‘What began in 1993 as a camp program with 46 Israeli, Palestinian and Egyptian teenagers has expanded into a global operation with offices in over ten cities around the world and nearly 4,000 young leaders working for peace, whom we call ‘Seeds.’ Fifteen years of conflict resolution programming has produced an impressive cadre of Seeds working in international affairs, politics, business, medicine, nonprofit and media. Headquartered in New York City, Seeds of Peace has offices in Amman, Cairo, Gaza, Jerusalem, Kabul, Lahore, Mumbai, Otisfield, Ramallah, Tel Aviv and Washington, D.C.’
‘This comprehensive system allows participants to develop empathy, respect, and confidence as well as leadership, communication and negotiation skills – all critical components that will facilitate peaceful coexistence for the next generation.’
An amazing example of this work:
‘For the first time since violence broke out in January 2009, over 100 young Israeli and Palestinian Seeds came together for a bi-national meeting to discuss the conflict and rebuild what had been lost during the war – namely, trust and a shared commitment to work for peace.’
‘For two days, Seeds from the ’06, ’07 and ’08 camp years participated in dialogue, team building and group challenge activities with friends from ‘the other side.’ The event in Netanya was the first time the two sides were brought together to discuss the war in Gaza and southern Israel. It provided Seeds with a significant opportunity to talk together about their experiences of the war, work through their anger and disappointment, and ultimately renew their connections with each other and their commitment to search for understanding.’
Source: http://www.seedsofpeace.org/
Choice News 