Seeds of Peace

I had just turned on the local National Public Radio (NPR) station on the way home from work a few days ago when I heard the words ". . .when you make a friend out of an enemy, you have really done something." Deeply intrigued, I continued to listen to the broadcast and began hearing about an organization called "Seeds of Peace."

Seeds of Peace, it turns out, is a non-profit, non-political organization that helps teenagers from regions of conflict learn the skills of making peace. The workshops are at the organization's camp in the woods of Maine. There a safe and supportive environment is created where the youngsters can air their views and learn listening, communication and other conflict resolution techniques that allow them to develop empathy for one another. According to their mission statement, Seeds of Peace tries to equip the next generation with the leadership capabilities required to end the cycles of violence.

This great organization has been praised from both ends of the political spectrum--from President George Bush to ex-president Bill Clinton. However, I especially like what Secretary of State Colin Powell said:

Treaties are negotiated by governments. Peace is made by people. Seeds of Peace is doing what no government can. It is sowing the seeds of peace among children who have grown up with the horror of war. By teaching teenagers to develop trust and empathy for one other, Seeds of Peace is changing the landscape of conflict. It is enabling people blinded by hatred to see the human face of their enemies. It is equipping the next generation with the tools to end the violence and become the leaders of tomorrow.

Founded in 1993 by author and journalist John Wallach, the Seeds of Peace program started with children from the Middle East. Each year more than 300 outstanding Egyptian, Israeli, Jordanian, Palestinian, Moroccan, Tunisian, Qatari, Yemeni and other Middle Eastern teenagers are chosen from more than 2,000 applicants to participate in the program. These young people are selected by their respective governments without regard to economic or social background, and are chosen based solely on academic performance and leadership ability.

Set in the neutral, supportive environment of the camp in Maine, Seeds of Peace creates a community in which Arab and Israeli youngsters live together in cabins, share meals, and participate in numerous summer camp activities. Often meeting teens "from the other side" for the first time, these youngsters canoe, swim and play sports together; they find creative expression through music, drama and fine arts and enter the threshold of the information age in state-of-the-art computer classes.

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