Statement on Sheikh Jarrah expulsions

May 9, 2021 / No Comments

Seeds of Peace condemns efforts by settler groups, fueled by discriminatory laws and political agendas, to forcibly evict Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem, where some of our Seeds live.

These illegal and unjust actions to displace Palestinians from East Jerusalem are yet another obstacle to peace.

We stand firmly with our Palestinian Seeds and community members as they raise their voices to #SaveSheikhJarrah. This right to protest is protected under international law, and the aggressive, violent behavior by Israeli police against protestors only inflames tensions on the ground.

Hundreds of Palestinians remain at imminent risk of forcible eviction. We will continue to highlight the situation in Sheikh Jarrah, and we call on local and international leaders to find a just solution so that these families can remain in their homes.

Fighting to save fellow Indians, one #COVIDSquad at a time

May 6, 2021 / No Comments

The requests roll in one after another like silent prayers: “Please try hard. Please, please.” “Ma’am, plz help.”

They are desperately looking for ICU beds, oxygen, medical care for COVID-stricken family and friends, and as India’s medical system is swamped by the virus, they turned to social media as a last resort—forced to plead with strangers like Pooja (2018 GATHER Fellow) for miracles.

Pooja is not a deity. She’s not even an authority figure, or a government official, but for the past two weeks she and an army of young Indian volunteers—dubbed the #COVIDSquad—have been stepping in to connect sick Indians with the resources that they urgently need.

“The government completely failed us, and now a bunch of 20-year-olds are literally saving lives,” Pooja said. “I’m convinced I live in a dystopian thriller.”

Perhaps that alternate reality would be preferable: Movies are predictable; life in a pandemic is anything but.

Since 2017, Pooja has been well known around Seeds of Peace, doling out hugs and teaching dance as a beloved counselor at Camp, participating in the GATHER Fellowship and inspiring many in the Seeds community with Letters of Love, a nonprofit she founded that connects children around the world with peers in refugee camps.

Coordinating life-or-death medical requests was never in her trajectory, but when a stranger reached out to her on Instagram for help finding an ICU bed, she used her platform to broadcast a call for help to her more than 22,000 followers.

One of those followers, a data scientist, took notice, sifted through information on Twitter and Instagram, and reached out to Pooja: “She said, ‘Hey, I cross verified this lead, and I think this would work,’” Pooja recalled.

And so was planted the idea of the #COVIDSquad, a small, organized team of volunteers who would use social media to resolve requests from friends and family of COVID patients.

With a knack for ideating, setting up, and implementing systems, Pooja sent out a call for volunteers, and quickly formed a team of eight people—all complete strangers from social media. Each person is assigned a role either coordinating requests, sifting through data to find leads, or verifying the leads.

She found that small teams worked most efficiently, so she developed a guide to help other volunteers form their own COVID Squads. To her knowledge, at least seven others have been formed based on the model, and she’s learning and perfecting the system daily as the virus continues to spread, with no relief in sight.

The strain on India’s healthcare system has translated to dire circumstances for anyone in need of oxygen, ICU beds, and essential medicines—even doctors were unable to tell patients where to receive intensive treatment. Social media became the best bet, with hospitals, private vendors, and medical supply companies often using Twitter to announce availability or to ask civic groups for help.

In one case, a prominent hospital sent an S.O.S. on Twitter, announcing that in a few hours, they would no longer have enough oxygen for 100 or so patients on ventilators. Pooja, along with many other volunteers, began a mad dash to secure oxygen tanks, a complicated and suspenseful endeavor that involved run-ins with police, engaging lawyers and local authorities, and the oxygen finally arriving at the hospital with just 30 minutes to spare. It would seem like something out of a cinematic thriller if it weren’t becoming the daily reality in highly affected cities like Bangalore and Delhi, Pooja said.

Her squad typically receives 30 to 35 requests a day, mostly from other young people assisting their family or friends. A good day involves resolving half of the requests—but really, Pooja said, “there are no good days.”

“There’s no success in any of it, we’re not solving for the problem, we’re just finding the pathway to the solution—perhaps. This is not a sustainable intervention. It is rather a war room of emergency requests—ad-hoc, chaotic and volatile. It’s a stopgap until the government establishes a centralized system and provides aid. However, I’d call it a good day when I feel the collective mental health of my team is ‘O.K’.”

The volunteers are mostly in their early 20s, either fresh out of college or having only worked corporate jobs. They haven’t worked in situations where logging off their laptops, or going to sleep for a few hours, is literally a life and death situation.

It’s an incredibly heavy burden for any person to bear, and Pooja makes no attempt to hide the anger that being in this position with her Squad brings her.

“I’ve often worked in high-stress environments out of love—because I love the job, I love the impact that I’m making, all of that, but over here, that’s not the case. Sure, I work with commitment and compassion and being very aware of the privilege and power at my disposal, but I also work with a lot of rage because I’m being made to do this, and so are these volunteers. I’m angry because I have no choice in the matter, I truly have no choice.”

The rage pushes her to keep fighting, and her actual job—with the Community Arts Network, which she helped launch on April 27—reminds her of the future that she’s fighting for: “Research shows that after a period of crisis, community arts is one thing that helps you rejuvenate and ushers you into a period of growth again. So basically, with CAN, I’m preparing myself and everyone else for a time when a new normal is here and we get to rediscover and explore our humanity.”

At some point tonight, Pooja and the volunteers will eventually turn off their phones and shut their laptops, knowing that requests will go unanswered, and that people may die because they couldn’t help them. They’ll get up and try again tomorrow, hoping to find life-saving leads, but recognizing that in most cases, the best they’ll be able to offer won’t come in the form of medical care.

“I think what we are doing, as important as providing a verified lead, is also the sense of community for that one lone friend or family member who is trying their relentless best to find help in a very broken system,” she said. “It’s, ‘Hey we’re there with you, or we will try with you. You’re not the only one calling these helplines frantically, we’re there with you.’”

Looking to help? Pooja would love to hear from Indian Seeds who want to lead their own COVID Squad! You can find her at @pooja.pradeep on Instagram. For those outside India, Pooja’s team has personally verified, vetted, and partnered with a small-scale fundraiser—Donate Oxygen India—to provide immediate and long-term solutions to the oxygen shortage crisis.

Important update on Camp
and Summer 2021

Apr 29, 2021 / 2 Comments

Seeds of Peace has been running a Camp program in Otisfield, Maine for 27 years. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose new challenges. This means that the location and structure of our programs will look a little bit different in Summer 2021.

At its core, Seeds of Peace develops courageous leaders to work in solidarity across lines of difference to create more just and inclusive societies. This mission will be reflected in all of our programs in summer 2021, whether they are in Maine, Jerusalem, Cairo, or over Zoom.

Regardless of location, duration, or program title, all of our participants will experience a rigorous leadership development program that is rooted in dialogue, community, leadership skills-building, and action-taking.

Through dialogue across lines of difference, participants make systems of power personal by connecting an individual’s experiences to the larger structures and patterns of power that they are nested in.

Through inviting youth and educators into the Seeds of Peace community, we are giving them the opportunity to engage meaningfully with other young people they might otherwise never have the chance to meet.

By teaching the leadership skills critical for affecting change, we are preparing youth and educators to take on leadership roles and tackle real-world challenges back home.

And with those skills, perspectives, and the solidarity of their Seeds of Peace community that youth and educators will then mobilize to take action for change.

Program Outcomes

When youth complete our leadership programs, they will have a deeper understanding of the problems facing their community, country, and world. They will have the skills to meaningfully participate in and lead efforts aimed at resolving conflicts, addressing urgent issues facing their communities, and promoting a more just and inclusive societies.

Who can participate?

High School students and educators are eligible for the following summer program opportunities. Please pay close attention to the location, as well as the grade level and other eligibility requirements for each program. We are also looking to recruit Camp staff over the age of 20 and educators who live in the Northeast United States.

United States

In the United States, we are planning for both virtual and in-person options.
Apply to the 2021 United States Summer Program (including Camp) ››

Youth at Camp

Because of COVID-19 restrictions, Camp applications will be open to youth in 9th and 10th grades living in two distinct regions around the Northeastern United States:

Session I: July 11-28 for campers from the greater Boston area (including Vermont and New Hampshire), the greater New York City area (including New York City, New Jersey, and Connecticut), and Syracuse. Cost: $3,000.

Session II: August 1-18 for campers from Maine. Cost: $2,000.

Educators at Camp

Work with youth in the US Northeast? Interested in participating in the educators’ program at Camp? Learn more and apply now ››

Staff at Camp

Live in the Northeast United States? Interested in working at Seeds of Peace this summer? Applications for Counselors (including Lifeguards, Activity Specialists, Camper Support Staff) and Facilitators are now open››

Middle East, South Asia, and Europe

Our staff is working to plan local programs for youth in Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, India, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and France.
Apply to the 2021 Palestinian Summer Program ››
Apply to the 2021 Egyptian Summer Program ››
Apply to the 2021 Israeli Summer Program ››
Apply to the 2021 Jordanian Summer Program ››

Stay connected

To receive the most up to date information, subscribe to the Seeds of Peace newsletter ››

We look forward to sharing more program details with you over the next few months. Our hope is to release applications for all summer opportunities by mid-March.

If you have questions and would like to be connected to the Program Director in your country or region, please email info@seedsofpeace.org.

Youth voice, power in full display at annual Identity Summit

Apr 24, 2021 / No Comments

PORTLAND, MAINE | “We’re here for real change, and we’re not leaving until we get it.” Corey, a 2002 American Seed, lawyer, and citizen of the Passamaquoddy Tribe, gave a stirring address earlier this month as the keynote speaker at the 2021 New England Youth Identity Summit (NEYIS).

Speaking about environmental justice, structural racism, and the long struggle for equality among indigenous people and communities of color in Maine and the United States, he set the tone for a day of powerful workshops, panels, and discussions among students and educators who are passionate about making meaningful change in their communities. Over 150 people logged in on April 10 for the fifth annual summit, an event that is designed, led and implemented by students—many of them Seeds and Seeds of Peace community members—and hosted by Waynefleet High School in Maine, in partnership with Seeds of Peace.

Covid-19 may have prevented students from coming together in person as they have in years past, but students turned the virtual platform into an opportunity to connect with communities far beyond New England: Throughout the day, participants logged in from as far as New York, Minnesota, Kentucky, Washington State, and even Egypt.

With the theme “Youth Voice. Youth Power,” the mostly student-led workshops gave youth a platform to share their passions and learn from their peers on some of the most pressing issues of today—including restorative justice, mental health, climate activism, human rights, and the media. The goal, said Mary, a 2014 Maine Seed and one of the event’s organizers, is to give participants a place to connect and learn from one another, to challenge their own perceptions, and to use what they learn at NEYIS to make a difference in their communities.

“The NEYIS gave me the platform, as a workshop leader, to see the ripple effect before my very own eyes,” said Danielle, a 2018 Maine Seed.

“While watching so many dynamic humans learn from one another and more about themselves, I couldn’t help but smile, knowing that: these learners of today will be, are already, the changemakers of tomorrow.”

Learn more about Seeds of Peace U.S. and Maine programs at seedsofpeace.org/join.

March 2021 Notes from the Field Newsletter

Mar 28, 2021 / No Comments

Dear Seeds of Peace Community,

As we step into spring, I am feeling hopeful. The days are getting longer, the kids are dreaming of getting off Zoom for the summer, and steadily increasing rates of vaccination give us a tantalizing preview of a world where COVID-19 is under control.

It’s a long way from where we were this time a year ago, and it is with this renewed sense of hope that we are launching applications this month for a wide range of online and in-person programs in all the regions where we work.

For months our U.S. staff has been meeting with experts and following the latest recommendations to allow us to safely bring youth together this summer. After 24 months away, we look forward to welcoming campers from the Northeastern United States back to the shores of Pleasant Lake in Maine in July.

In South Asia, and the Middle East, our newest generation of Seeds will gather locally to connect, forge new relationships of solidarity, and learn skills to create a brighter future.

In addition, we’ll take lessons learned from virtual programming over the past year to bring youth from all over the world into our network and to reach participants, schools and communities that would otherwise never have access to our programs.

We’ve all felt the heaviness of loss and disconnection this past year. We still have a long way to go, but after a year of rarely being able to gather in-person, knowing that we have a full slate of summer programs is both a testament to the persistence of our staff and our youth, as well as a source of real hope within our community. We’re happy to share with you today a few more details about those programs, as well as recent news and accomplishments from around our community.

With hope,

Josh
Fr. Josh Thomas | Executive Director, Seeds of Peace

Summer program applications roll out

Applications are now live for summer programs in several countries where we work, with more on the way in the coming days and weeks.

Ninth-grade Israelis and 14 to 17-year-old Egyptians can apply today for the Core Leadership Programs in their respective countries. This new program is an intensive course that is uniquely tailored to each region, while teaching all participants key skills around dialogue, leadership, and action-taking that will be universally familiar to all Seeds.

Ninth- and 10th-graders in the Northeastern United States are now invited to apply for one of two 2021 Seeds of Peace Camp sessions in Maine.

• Session I (July 11-28) is for campers from the greater Boston area (including Vermont and New Hampshire), the greater New York City area (including New York City, New Jersey, and Connecticut), and Syracuse.

• Session II (August 1-18) is for campers from Maine.

Youth from across the U.S. may now sign up for any of three virtual programs: the Core Leadership Program, the U.S. National Youth Summit, and a Leadership Certification in Civic Engagement.

Check back in April for more news from Jordan, Palestine, Pakistan, and India!

Now hiring Camp staff

We’re looking for people who are flexible, caring, representative of the racial, economic, religious, and political communities of youth we will have at Camp this summer—and who are dedicated to creating an environment where youth are fully seen, heard, and equipped to make change!

Please share the word with any friends, colleagues, cousins, former Seeds, Kids4Peace participants, and long-lost pen pals of yours who live in the Northeast United States (Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia).

Applications—including activity specialists, lifeguards, health liaisons (CNA or current nursing students), facilitators, and camper well-being support (in-training or licensed MSW/LSW)—are due March 25.

If you know of someone who might be a good fit, you can connect them directly with Sarah (Stoney) Stone at sstone@seedsofpeace.org.

Seeds, staff host Black History Month Forum

Around 50 members of the Seeds of Peace community logged in to Zoom on February 25 to listen to a powerful, intergenerational discussion: “Black History and the Road Ahead: Tim Wilson and Seeds in Conversation.”

Watch the forum video »

Tim, who serves as Seeds of Peace’s Senior Advisor & Director, Maine Seeds Programs, became the first Black secondary school teacher in the state of Maine in 1966. The webinar was moderated by Seeds of Peace Senior Advisor for Strategic Partnerships Rahsaan Graham with Danielle (2018 Maine Seed), Boni (2011 Maine Seed), and Hannah Cooke (Camp Counselor) joining Tim on the panel.

In a little over an hour the conversation covered a multitude of topics, including the long road to racial justice in America, Black leadership, self-care, and how non-Black people can be allies.

As Danielle put it: “The shortest, most immediate answer I can think of is: Stand in solidarity. The true definition of compassion is suffering with, and thus, creating a sense of kinship and unity. Acknowledge humanity on a whole, and advocate for those whose humanity has often been diminished.”

Meet the Samvaad trainers

As a young girl growing up with conflict in and outside her home, Rukmini Iyer struggled to wrap her head around the concept of “peace.” Beauty queens said we needed it, Mother Teresa dedicated her life to it, but what did that mean for people in between, like her?

Decades later, Rukmini has built her own career around helping others see how we each, actually, have a large part to play in constructing cultures of peace, and as one of four trainers for The Samvaad Project, she hopes to empower educators to use dialogue as one tool to get there.

Kicking off next month, the pioneering program seeks to train university educators in Western India in interfaith dialogue facilitation over approximately six months of in-person and virtual learning.

Rukmini, along with fellow trainers Mansi Arun Panjwani, a peace educator and international consultant on peacebuilding; Sagar Gangurde, Seeds of Peace Director of Indian Programs; and Josh Thomas, Seeds of Peace Executive Director; she will support participants in the year following the program to help them create safe spaces for students to have interfaith dialogue in their communities.

“I hope they generate conversations around faith in a safe way, wherever they are,” Rukmini said. “Even if they generate one question or reflection in their inner circle, that’s good enough impact for me.”

Read more about Rukmini’s work, watch an interview with Josh and Sagar, or learn more about the program and trainers.

Faith as a starting point in Kids4Peace Jerusalem

The past year has been a unique one in the history of the Kids4Peace Jerusalem movement, which began over 20 years ago with a small group of Muslim, Jewish and Christian children wanting to meet each other and learn how to share this city in a more just and equitable manner.

Since August, we have had a few in-person meetings, but thankfully many interesting and diverse programs on Zoom, keeping youth engaged with our values of justice and equality.

Our interfaith programs begin with students in the sixth grade and continue into high school, with age-appropriate activities engaging and educating students in increasingly complex ways.

So far this year, participants have explored religious festivals, role models for change, Jerusalem inequalities, current events, and leadership. “Kids4Peace Jerusalem programs build a foundation for these kids to begin their journeys as peacebuilders and agents of change,” said Ittay Flescher, Director of Kids4Peace Jerusalem Programs.

Learn more about the program at k4pjerusalem.org ››

Seeds of Peace Community in the Lead

• Ilan (1998 Israeli Seed) writes about honoring International Holocaust Memorial Day during times of COVID-19.

• Adam (2007 Maine Seed) writes for The New York Times on the Palestinian-Israeli vaccine debate while interviewing Abdulsalam (1997 Palestinian Seed), Head of the Public Health Department at Al Najah University in Nablus.

• Moses (2014 Maine Seed) raises awareness around the COVID vaccine to reduce the social anxiety around it and encourage people to get vaccinated.

• Amal (2001 Pakistani Seed) wrote a heartfelt letter in The Forward to Ruth and Judea Pearl, the parents of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, following the decision of Pakistan’s Supreme Court to release his killers last month.

• Ariel (1993 Israeli Seed) interviews a Myanmar resident about the recent military coup and detainment of State Counsellor San Suu Kyi, and looks into Sweden’s decision to ban burqas in public for I24News.

• Achim Nowak (Camp facilitator) interviewed Bobbie Gottschalk (Seeds of Peace board member and co-founder) about her work with Seeds of Peace and navigating your life’s purpose over the long run in his podcast, “My Fourth Act.”

• Cindy (2015 Maine Seed) invited Tim Wilson to read to her classroom in February. Fortunately, she recorded Tim’s virtual story time so everyone can enjoy it.

• Karen (1999 Israeli Seed, Board of Directors) was named one of the 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance by Barron’s magazine.

How are you taking action for change? Let us know by emailing eva@seedsofpeace.org.

VIDEO: Seeds, staff host Black History Month forum

Feb 25, 2021 / No Comments

Around 50 members of the Seeds of Peace community logged in to Zoom on February 25 to listen to a powerful, intergenerational discussion: “Black History and the Road Ahead: Tim Wilson and Seeds in Conversation.”

Tim, who serves as Seeds of Peace’s Senior Advisor & Director, Maine Seeds Programs, became the first Black secondary school teacher in the state of Maine in 1966.

The webinar was moderated by Seeds of Peace Senior Advisor for Strategic Partnerships Rahsaan Graham with Danielle (2018 Maine Seed), Boni (2011 Maine Seed), and Hannah Cooke (Camp Counselor) joining Tim on the panel.

In a little over an hour the conversation covered a multitude of topics, including the long road to racial justice in America, Black leadership, self-care, and how non-Black people can be allies. As Danielle put it: “The shortest, most immediate answer I can think of is: Stand in solidarity. The true definition of compassion is suffering with, and thus, creating a sense of kinship and unity. Acknowledge humanity on a whole, and advocate for those whose humanity has often been diminished.”

Leader Focus: Meet Rukmini, a Samvaad Trainer

Feb 23, 2021 / No Comments

When Rukmini was a young girl growing up in Mumbai, she mostly thought of the word “peace” in the context of beauty queens and would-be saints: Miss Universe talked about the need for it, Mother Teresa gave up everything for it, but what, Rukmini wondered, “did that mean for someone like me, a lay person who has conflict at home?”

Her personal inquiry deepened with time, leading her through several peacebuilding programs in high school and, eventually, to college where she attended an interfaith dialogue session hosted by a Buddhist group. What she experienced there, she said, left her “awestruck.”

“I came from a family where my parents are extremely religious and caste-ist, and I knew I wanted to fight that but didn’t know how to in terms of having the emotional and psychological safety to voice that at home,” she said. “So to me, it was such a relief to learn that these spaces can exist that can allow for processing and talking about my own faith (or lack thereof).”

Having built a career in peacebuilding and corporate leadership development, Rukmini has actively practiced dialogue for most of the past decade—including as a Seeds of Peace Delegation Leader and Educator, and this spring, she’ll be one of four trainers leading The Samvaad Project, a new Seeds of Peace interfaith-dialogue facilitation training program for university educators in Western India. She has seen what happens when people have safe spaces to explore their beliefs and differences, and sees dialogue, particularly for young people, as a critical ingredient in building peace.

“In the world we live in, I don’t think it’s an option any longer,” she said of dialogue. “It’s essential.”

She spoke recently about The Samvaad Project and how educators can play a key role in providing safe spaces for youth to explore their beliefs through dialogue, just as she did as a student.

Seeds of Peace: It seems you were thinking about peace and conflict from an early age. How did that translate into action for you?

Rukmini: It’s all about context, right? When I was growing up, Mumbai was filled with gang wars and there was a lot of violence. I remember once, I was probably 21 or 22, I was on a train and there was a bomb blast in another compartment. The train halted, we all quietly jumped off the train, and calmly walked to the next station. While I moved on that day, there was something wrong about it in terms of, how can we just go on?

Those kinds of experiences intensified this relationship with conflict—that something about it doesn’t make sense and we need to work at it. And when I say “we” need to work at it, I mean common people. It can’t be something just left to governments or UN agencies. We need to have lay people working on conflict resolution.

What role do you see educators playing in creating cultures of peace?

Adolescence or early adulthood is when people are thinking about the kind of impact they want on the world, and I think it’s the right time for us to introduce people to personal responsibility towards the collective and how they can contribute to peacebuilding.

And peacebuilding is something that can be integrated into pretty much everything one does—into law, government-related work, design and architecture—it’s a way of life, and a way of sensitizing us to the fact that conflict exists in us and around us. If you’re able to integrate that concept early in our lives, then there isn’t as much resistance to it later in life, when one is faced with conflicts.

Given the kind of influence that educators have and the opportunity that they have to create conversational spaces in their institutions and in their communities, there’s so much that can be done. There aren’t enough safe spaces to talk about faith at the moment, so even if you’re able to even marginally increase the amount of safety, that will be work well done.

How does interfaith dialogue contribute to lasting peace? Can it be achieved without it?

Dialogue—interfaith or otherwise—is crucial. There are so many divisive elements all around, online and offline, and the only way to counteract that is dialogue: to sit across and talk about what’s your story, what’s my story, and how do we build our collective story and a shared future.

Why was this important to be centered specifically on interfaith dialogue?

First, because of the times that we live in, there’s a lot of propaganda around faith in every form. Second, because a lot of elements of faith are so unconscious to us. And because we’re often not really aware of the privileges we carry, we sometimes mete out unfairness without knowing it. So it’s really important to bring that into conscious awareness and start working with it, otherwise we end up perpetuating structural violence without even knowing it.

What if a person is not religious, will this course be useful to them?

Yes, that’s also an aspect of faith. If I’m agnostic or an atheist, that’s still my faith, and I still need to live in my community, family, my society where people may practice other forms of faith and they may want to be respected for their expression of it. And so my being non-religious may have an impact on them just by being what I am. At the end of the day, the fact that we are human and belong in society is reason enough for someone to do this work.

What can participants expect from the program?

There’s definitely a skills component in terms of how to facilitate dialogue, to handle sensitive conversations, to manage it when things get heated up, and so on. But a lot of the work is also inner work, which will definitely take participants outside their comfort zone, and that’s also the intention—that as educators, we need to live the process to be able to educate others around it.

It’s not always comfortable, but I would still say it’s rewarding because you see changes—particularly when you work with young people. You see how their world view changes and how much more expansive they become as a result of dialogue, and that’s worth everything.

What do you hope people will do with this course?

I hope they generate conversations around faith in a safe way, wherever they are. Even if they generate one question or reflection in their inner circle, that’s good enough impact for me.

Learn more about the Samvaad Project or submit an application ››

Rukmini is a seasoned leadership development facilitator, coach, and peacebuilder with over 19 years of professional experience around the world. She is certified to use a wide variety of approaches, including conscious and unconscious human process work, whole systems thinking, Appreciative Inquiry, Non-Violent Communication, and Neuro Linguistic Programming. As a Rotary Peace Fellow, Rukmini is a trained peacebuilder and conflict resolution specialist and channels her work in this area through her peacebuilding platform The Womb Tales. She has a Professional Development Certificate in Peace and Conflict Resolution from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, and a Master’s degrees in Organizational Psychology and Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from the Mumbai University. Her publications include ‘A Culturally Sensitive Approach to Engage Contemporary Corporate India.

Seeds of Peace launches pioneering program for Indian university educators

Feb 12, 2021 / No Comments

MUMBAI | Over the last 20 years Seeds of Peace has conducted dozens of programs, workshops, and camps in India, providing hundreds of India’s youth and educators with the skills and resources to work across lines of difference and lead change in their schools, workplaces and communities.

This year, Seeds of Peace India, with the support of the U.S. Consulate, Mumbai, is proud to announce that it will be empowering even more educators through The Samvaad Project, a new interfaith dialogue facilitation training program.

While different faith communities have coexisted in India for centuries, a systematic engagement with interfaith work is fairly new for the country. In such times where religious differences are a reason for constant social upheaval and strife, we believe that there is an urgent need to train a new set of leaders in tackling the problem of interfaith conflict.

“A person does not have to be religious to understand the ways in which faith and closely held beliefs impact the way communities interact, function, and are governed,” said Joshua Thomas, Seeds of Peace Executive Director. “At a time when people around the world are increasingly feeling the effects of polarization, university educators are in a unique position to create spaces where students and community members can safely engage in dialogue that builds more peaceful societies, rather than tears them apart.”

Led by experts in conflict resolution and peacebuilding, The Samvaad Project will equip participants with necessary knowledge and skills to facilitate dialogue and create safe spaces for students and community members, thus helping them break cycles of fear and hate by promoting co-existence and peaceful exchange of ideas through dialogue.

The program is set to take place April through October, and will include a six-day, in-person residency, along with online training. All college and university-level educators in Western India are invited to apply for the program at seedsofpeace.org/samvaad. The application deadline is February 28, 2021.

For more information, please review the program brochure or email Senior Program Coordinator Urmi Chanda at uchanda@seedsofpeace.org.

February 2021 Notes from the Field Newsletter

Feb 1, 2021 / No Comments

Dear Seeds of Peace Community,

Since I joined Seeds of Peace nearly a year ago, we have been working together to respond to a pandemic and chart a future strategy for Seeds of Peace that builds on our pioneering legacy and rises to meet the challenges and opportunities of this moment.

  • More than 500 alumni, staff, volunteers and other stakeholders shared their ideas and input through focus groups, coffee chats, and other consultations.
  • We created innovative online programs which kept our youth and educators connected, in conversation, and learning from each other even while physically distant.
  • We added new members to the Board of Directors, including Seeds of Peace alumni, and we updated our governance and management practices.
  • We integrated Kids4Peace into the Seeds of Peace organization as a program for younger youth with special expertise in interfaith work.
  • As we begin this new year, I’m proud to share a preview of Seeds of Peace’s new strategic priorities, as well as our plans for this spring and summer.

VISION & STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

Our updated strategy is rooted in a commitment to developing courageous leaders to work in solidarity across lines of difference to create more just and inclusive societies. This impact aspiration will be the guiding purpose for everything we do, and it will be the criteria by which we measure success.

Seeds of Peace has always been about life-changing dialogues and human relationships. That will continue to be the core of our work. But achieving peace requires one more thing: a commitment to work together for sociopolitical change. That’s especially true in the face of rising extremism, protracted conflicts, ongoing occupation, structural inequality, and so many other obstacles to peace.

In the coming years, we’ll be more explicit about fostering relationships that lead to action and equipping our leaders with the skills and supports they need to achieve large-scale impact in the places where we work.

Our vision is that by 2023, Seeds of Peace will be a more visible and influential force for change in deeply divided societies around the world. Our leaders will be working across lines of conflict to catalyze the personal and social transformations needed for peace. Our fast-growing programs will be shifting social norms in key communities, and we will be seeing measurable impact at the sociopolitical level.

  • By 2023, our youth leadership programs will reach 5,000 new Seeds per year (10x growth) through an integrated curriculum of dialogue, skill building, and action-taking, delivered in each region.
  • Emerging leaders from across lines of conflict will meet each other through an expanded portfolio of cross-border programs, including Camp in Maine and other international opportunities for advanced-level dialogue, solidarity-building, and cross-cultural learning.
  • Our structure will shift to prioritize regional leadership, so Seeds of Peace becomes a locally rooted organization with a trusted brand and contextually relevant activities.
  • Our strong and respected organizational voice will challenge injustice and offer a hopeful vision of peace for all the places where we work.

In the coming months, we will map out detailed plans around three major strategic priorities:

1. Codify and scale our leadership development programs.
Seeds of Peace has produced transformational educational experiences. In order to grow, we will distill the essence of our method into replicable program models. Once updated and codified, we will train Seeds, educators, and partners to adapt and deliver these Seeds of Peace programs in their communities. A layered programmatic approach will connect participants across local, regional/national, cross-border, and multinational opportunities. We will also update our dialogue model and educational methods to align with our core purpose.

2. Mobilize our community to achieve measurable social change.
Seeds of Peace has shaped the lives of thousands of emerging leaders from around the world, but these individual changemakers are working in fragmented ways. We will integrate the disparate elements of the Seeds of Peace community (youth, educators, alumni, fellows), provide a platform for collective action-taking, amplify our organizational voice, and measure our performance on action-oriented metrics.

3. Root our organization in the regions where we work.
Seeds of Peace is an international community, but with a reputation for being a “New York organization.” We will shift greater authority and responsibility to regional leaders, diversify organizational leadership, define regionally-specific strategies, and adopt best practices of the most professional and effective international organizations.

As we roll out this strategy, we will maintain our current geographic footprint in the Middle East (Palestine, Israel, Egypt, Jordan), South Asia (India and Pakistan), the United States (with expansion to the Midwest/South), and the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe, while seeking out new opportunities for growth. We will roll out Kids4Peace programs for younger youth across our regions and expand offerings for adult changemakers through GATHER, creating a lifelong pipeline of involvement.

SUMMER 2021

As we continue to face the reality of COVID-19, it has become clear that we cannot host campers from outside the United States at Camp in Maine this year.

Instead, we will bring a new generation of nearly 400 Seeds into our community through a regional leadership program in each of the places where we work.

These deep and impactful programs will include at least 50 hours of dialogue, leadership skill development, and action-taking, and graduates of these programs will have access to all Seeds of Peace resources, opportunities, and networks, including international experiences and alumni programs.

We are still finalizing the details, but we expect these programs to be a hybrid of virtual and in-person activities, during the school year and the summer, including two sessions of Camp in Maine for youth from the Northeastern part of the United States, as well as regional seminars and multinational programs across the Middle East and South Asia, when those become possible again. We’ll share program details and the application process by mid-March.

We’re excited about these new program offerings, which will reflect the language, culture, conflict dynamics, and specific needs of each region, while offering all new participants around the world a common set of skills and frameworks that will prepare them for advanced programs. We plan to resume Camp sessions in Maine that include youth from the United States, United Kingdom, Middle East and South Asia in the summer of 2022.

REGIONAL LEADERS

Given our strategic priority around regional leadership, I’m excited to introduce you to our global team of Program Directors. This diverse and skilled group will be driving Seeds of Peace’s growth and development in the coming years as we root our organization locally.

Josh
Fr. Josh Thomas | Executive Director, Seeds of Peace

Also in this edition

Meet our Program Directors

Our programs are guided by dedicated local leaders experienced in education and peacebuilding initiatives.

They share why they are excited to work with Seeds of Peace in this moment:

“I’m very appreciative of the new strategic shift of empowering the regions of interpreting the top-level vision and localizing the impact objectives from a regional lens. I’m also appreciative of the renewed attention and commitment from the organization to channel more focus on the South Asian region with all its vastness and promise. We have made some ambitious and excitement plans and along with the local community here, I am pumped to realize them in 2021!”
— Qasim Aslam, Pakistani Programs

“Ever since I was a camper in 2006, I have always known the potential of our Seeds of Peace community. In this moment, more than ever, we are on the brink of change and I am excited and honored to be part of doing this work with Seeds of Peace for our collective liberation and towards inclusive just societies for all of us.”
— Monica Baky, Egyptian Programs

“We live in times when moral courage is being constantly attacked by the loud populists and nationalists. Yet Seeds of Peace is not intimidated by their demagoguery. I join Seeds of Peace in resisting fear, and I am excited to be part of this movement that is dedicated to developing morally courageous young leaders.”
— Farah Bdour, Jordanian Programs

“I am excited to work with Seeds of Peace at this moment because things have changed for the better. I feel more supported in my work and there is a strong commitment for the allocation of more resources in our region. The model is shifting from centralized authority to decentralization of authority and empowering the regional leaders to be at their best. I’ve experienced remarkable change in the processes and my engagement with the senior management has increased manifold.”
— Sagar Gangurde, Indian Programs

“I am excited to work with Seeds of Peace in this moment because in the midst of the pain, division, and uncertainty I see in our country and world, I also see hope. I see hope in the faces, the wisdom, and the energy of our youth leaders. I see hope in our community that is so invested in this work continuing. I am excited to dive into the possibilities of this moment and to work collectively to continue building justice, equity, and peace.”
— Hannah Hochkeppel, United States Programs (West)

“I’m excited to work with Seeds of Peace at this moment because I get to work with brilliant people, from all across the world, and imagine together a world that is better for all of us. I get to meet brave teenagers who, despite and against all powers that work to separate them, work intensely to buckle up and be in solidarity with one another, and stand together against systems that oppress all of them.”
— Jonathan Kabiri, Israeli Programs

“With American political polarization and the urgency of racial justice coming more to the forefront of people’s consciousness this year, I feel especially lucky to be on a team that centers dialogue, community, youth leadership, action-taking, and other critical skills and practices that can be powerful parts of the solution.”
— Eliza O’Neil, United States Programs (East)

“With change happening in the Middle East and abroad, it is a very interesting and crucial time where young, future Palestinian leaders will get the space, time, and support needed to allow an indigenous understanding and experience of leadership to emerge so that they may tackle local and global challenges with a deeper understanding and practice of solidarity.”
— Antwan Saca, Palestinian Programs

Camp 2021: Updates and Delegations

While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose challenges to how we run programs, we are deeply committed to offering opportunities this summer, both in-person and online, that are safe and meaningful for all.

UNITED STATES

In the United States, we are planning for both virtual and in-person options following American Camping Association and Maine COVID-19 guidelines. The Seeds of Peace Camp in Maine will be open to youth who live in Maine, the greater Boston area (including Vermont and New Hampshire), the greater New York City area (including New York City, New Jersey, and Connecticut), and Syracuse.

Tentative dates for Camp 2021 are:

  • Session I: July 11-28 for campers from greater Boston & New York City, and Syracuse.
  • Session II: August 1-18 for campers from Maine.
    For youth in other parts of the United States, we will offer a variety of robust and dynamic virtual programs throughout the months of June, July, and August.

MIDDLE EAST, SOUTH ASIA, AND EUROPE

We are working to plan local programs for youth in Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, India, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and France, and we hope to release more information on those programs in the coming weeks and months.

Find more information on Camp 2021 for the U.S. Northeast and sign up for programming updates ››

Seeds of Peace joins peacebuilding coalition


We’re excited to share that Seeds of Peace just joined the U.S. Youth Peace and Security Coalition, run by Search for Common Ground. This formally connects us to a much larger network of likeminded organizations in the United States, and allows us to officially add our voice to legislative advocacy being done by Search for Common Ground to enact the Youth Peace and Security Act.

Learn more about the Coalition ››

Kids4Peace leaders join Seeds of Peace board

Bringing a wide range of experience in business, philanthropy, communications, and peacebuilding, four former Kids4Peace board members were recently elected to the Seeds of Peace Board of Directors: Maysa Baransi, Susan Bloch, Richard Dale, and Teresa Tanega-Ignacio.

We invite you to join us in welcoming this passionate group to the team, and to explore their biographies.

GATHER wraps 2020 Fellowship


It wasn’t the high-energy social affair that capped off previous fellowships, but the 2020 cohort of GATHER Fellows had much to celebrate when they logged in for the final virtual session of the program in December.

Whether they were standing up to gender-based violence, creating bridges between divided communities, or empowering refugees, every single Fellow in the program for adult changemakers had to find ways to pivot, realign and re-emerge from the impact of COVID-19. For many, GATHER provided the tools and support to do so.

“Personally, I never felt alone during my recovery from COVID due to the support from this group. Professionally, I was able to create stories with female superheroes on social issues and take them to a large audience,” said Saurabh, a Fellow from India.

The GATHER team is hoping to hold an in-person summit at some point in 2021, but in the meantime, opportunities for GATHER alumni are expected to launch this winter, including programs that offer continued development, support, and connection, and an alumni advisory council.

Read more about the 2020 GATHER cohort ››

Kids4Peace Jerusalem welcomes new members


A new generation of interfaith peacemakers gathered in Jerusalem this past December to begin their journey in striving for peace and equality with Kids4Peace.

In their first meeting, the Palestinian and Israeli sixth graders celebrated the festival of Chanukah by lighting a special Chanukiyah created by the Iraqi-Jewish artist Oded Halahmy. These Palestinian and Israeli youth believe that it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness—and sharing fun and sweet treats is one way to start!

US winter virtual series kicks off

The series of US winter virtual programs are off to a promising start, with the first two sessions—one focused on the first 100 days of the Biden administration and how participants can use their voice to lobby their elected officials, and the second focused on using dialogue as a tool for social change—wrapping up last week.

These timely and relevant programs are rooted in the topics of community-building, dialogue, action-taking, and leadership, just like all seven of our Winter 2021 Programs. The workshops are free of charge and open to all U.S. students in grades 6 through 12, regardless of whether they have previous involvement with Kids4Peace or Seeds of Peace. New participants are most welcome! Visit k4p.org/winter2021 to learn more.

Director’s Forum explores a divided country


In the United States, the presidential election results have been verified and a new administration sworn in—but as we’re all too aware, deep divisions persist across the nation.

How can Seeds of Peace help build bridges across these many divides? Alumni, supporters, staff, and community members gathered with thought leaders in a series of virtual forums in the weeks after the election to address this question.

From Ali Velshi, award-winning MSNBC journalist, we heard the importance of verifying facts with multiple sources, seeking out different viewpoints, and listening to youth.

Melissa Weintraub, founding Co-Executive Director of Resetting the Table, discussed theoretical approaches to dialogue and shared insight from Resetting the Table’s work bridging red-blue divides.

Hurunnessa Fariad invited her friend and colleague—an evangelical pastor—from the One America Movement to join the call, demonstrating the friendship and solidarity that Muslims and evangelical Christians have built in West Virginia through their shared struggle against the opioid crisis.

Our next series will kick off later this winter with a focus on Seeds of Peace’s work in the changing Middle East—keep an eye on your inbox and social media for dates and signup information. We hope to see you there.

Seeds of Peace Community in the Lead


• Salat (2012 Syracuse Seed) received a grant to finish making an autobiographical film Leaving Home But Left Behind.

• Lior (1996 Israeli Seed) was recently named one of the 40 Under 40 by Globes for leading Civic Leadership, the umbrella organization for the third sector in Israel which has led the fight and advocated for government funding and support for all nonprofits which have been hit hard by the pandemic.

• Micah (2004 American Seed) reports for Forbes on an anthem for voters in Georgia, a feature on a Croatian artist and how music can help heal a divided America.

• Jonathan (2011 Israeli Seed) spoke in December at the ALLMEP Shine a Light virtual gala as part of a youth peacebuilder panel.

• Ali Haris (2018 Pakistani Seed) recently facilitated a four-day virtual leadership program for 16 students that included activities and dialogue on topics of leadership, goal orientation, and career planning.

• Sahar (2001 Pakistani Seed) is an advocate of the Lahore High Court and was part of a group who successfully filed a petition to ban virginity tests for survivors of sexual assault in a landmark ruling that’s the first of its kind in the country.

• Ahmed (2009 Palestinian Seed) is connecting Palestinian entrepreneurs, farmers, and artisans to a global market through his new import business, ROOTS Palestine, which ships products like olive oil, za’atar, and sage directly from Palestine to the U.S. and Canada.

• Ilan (1998 Israeli Seed) is co-editor of Public Diplomacy and the Politics of Uncertainty, part of the Palgrave Macmillan series in global public diplomacy. The book was released on January 20.

• Pious (2008 Educator) was featured on a Local Leaders & Racial Equity panel for the 40th Martin Luther King Jr. holiday observance.

• Ahmed (2000 Palestinian Seed) posts regularly and publicly to his Facebook page about scientific data on COVID-19 vaccines. A molecular biologist with experience in oncology and immunology, Ahmed’s analysis allows access and explanation of what seems like complicated data and is especially useful in relieving the stress around an incredibly stressful time.

• Tim Wilson (Seeds of Peace Senior Advisor for Maine Programs) was recently featured in the Portland Press Herald and in the podcast Maine Sports Hall of Fame Legends with Bill Green.

How are you taking action for change? Let us know by emailing eva@seedsofpeace.org.

A GATHER year like no other wraps up with eye toward change

Jan 26, 2021 / No Comments

It wasn’t the high-energy social affair that capped off previous fellowships, but the 2020 cohort of Seeds of Peace GATHER Fellows had much to celebrate when they logged in for the final virtual session of the program in December.

Like the team behind the program itself, many of the participants faced points throughout the nine-month fellowship for adult social entrepreneurs when they weren’t sure how, and if, their work could continue amid the pandemic. But for the program designers, it became clear early on that if ever a time that if ever there was a time to offer support in personal growth, community-building, and project development, this was it.

“From the outset there seemed to be extreme appreciation that we decided just to hold the space,” said GATHER Director Jonah Fisher. “Even if it was a modified version of the program, it was something that people needed. That pushed us and it pushed the Fellows to reimage what participation would look like and our needs and priorities, and that carried us through.”

Whether they were standing up to gender-based violence, creating bridges between divided communities, or empowering refugees, every single Fellow in the program for adult changemakers had to find ways to pivot, realign and re-emerge from the impact of COVID-19. For many, GATHER provided the tools and support to do so.

“The pandemic deeply affected the ways in which things were done on a global scale, including the work of young people trying to help their communities,” said Sajia, a Fellow and 2009 Afghan Seed. “At a time when maintaining connections and trying new things were so restricted, GATHER successfully created a virtual environment where my cohort and I could brainstorm ideas, connect with like-minded people, and take the initiative to develop new ways of doing things.”

Some even found ways to significantly expand the reach of their work, despite experiencing the effects of COVID in very personal ways. Saurabh, a Fellow from India, extended his line of social-impact superhero comic books by creating new characters and even working with Sajia to translate issues into Farsi, all while simultaneously combating the virus himself.

“Personally, I never felt alone during my recovery from COVID due to the support from this group. Professionally, I was able to create stories with female superheroes on social issues and take them to a large audience,” Saurabh said. “It was not easy to build a circle of trust in a digital environment, and we had our own share of disagreements. However, what came out of was compassion and support for each other during these difficult times. Looking back, this came at a time we needed it the most.”

Fisher attributes the program’s nimble adjustments to a resilient cohort that was deeply committed to the program and to one another, and to a team that had built a sturdy foundation over years of working together—imagine a skyscraper that sways, rather than crumbles, when an earthquake shakes its core.

And while the GATHER team hopes to return to some of the elements that made it successful over the last five years, 2020 revealed that some of the program’s recipe could, and should, be reimagined. This spring will bring the launch of programs that offer continued development, support, and connection for GATHER alumni; an alumni advisory council is being formed; more accessible virtual programs are under consideration; and the staffing makeup of the team is changing to be more reflective of the GATHER community.

“This cohort did not grant themselves a pass on identity work—they were holding each other accountable, and us, as a program, to align ourselves around questions of power and accountability,” Fisher said. “We’re now taking time between programs to ask those questions seriously, and to move into exploring how to create further pathways of access to these impact experiences we create.”

The 2021 Fellowship is still under design, but an application is expected in late March or early April. To learn more or sign up for 2021 GATHER alumni offerings, visit seedsofpeace.org/2021offerings.