Programs & Events
Seeds of Peace Promote Tolerance and Mutual Understanding
August 28, 2007
Participants of the fifth Seeds of Peace camp shared their adventure with representatives of Mumbai’s media at a meet-the-press organized at the American Center on August 28, 2007. The Seeds recapitulated their summer camp experience that encouraged and nurtured peace, tolerance, trust and mutual respect. As one Seed put it, “We agreed to disagree. And that was the best part of our relationship with our counterparts from Lahore.” The Seeds offered group and individual interviews to media persons on various facets of their three weeks at camp in Maine, especially the recreational sports, arts activities, excursions and co-existence lessons learned.
Seeds of Peace is an intensive, innovative coexistence and conflict resolution program for youth from different regions of conflict. By combining recreational sports and arts activities with daily coexistence sessions, Seeds of Peace provides a total living environment in which peace is encouraged and nurtured. The teenagers participate in regular camp activities; they play together as teammates; depend on one another during various excursions and leadership training exercise; they live, eat and sleep together. In the coexistence sessions, they learn to listen to each other; they develop relationships based on trust, understanding, respect, tolerance, empathy and compassion. Indeed, by addressing the root causes of conflict, Seeds of Peace provides opportunities for future leaders to understand the common humanity that binds them and encourages them to work together towards a brighter future.
Seeds of Peace, a nonprofit, nonpolitical and secular organization was founded in March 1993 by John Wallach, an award-winning author and journalist who was inspired to create this path-breaking movement after the first attack on the World Trade Center. It aims at resolving conflict by means of a unique approach – creating the leaders of tomorrow and empowering youth by providing them with the skills required to advance reconciliation and coexistence. Since its inception, Seeds of Peace has been working with teenagers from the Middle East, and though the organization still focuses on that region, it has expanded its programming to include youth from regions as diverse as the Balkans, South Asia and America. Its leadership network now encompasses over 2,500 young people from over 25 countries. In 2001, with help from the U.S. State Department, Seeds of Peace spread its reach to encompass India and Pakistan in its programs. Since 2002, youth from Afghanistan have also been active participants.