two years in pandemic-induced isolation, and the physically demanding nature of the program, they all turned up every day and gave their best.”

Youth and adults were part of a burst of programs that wrapped up 2021 for Seeds of Peace-India. This included the first Indian Core Leadership Program, which launched in November with a series of multi-day workshops designed to give participants essential skills for leading change, including fundamentals of dialogue, humanistic leadership, and critical thinking around media messaging.

For youth like Mustafa, 14, the experience underscored the need to think critically about what they see and hear in media and from others around him.

“I learned how to embrace and understand the differences between people; about the privileges and biases we carry; and that it’s not about giving the correct answer, but about asking the correct question,” he said.

For adults, December brought the first Samvaad National Interfaith Summit, a daylong conference that brought together more than 70 educators, students, artists, religious and business leaders, and peer peace-building organizations to explore the importance of interfaith work and dialogue. The December 11 event also served as the culmination of the Samvaad Project, a nine-month program supported by the U.S. Consulate in Mumbai that offered interfaith dialogue facilitation training to university educators.

Though the program participants met the requirements to graduate many months ago, some have continued to hold community dialogue sessions for their students long beyond the course’s requirements—spreading the reach of Seeds of Peace along with the bridge-building capabilities of interfaith dialogue.

“’Interfaith’ can be a scary word for some people, and my hope is that these programs creates more awareness that interfiath isn’t just about religion, but what you value,“ Sagar said. “Samvaad and the summit showed the need for more openess toward exploring and understanding the benefits of diversity, and how these tools can be used in our lives.“

Later in December, the series of youth programs culminated with the Interfaith Harmony Camp, a signature program for Seeds of Peace India for nearly a decade. Over the course of five days, 29 students of various religions came together to explore different faiths through dialogue in a Camp-inspired environment.

They included youth like Anousha, 14, who said the experience showed the truth behind many of the misconceptions she had previously held around religions, and changed the way she engages in conflict.

“It made me realize that a lot of the time when I am in conflict with someone else, I am often at least partially at fault, if not for instigating the conflict, then for the way I choose to respond,” she said. “This prompted me to think more before I speak to others, as well as consider their viewpoints before making judgements about them.”

Developing leaders, building community: Middle East Programs update

From honing skills that can change their communities, to practicing dialogue that can change their futures, it has been a busy and impactful season for youth in Israel, Jordan, and Palestine.

While COVID-19 continued to play a role in the ways in which our young leaders came together this winter, these dedicated and courageous youth showed up in-person and online to share their voices, explore new concepts, and work toward building the kind of future they want to see.

30 Israeli youth graduate first Core Leadership Program

After more than 50 hours of programs, including 30 hours of dialogue, 30 Israeli youth officially became Seeds in November.

They were the first Israeli graduates of the Core Leadership Program—the new regionally based starting point for all Seeds as of 2021. Together, they gained skills in community building, action taking, and using dialogue as a tool for change. Hailing from communities stretching from the north to the south of Israel, they explored the varied realities that their peers face on both hyper-local and national levels.

“This year I realized that we don’t have to agree with each other, but we have to understand each other, and to accept other opinions that are not like mine,” said Eldad, a participant.

November also brought the close of the 2021 Teen Leaders program—a new program in which 10 Israeli Seeds who attended Camp in 2019 received advanced leadership training and an introduction to dialogue facilitation while supporting their younger counterparts in the Core Leadership Program.

“Connecting all those realities and stories leads to a much deeper understanding and willingness to explore and tackle issues on larger scales, while helping youth make an immediate impact in their communities,” said Jonathan Kabiri, Director of Israeli Programs and 2011 Israeli Seed.


In Jordan, inspiring change and designing peaceful solutions

The 40 youth of RISE—Jordan’s Core Leadership Program— have been busy this winter with trainings that expanded their views and enriched their skills for bringing about change at home and beyond.

A rock-climbing activity in November provided a gateway for participants in the year-long program to explore, identify, and, ultimately, to defy issues like stereotyping and exclusionary social constructs that can hinder creating more just and inclusive societies. In January, the youth completed “From Gandhi to Floyd: Non-Violent Resistance and Social Movements,” a two-month training aimed to inspire and empower youth to create personal transformation and social impact with nonviolent tools.

And most recently, in February, participants were introduced to an effective, structural process for reaching creative solutions to social problems in “Stronger than all the Armies: Design Thinking and Innovation.” Using the five modules of Design Thinking—empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test—the youth identified real problems faced by their communities (including living in poverty, drug addiction, unemployment, and sexual harassment) and together, honed ideas for solutions.

Their views sometimes diverged in the latter phase, said Jordanian Programs Director Farah Bdour, but “the enthusiasm, commitment, bright and innovative ideas that came out showed that Jordan has one thing stronger than all the armies of the world: its innovative youth!”


K4P-Jerusalem youth look beyond the surface and to the future

Two in-person gatherings provided bookends to a series of meaningful programs for Kids4Peace participants this winter. Before COVID-19 restricted their ability to gather, K4P youth came together in December for an overnight seminar that centered on challenging and overcoming stereotypes. Together, the 21 Palestinian and Israeli youth, ages 12-13, learned the importance of looking beyond the surface, and deepened their friendships in the process.

The new year kicked off with a virtual program focused on using their voices to make change by learning skills to deliver impactful speeches. The following month, in early February, youth had the chance to meet virtually with Omri, a Palestinian alumnus of Kids4Peace who, at just 20, is making an impact through his love of photography and storytelling. (See his work at instagram.com/omrimassarwe.) He shared how he kept pushing to pursue his passion, even when doors seemed to close for him, and encouraged the youth to do the same.

“I want you always to stay curious, to keep this little idea in your mind and find the answers for whatever is your passion,” Omri told the youth. “Be the captain of your own destiny.”

Later in the month, 15 Israeli and Palestinian senior youth from East and West Jerusalem gathered for a program exploring the roles that art can play in forming national and personal identities.

After discussing the iconic images of Srulik and Handala—drawings by Dosh and Naji al-Ali that often represent Israeli and Palestinian identities in both the popular imagination and in protest—participants drew a picture of how they would choose to represent their national story today.

“When we made a gallery of all the kids art at the end of the program, the kids all noticed that no two pictures were alike, representing the diversity of what it means to be Israeli and Palestinian as a youth in Jerusalem today,” said Ittay Flescher, K4P-Jerusalem director. “Some of the images also expressed deep pain about the injustices that exist, which was very moving for everyone to see.”


Speaking up and leaving a mark in Palestine

“In Bassmeh, I learned to not turn a blind eye when there’s something wrong going on, but instead speak up and be active,” said Malak, a participant in the first Seeds of Peace Palestinian Core Leadership Program, titled Bassmeh بصمة (Arabic for “imprint”).

Since August, Bassmeh’s 28 courageous youth from across historical Palestine have taken part in geopolitical tours and awareness-raising workshops, worked with farmers to replant trees on land threatened by Israeli settlers, explored personal and collective identities within the Palestinian community, and examined the systems of power enforced on them by the occupation. For Malak and his peers, it has been a chance to better understand their voices as leaders, as well as Palestinians.

“Having a safe environment to be able to discuss different issues was the perfect setting to reconsider what I thought I knew about the world and to understand the amount of injustice there is.”

Now that they’ve crossed the halfway point of the program, the cohort will soon have the practical skills in dialogue, community building, nonviolence tactics, and collective action-taking to begin building a more hopeful future.

Applications are now available for 9th and 10th grade Palestinian youth to apply for the next round of Bassmeh at seedsofpeace.org/pse Seeds of Peace Palestinian alumni and educators interested in helping plan and lead future sessions can get involved at seedsofpeace.org/bassmeh2022

2021 Year in Pictures

It was a year unlike any other for Seeds of Peace. No member of our community was untouched by the myriad challenges brought on by COVID-19, global financial insecurities, escalating violence and distrust, and in some places, even war.

And yet, hope found a way.

Over 700 people participated in one or more of 60 virtual and in-person programs, many of them new and innovative offerings that expanded our reach to communities we might otherwise have never encountered. From this year forward, each youth’s journey with Seeds of Peace begins at home, and more than 300 youth became Seeds by completing Core Leadership Programs in the Middle East, South Asia, and the U.S. Over 130 of those youth attended our signature Camp program in Maine, which returned for its 28th year this summer after taking a hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Though a picture may be worth a thousand words, even that amount seems insufficient for what this community accomplished in 2021. This album is an attempt to do that anyway, largely through the eyes of those closest to the action: our staff.


Camp in the time of COVID-19

Seeds of Peace Camp (Maine, August)

Working with local and national health experts, extensive protocols were put into place to keep campers and staff healthy all summer, including operating at a reduced capacity, limiting campers to only those from within the Northeast U.S., regular testing, eating all meals outside, keeping pods among dialogue and bunk groups, and of course, wearing masks. Not a single COVID case was reported during either of the two sessions.


Community Action as a core focus

Seeds of Peace Camp (Maine, August)

Dialogue, community-building, leadership development, and action-taking are the four pillars of the Seeds of Peace Core Leadership Program, and those elements were emphasized daily at Camp with the introduction of the new Community Action program. In Community Action, youth gathered in groups from their hometown to identify and address issues in their communities and beyond. While dialogue and relationship-building are first steps in creating solidarity, the Community Action initiative underscores Seeds of Peace’s belief in the importance of action-taking to bring about real change.


This is how we do it

Seeds of Peace Camp (Maine, July)

It took an enormous commitment from staff—many of whom were on site the entire summer—to bring together the 2021 Camp. “I love this photo because it’s in many ways the behind the scenes of Camp—staff members worked tirelessly day in and day out to ensure everything ran smoothly, while also supporting each other and enjoying views of the lake.”
— Eliza O’Neil, Co-Director of US Programs


All together now

Seeds of Peace Camp (Maine, July & August)

“It may seem like a cop out, but my favorite pictures are of the entire Camp together. This was the first time I had to figure out a good way to get everyone in the shot, so it was my biggest challenge this summer. But I also like the idea that no one is left out (except me in the first session). The second session, I was able to get somebody to snap the shot after I got it set up. I like these pictures because the Camp is in the background, the morning sun is on campers’ faces, and they were taken at the end of the session when we felt like a community and everyone could be next to whomever they wanted (as opposed to being organized by bunks or dialogue groups, as we were for much of Camp due to COVID safety protocols). Here, at the end of each session of Camp, we are comfortable standing alongside anyone in the Camp community.”
— Bobbie Gottschalk, Seeds of Peace Co-Founder, Camp photographer


Written on stone

Seeds of Peace Camp (Maine, August)

“The incredible counselors and campers of Bunk 18 painted these powerful words on rocks at the end of the summer as a reminder of the values they each shared at Camp in the summer of 2021. We see here: “courage, stretch, growth, change, leadership, power (x2!), love, vulnerability, respect.” Throughout Camp, our staff and campers displayed all of these values—and more. Together, our community navigated the many challenges of COVID-19 and spent our time at Camp building collective understanding and power in working against systematic injustice with creativity, joy, and courage. These rocks remain at Camp throughout the winter, and we can’t wait for our 2022 Seeds to see them when they arrive in the Summer and join the legacy left by all our campers and staff throughout the years.”
— Sarah Stone, Camp Director & Multinational Education Consultant


Saying so long

Seeds of Peace Camp (Maine, August)

“This was the last bus pulling away from Camp at the end of Session 1. Departure day is both sad and a giant exhale for staff who put so much into making Camp happen.”
— Eliza O’Neil, Co-Director of US Programs


A Camp in Pakistan’s mountains

Youth Leadership and Dialogue Camp (Pakistan, July)

Young leaders traveled as far as 1,800 km to attend the first Pakistan Youth Leadership and Dialogue Camp, a weeklong, in-person experience led largely by older Seeds who incorporated many of the traditions from the Seeds of Peace Camp in Maine. “It was beautiful to see the message that one of the fellows of the Core Leadership Program wrote. It was pure, authentic, simple and encouraging of being an ‘EMPATHETIC HUMAN’. I recently stumbled upon this picture again, and I smiled.”
— Hana Tariq, Pakistan Program Coordinator


Investing in communities through GATHER Hubs

GATHER Hub (East Jerusalem, December)

“This photo shows the founding members of the Sinsila Center in East Jerusalem, an eco-sustainability center that invited GATHER to build our first ever Hub—a community building strategy based on dialogue, education and local change. We have had Hub members from all over Jerusalem and of all ages. Like Um Ashraf, the woman at the center of the photo, who is 73 and from Lifta, an occupied and demolished Palestinian village whose remains tell a story of a once-thriving life of the indigenous Palestinian people who now live as refugees on their own land.”
— Ashraf Ghandour, Director GATHER Middle East Programs


2019 Israeli Seeds become Teen Leaders

Teen Leaders Seminar (Israel, August)

“The Israeli Teen Leaders, who attended Camp in the summer of 2019, came back to a reality that none of us could imagine. This picture is from their meeting in-person for the first time after a year of COVID outbreaks, many Zoom activities, and a war. Despite everything in their world that could make them hopeless, they chose to take action and help our team in Israel build back, enroll, and work with a new generation—our first graduates of the Core Leadership Program. We are so grateful to have those amazing young people with us, and so excited for the next big things they’ll do with their power, willingness, and hope.”
— Jonathan Kabiri and Shahar Shillo, Israeli Programming Team (photo by Jonathan Hefetz)


Spreading impact

Samvaad Project (India, April)

The Samvaad Project sought to train more than 30 professors in interfaith dialogue facilitation, making it the first of its kind in India. Over the course of nine months, the program, staff, and participants had to overcome numerous personal and programmatic obstacles, including having to shift an in-person retreat to virtual platforms after a second wave of COVID-19 swept India. Nevertheless, many of the participants continue to hold interfaith dialogue meetings for their students and communities, long after completing their certification requirements. It officially culminated in December with the National Interfaith Summit.


Interconnected in India

Interfaith Camp (India, December)

The Interfaith Harmony Camp has become a staple of the India Seeds of Peace program, and with extensive COVID safety measures in place, an in-person gathering in December capped India’s 2021 youth programs with an exciting, meaningful note. “This group shot shows all participants and us facilitators interconnected with a long string for a gratitude activity that felt rather special to me. This deliberate act of joining was very symbolic of what Seeds of Peace is essentially about: bringing people together.”
— Urmi Chanda, Senior Programs Coordinator, India


Resiliency and resolve in Jerusalem

Interfaith Dialogue Senior Program (Jerusalem, November)

As the world’s attention was drawn last spring to Palestinian families facing unjust evictions from their homes in Sheik Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem, Israeli and Palestinian youth continued to gather for Kids4Peace-Jerusalem meetings just blocks away. But when deadly fighting broke out between Israel and Hamas in May, K4P halted their meetings—in part for the safety of participants, and in part to re-evaluate the very nature and purpose of their work. After many meaningful discussions, staff and participants decided to resume meetings as soon as it was safe to do so, with a renewed commitment to listen, to learn from one another, and to find a better way forward—together. “I choose this photo as it shows youth who are both old and new youth to Kids4Peace, and who are of different religions, sharing about what Jerusalem means to them in a conversation led by our youth murshideen Murad.”
— Ittay Flescher, Director, Kids4Peace Jerusalem


A first for Palestinians

Tree-planting (Palestine, October)

The launch of Bassmeh, the Palestinian Core Leadership Program, last fall was a historic moment for Seeds of Peace: For the first time, the organization provided a consistent space solely for youth from across historical Palestine to come together, learn from each other’s different realities, and make plans for creating the future they all deserve. In October, the “Planting Palestine” program allowed youth to work with farmers to replant trees on land facing ongoing threats from Israeli settlements. “I chose this picture for many reasons: One is that both those girls come from two very distant cities—Jerusalem and Saknin. Since the start of the Bassmeh program I have witnessed how their friendship grew, without this program I think, Yara from Sakhnin would have never imagined she would have a great friend all the way from Jerusalem. Another reason is because it was beautiful to see both working together in planting trees. Initially they were very hesitant and wanted a guy to come and help them, but then they decided to challenge themselves and do it on their own. Together, they planted four trees that day.”
— Mirna Ansari, Senior Manager, Palestinian Programs


Spreading wings in Cincinnati

Kids4Peace (Fall)

“Kids4Peace Cincinnati piloted a new program for elementary students in grades 1-4 this fall. Every Wednesday they came together to play a game, hear a story, and brainstorm ways to make the world a little bit better place (left and bottom right). And in the fall of 2021, Kids4Peace Cincinnati hosted a program to learn about local vultures and what everyday people can do to help preserve their environment. We all play a role in creating a peaceful environment, even this turkey vulture.”
— Adam Hayden, Senior Coordinator, US Programs West


In-Person, In Dialogue

Core leadership program (Israel)

“Our Israeli Core Leadership Program participants are finally sitting in a circle and talking! We’ve waited a long time to get back to this important work of dialogue. What we most love about this one is that you could see they both are very engaged in a conversation that is happening, but through the body language (and even beyond that masks) you could see their different reactions to what they’re hearing, being attentive, engaged and curious. (And, possibly mad, or amused).”
— Jonathan Kabiri and Shahar Shillo, Israeli Programming Team (photo by Yaara Better Pocker)


Diversity & respect

Interfaith Camp (India, December)

“This crayon illustration was made by one of our Interfaith Camp participants during an art activity that encouraged them to first depict differences in society, and then solutions. This lovely drawing in primary colors caught my eye in a way only simple, strong things can, with its fundamental message of ‘unity in diversity’. Seeing the drawing felt like we had accomplished what we had set out to do at the camp.”
— Urmi Chanda, Senior Programs Coordinator, India


Connecting leaders, coast-to-coast

Virtual Leadership Programs (United States, July)

From Atlanta to Seattle, Los Angeles to New York City, dozens of youth from across the U.S. logged in day after day for virtual programs this summer and fall that included the Core Leadership Program and numerous skill-building workshops. “As part of the Civic Engagement program with youth logging in from all across the U.S., we talked about how we are all in individual places, on individual screens, but collectively we were working together to make our communities and our world more just and inclusive.”
— Hannah Hochkeppel, Co-Director of US Programs


Young leaders RISE across Jordan

RISE Core Leadership Program (Jordan, September)

The Jordanian Core Leadership Program brought together more than 30 youth from across the country—including areas and schools completely new to Seeds of Peace—for a yearlong initiative. “I love these photos from our Islands of Sanity seminar because they represent the celebration of many months of getting this team assembled and coming to life. Also, because I believe that among this uncertainty and insanity that we live in, this group represents a promise that the sanctuary of now and tomorrow is being constructed by these young women and men.”
— Farah Bdour, Director of Jordanian Programs

McCollum, Pradeep, and Wijnberg take leadership roles at Seeds of Peace

Seeds of Peace is proud to announce the recent appointment of three leaders—some new and some familiar—to key positions within the organization.

Rev. Brian Keith McCollum: Director of Development

Brian joined Seeds of Peace as the new Director of Development on Nov. 1, bringing vast experience in strengthening and advancing the missions of academic and cultural institutions. He most recently served as the Vice President of Development at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., where he led the fundraising efforts for a $35M capital campaign.

Prior to Wesley, Brian served as the Director of Recruitment, and later as the Director of Alumni Relations, for Princeton Theological Seminary. He also was the Director of Arts and Education and a performer for Step Afrika dance company.

An ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church, USA, Brian is a graduate of Morehouse College, Princeton Theological Seminary, Columbia University, and is currently completing his Ph.D. from Hampton University.

“I chose Seeds of Peace because it is the premier beacon of hope regarding equipping and developing a new generation of global leadership. This is the kind of organization that will change the world!”

Pooja Pradeep: GATHER International Director

This fall Seeds of Peace welcomed the arrival—and the return—of Pooja, a former Seeds of Peace Camp counselor and 2018 GATHER Fellow. Based in Bangalore, Pooja is now the new GATHER International Director, responsible for connecting, mobilizing, and supporting the multinational GATHER network to take individual and collective action to build justice and peace.

Pooja brings extensive experience in the fields of arts for social impact, conflict transformation, and refugee and migrant empowerment, including through her work at the Community Arts Network and the international nonprofit organization Letters of Love, which she founded.

Her relentless drive to work with youth especially have found her in varying degrees of engagement at UNHCR HQ-Geneva, Graduate Institute-Geneva, Facebook-NYC, Oregon University, Swarthmore College-Philadelphia, GD Goenka University-New Delhi, GITAM University-Vishakapatnam, Cummins College of Engineering-Pune et al.

“I strongly believe in the power of the individual and the collective in creating systemic changes and equitable societies in which all people thrive.”

Sandra Wijnberg: Seeds of Peace Board Chair

Sandra was elected the new chair of the Seeds of Peace board of directors in December. Her involvement with Seeds of Peace began after working in Jerusalem for the Office of the Quartet—operating under a mandate from the U.S., E.U., U.N., and Russia—to help build the economy and the institutions for a Palestinian state. A humbling experience where decades of entrenched narratives thwart even modest efforts toward progress, economic or otherwise, she says it was the young Israelis and Palestinians she met who unfailingly provided inspiration: “They were the initial reason why I became interested in the work of Seeds of Peace and are at the heart of the energy that I have for the organization today.”

Sandra also currently serves on numerous public and private corporate boards and is a Trustee of the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. Previously she was a Partner and Chief Administrative officer of Aquiline Holdings, a private investment firm and before that, a senior financial executive at Marsh McLennan, YUM! Brands, and PepsiCo, Inc.

We also would like to extend a note of appreciation to Steven Gruber, whose dedication and leadership as board chair helped guide the organization into a new chapter.

Learn more about our current staff and board of directors at seedsofpeace.org/team ››

Alumni Spotlight: In their debut book, medina writes a letter of hope

medina was just 12 when they first came to Camp in 2000, a Honduran-born adoptee raised in Portland, Maine, and living at the intersection of multiple identities without the language to express what was happening internally.

There were a lot of feelings of anger and isolation, and Camp, they said, was a place that brought stillness and courage to “reflect, accept, and move forward.”

Today, medina is a queer nonbinary trans author, development worker, and impact entrepreneur who writes and advocates for the kind of stories that were often unavailable to them as a youth—including their upcoming book, “The One Who Loves You the Most,” available in May from Levine Querido.

What can you tell us about your book?

“The One Who Loves You the Most” is about a 12-year-old Honduran-born adoptee who is starting to question their own gender identity. A new year brings a school project, trans and queer friends, and a YouTube channel that help Gabriela find purpose in their journey.

You and Gabriela seem to have a few things in common, how closely does their journey mirror your own?

I’m thrilled that I had the opportunity to write from a place of authenticity. Authentic representation in books is powerful and necessary. We definitely share similar personal intersectional identities. I also felt similarly to how Gabriela felt as I grew up. Their journey didn’t mirror my own, but I wish it had!

Is there anything you wish you could tell your 12-year-old self?

You’re perfect just the way you are, and don’t let other people make you think anything else. Find people who see you and love you as you are.

You were 12 when you first came to Camp, in what ways, if any, did your Seeds of Peace experience impact you?

Seeds of Peace deepened my sensitivity and awareness of people around the world and in my own community. The experience provided me with the necessary tools to be more mindful, be an active listener, and be empowered to create change. In my book, Gabriela and their friends work together, advocate for themselves, and impact their community in a positive way. You’ll have to read my book to find out what they do :).

What are your hopes for this book?

I wrote this book as a letter of hope for all young queer youth to find community that loves them for exactly who they are, and for them to love themselves for who they are and who they are becoming. It’s also an invitation to those who may not share these identities to develop compassion and understanding for people who may be different than they are.

A lot of youth can relate to struggle to find their true selves and community, what advice do you have for them?

Do what makes you happy and keep your heart open.

medina is a 2000 Maine Seed and Camp facilitator. Learn more or pre-order “The One Who Loves You the Most” at bookshop.org.

Hope and the road ahead illuminated at Spark Global event

The power of community was on full display December 19 at the first Spark, a global virtual event attended by more than a hundred alumni, parents, supporters, current and former staff around the world.

Hosted by alumni Mahmoud (2007 Palestinian Seed) in Haifa, Moses (2014 Maine Seed) in California, and Pooja (2018 GATHER Fellow and Director of GATHER International) in Bangalore, the event was truly a global celebration. Participants spanning at least 14 time zones had the chance to reconnect, look to the next chapter of Seeds of Peace, and hear stories of hope from more than a dozen alumni who are lighting the path forward in their communities.

They included voices of 2021 program participants like Dalia, a 15-year-old who said she joined the Jordanian Core Leadership Program earlier this year in hopes of reversing the increasingly antagonistic relationships between religious groups in her country, and Arnon, a musician and GATHER Fellow who organized a GATHER program for Israeli musicians to diminish fears of speaking out against injustice.

“As musicians we have the power to mobilize and influence, and even if it’s on a small scale, this sort of change can really add up,” he said.

Courage and speaking out was a recurring theme of the evening, with keynote speaker Jodi Kantor, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, best-selling author, and 2021 Seed Parent, drawing parallels between her work and that of Seeds of Peace and its alumni.

“Even though my work is very different, I think what they ultimately have in common is the truth,” she said. “And as somebody who has devoted her whole life to the truth and recognizes in some ways the truth is having a hard time right now, it still cuts through and I’ve never seen anything that matches its power.”

LOOKING AHEAD

Spark also offered a glimpse into the next chapter of Seeds of Peace, including:

  • Global Institute: a new core program that will bring international delegations of alumni ages 18-25 to Washington, D.C. for two weeks this summer to with senior government officials, discuss global issues, and hone their skills to be public leaders for peace. (Learn more ››)
  • The launch of a GATHER membership program, summit, and return of the Fellowship program.
  • Codifying and expanding programs to reach more people.
  • New partnerships in the U.S. South and Midwest: Though COVID-19 restrictions have again prevented international delegations at Camp in Maine, new delegations from Ohio, Michigan, Georgia, and Alabama will allow U.S. Campers to deepen their work on bridging their country’s political, racial, religious, class, and urban/rural divides.
  • The formation of regional advisory boards (soon to be announced) to further root Seeds of Peace in the places we work.

As Seeds of Peace looks to expand and reach a new generation of changemakers, Spark 2021 was a recognition of the vital role that each member of the community plays in bringing about a more just and equitable world—and what can be accomplished when those thousands of sparks of hope come together.

“In our polarized worlds it would be so easy to stay in our bubbles with people just like us, but what gives me hope is that more and more young people are realizing that to create change, to create world we want to live in, requires working in solidarity across lines of difference,” said Executive Director Josh Thomas. “Every time a young person chooses to take that first step to reach across those deep divides, to take the more difficult path, our world comes one step closer to peace.”

Watch Spark in its entirety ››