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contents Spring 2005 Volume 9lssue I

Up FrontSaying Goodtrye to Our FriendLongtime Jerusalem Center employee Azzam al-Jundi succumbed to cancer tn

December 200,X. Friends. family and co-workers express their sonow and share their

anecdote" of the Centerr resident wit

Where Are They Now? Following the Class of 1993

It has been twelve years since the first Seeds of Peace campers anived in Maine. The Olive

Branch caught up with some of them to find out where their diffefent paths have taken them

since the summer of 1993

Beyond Borders: The Reunion

Trading North America for the Middle East, the 2004 Beyond Borders pafiicrpants

reunited in Jordan for a week of dialogue, sightseeing and work toward bridging gaps

between Arabs and Americans

Community Service around the WorldFrom Israel to India. Seeds are striving to serve their communities, They are

promoting co-existence among children, cleaning up public spaces, donating money and

visiting hospitals. Look and see what they are doing!

An Unexpected Tragedy: The December 2004 Tsunami

No words can explain the shock of the tsunami that struck Southeast Asia in

December. Seeds fiom the region react and describe ho"v they are helping to ease the pain

it has caused

Regional

Dialogue across the Border:A Full Program for Indian and Pakistani Seeds

Although separated by great distance. Seeds in Mumbai and Lahore strive to keep the

connections between themselves strong and close

Leadership Skills and Open Debate in Afghanistan

Afghan Seeds learn what it takes to be leaders and sound off on the important issues that

continue to affect their societY

A Walk through the Streets of JaffaJewish and fuab Seeds spent a day in Jaffa photographing the city as they saw it

What's Happening in the Middle East?

Since the beginning of 2005, there has been an unprecedented surge in programming in the

Middle East: at least six seminars for Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians" Egyptians and

Moroccans have taken place, reuniting Seeds from far and wide to learn new

skills, define who they are and just have a good tine

Focus

What Are You? National, Religious and Ethnic Identity around the World

Seeds respond to this question by recounting their personal and conmunal

experiences in defining who they are, what they are and how they fit into their societies

Elections and Disengagement: Political Change in Israel and Palestine

2005 is a momentous year for Israelis and Palestinians; Seeds react to democratic

Palestinian elections and the impending Israeli disengagement fiom Gaza

Not Just Babysitters: Delegation Leader Program Expands

Who are Delegation Leaden? What do they do? Delegation Leaders descrjbe their roles and

explain that they are more than just escorts for campers

Deportments3 Letters

4 Letter from the Editot

6 Seeds in the Lead

Front Cover: A young Hoifon contributes to the Peoce Wcrll ot Hoifo's onnuol Holidoy of

Holidovs celebrotron (Credit: Nofor Horel)

The Olive Branch is a 1'outh magazine irritten and edited bv

1,outh fiom Alghanistan. Albania. Bosnia. Bulgaril. Croatia.

C1'prls. Egypt, Greece. India, Israel. Jotdu. Kosovo. Macedonta,

N{orocco. Palestine, Pakistut. Qatar. Rorrania. Serbia. Tunisia.

Turkcl'. Yerren and the United Slates. t'ho ate part ofthe Seeds

of Percc plogram. All opinions expressed in thc magazine ate

solely those of the writcrs and not ol'Seeds of Percc. The Olive

Bllnch or its stafT.

The Olive Ilranch StaffScth Wikrs, Editor.in-Chiel

Danr Naor & l\'lanar Al Nrtsha. Assistant Editors

Regional Editors

Alghanistan: Nl[rL AkhgaL. Khabir Sallah

Cyprus: SLrle,vman Gelcner

Bgypt: Shcrite Abdel Mcssih

India: Divra Nloorlancv. Shanoor Selvai. Siddhatth Shah

Israel & Palestine: Ibrahin Abu Arafeh. Sagi Ganc't. Shuki

Hasson. Agam Ralaeii. Yala Uu'av)'ed" A1'a Zuaiter

Jordan: Dana Audalhh

Pakistan: Arooj Babar. Niiah Khan. Rayhan Tariq

Serbia: Cent Salihu

USA: Niko Johnstone. Eden Tanenbauut

All submissions afe propert) oi Seeds of Peace. and ma1'be

edited ior length. content ol style. Send corfespondercc l0:

THE OLIVE BRANCHP.O. Box 25045

Jerusalem 97300

Tel. 97 2 -2 -582-0222 F ax. 97 2-2- 582'222

Email: olivebranch @ seedsofpeace.org

The Olive Branch is printed b.v Kol Ha'ir'

and designed b1' Paul Segal

+.u=€, €:F*;*"+:r*:

John Walhch. FoLrndet'

Aaron \'li1ler. President

Bobbie Gottschalk. Erecutire Vice Presidcnt

Jlnet S/allach. Senior Vice Plesidcnt

Tim Wiison. Vice President. Crmp and Centel Directof

Balbara Zaslol'l'. Vice President

Christine Covey. Vice Plesident

Center for Coexistence, JerusalemIssa Abed Rabbo. N{azin al-Juncli, Sanri Al-Juncli. Ra'id al-

Juldi. Reuven Blrnes. Walid Abed Elhadi. N{egan Hughes.

Ariel Huler. Rccm N4ustaia. Seth Wikas. Tim Wilson

Leena Ylhva

Seeds of Peace Cairo

Genny Adel

Seeds of Peace Ramallah

Zrqloub Said

Seeds of Peace l'el AvirTBD

Sceds of Peace rs a non-plofit. non-political organization that

helps teenagers fiom regions ol conflict learn the skills of

niaking peace. Set at out ou n camp in Maine. a salt environment

is crclted where 1'oungstcrs can ait their viervs and leartt the

leadership and conflict resolution techniques required to end

the cycles of u'at.

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-tJ,e6uroNew Era, New Hope

The death of our leader, President Yasser Arafat(May Allah Bless his Soul), left the Palestinianpeople at an examination point. YasserArafat waselected in the first Palestinian elections in 1996,the first democratic step in Palestine, and now allthat this man built was put to the test.

The Palestinian people showed its ability to leaditself and to choose its leader from a number ofcandidates and political partiess in free elections.This went better than anyone expected.

Palestinians, one more time, showed theircommitment to peace by electing MahmoudAbbas,one of the people who took part in making theOslo Agreements. Israel kept making Arafat as anexcuse to reject peace initiatives but now that heis gone, Israel has no excuse. Now people arehanging on to hope, hope for a fair peace, and weshould not miss this chance.

Ghassan B'arah fNablus)

Prlo*Unlrn Netlanal Authority

Beit Jala Municipality

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Dear Seeds of Peace:

Four years have passed since I tookpart in the Seeds of Peace Camp. Iwill always remember each momentI spent there, because the experienceI went through in during the SOPprogram has remained deeply notonly in my personality, but also inmy life.

Then, I was living in a state of war,as were many other Seeds, and I sawa lot of dreadful things during thiswar which lasted for many years in

ji'rli

my country. Many things weredestroyed. and many innocentpeople were killed. During the war,and after it. there were manyquestions that I did not know howto answer. During that period, I gota chance to take part in the Seeds ofPeace program. The experience Igot at camp helped me realize manythings. With the help of SOP, andespecially with the help of two greatfacilitators (Sonja and Olga), Ireahzed that hate and revenge arethe greatest causes of evil, andforgiveness, toleration and patience

are the greatest characteristics forhuman beings and society.

In my country live three differentnations with three different religionand cultures, and many pedplethought this is the biggest reason forthe war. But through my experiencein SOP, I realized that this diversitywas a positive, not a negative formy country, and we need to be proudof it.

First, thanks to God, than thanks tothe founder of SOP. John Wallach(God bless his soul), and thanks toall the people of SOP, because theymanaged to unite young people ofdifferent religions into one voice, AVOICE OF PEACE, so we can plantpeace in the world.

"Never doubt that a small group ofcommitted individuals can changethe world. Indeed, it is the only thingthat ever has."

Erol Cinara (Sarajevo) r

romlhelilllotI was

sitting in a hotelroom in Praguewhen I first heardabout the

assassination of Lebanese Prime MinisterRafio Hariri. For me. this event was one ofmany in the past sir months that hassignaled a new wave of change in theMiddle East, which has largely remainedstagnant since the Intifada which began in2000. In the past half year, the leader ofthe Palestinian people, Yasir Arafat, passedaway; democratic elections in Paiestinebrousht Mahmoud Abbas to thepremGrship; Syria, however slowly, hasbegun to pull its troops from Lebanon;Israel inches closer to its plannedwithdrawal from the Gaza Strip in July;and Egypt has returned its ambassador toIsrael. Most poignant for me perhaps havebeen the democratic elections in Iraq, whichevoked the American patnot Patrick Henry'srvords in .l

775: "Give me liberty or giveme death." Risking their lives, Iraqi citizenscame out in droves to vote fbr candidatesin that country's first democratic, multi-oartv elections.

ltoln t|tG

March 30, 2005

To the Seeds of Peace family:

Let me first start off this issue of The OliveBranch with my thanks. I am so thankful for allof the support that the entire Seeds family has

off'ered to me and to my family in the recentweeks. As you know, I suffered a stroke a fewweeks ago and, though the stroke did not causeany permanent impairment, I am currentlyundergoing rehabilitation to regain the full useof my left arm and leg. I am making greatprogress and, in fact, have been working onSeeds business during the past days. It is withsincerity that I say that all of the wonderfulthoughts extended to me, to Jacquie, and to therest of my family have been instrumental in myspeedy recovery. During times like these I feelthe power of what Seeds of Peace really is.Though I may not have been able to respond to

I

In the Middle East, one never wants tosound overly optimistic; but as far as Seeds

of Peace is concemed, I fbel that the MiddleEast is blossoming, awash in change andactivity. Since the beginning of 2005, therehave been over six diff'erent seminars inthe region that have brought together Seedsfrom Israel and the Arab world, includingthe Beyond Borders reunion in Amman,bringing together Arab and American Seedswho first met in Maine during the summerof2004. In Israel and Palestine, our staffhas been hard at work with a variefy of on-going programs engaging Seeds fromJerusalem, the Galilee and the Triangle,central Israel and the West Bank. Tryingto deseribe them all here would not do themjustice, so we have included a special sectiondetailing all of the various programs thathave occurred in the region since thebeginning ofthe year. It has been hard worklaying the groi,rndwork for various uni-national, bi-national and communttyengagement programs, but with the help ofolder Seeds who have begun to takeleadership roles. we have been able to casta wide net over a large and diverse region.

I hooe vou also like the new look of TheOliv-e dranch. With the help of our globalgroup of regional editors, and especiallythose liom Israel and Palestine who meetregularly in Jerusalem, with each issue I

try to make sure Seeds are involved everystep of the way. This includes thinking up

story ideas, collecting articles and now,determining the look and f'eel of themagazrng.

This is very imporlant, since, I regret tosay, this will be my last issue as Editor-in-Chief of The Olive Branch. Having workedwith a group of budding journalists anddesigners, I feel more comfofiable leavingthis publication in the capable hands ofSeeds who will determine its luturedirection. As my tenure as a student andeditor in Jerusalem comes to a close. I mustsay that my affiliation with Seeds of Peacefor the past three years has been an eye-opening, in-the-fie1d education about globalconflict and the Arab-lsraeli conflict inoarticular. I will miss all of the Seeds I

have worked with, but I am confident thatwith extraordinary personalities like these,the lulure is bright. ,/- l4\r(J^

.?)-L/rt\

De$lt of Iimot|ttl P. [|lilsolteach and every kind gesture in the past weeks,please know that I truly do appreciate all thatyou have done. All the emails, cards, hugs andspiritual strength have encouraged me more thanyou know. Jacquie, too, sends her thanks. Shehas welcomed all of the support extended herway; she has needed emotional comforl in orderto take care of siliy, feisty, stubborn old me.Thank you.

This morning I've been meeting with Leslie,reviewing Seed applications, counselorapplications, and many other camp-relaiedpapers. There's paper everywhere. All of thispaper is so encouraging though. I cannot tellyou what a wonderful group of people, Seedsand staff alike, will join together for two campsessions in Maine this summer. I'm sure thatthis summer's camp sessions will sneak up onall ofus (as they always do).

That havins been said. I have a tavor to ask ofall Seeds: please pass along the importance ofSOP to the new Seeds who will come throughthe program this summer. Though no wotds canprepare anyone for the experience, I am sutethat encouragement and excitement for all thenew Seeds will go a long way in encouragingthem to be strong, active members of theirrespective delegations. It wor"rld mean a lot tome if each and every Seed would take the timeto reach out to a new Seed betbre they board aplane and head to the woods of Maine.

['m verl excited b1 all the repons of the Beyond

Borders conf'erence held inAmman, Jordan justrecently. I cannot tell you how proud I am ofEva Gordon, Zaqloub Said and many of theother SOP staff who helped to organize such an

amazing conference. We are blessed with a

wonderful group of Beyond Borders Seeds.Thank you all for making the conference a

success.

Lots of news from the Center ofrecent graduategroup dialogue sessions, Purim and Easterfestivities, school meetings, dialogue groups,and other fun activities has found their way tome. I cannot tell you how proud I am of all thework that is going on in the region. Seeds andstaff alike: thank you for making theprogramming in the region so diverse and so

strong.

There are many great articles and art locatedwithin the pages of this edition of the OliveBranch. I am continually amazed by thispublication. I hope that each and every one ofyou reads this edition and can find somewhere,in some little comer, a reason to continue beinghopeful that SOP's activities will one day inspirea new reairty.

Be safe.

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After a long battle with cancer, Azzamul-Jundi - longtime Center staffmember, devoted husband andfatherof six, and one of the quickest witsmost of us will ever know - succumbedon December 30, 2004. Both Seedsand staff share their memories of hissarcastic humor, warm hospitality andhours of entertainment on the roadsof Israel and Palestine

of the week, at the end of it, in winter orsummer, midday or midnight, so taking afive-hour bus trip wasn't such a big dealafter all.

I don't remember when I first met Azzam,He was always there when we needed him,in the Center, or making coffee on a

sidewalk in Afula, or the time I got himand Mazen the worst shawarma he sworehe ever had. Or driving through the Jordan

Jared Fishman {Washington,DC)

When I first met Azzam,he was still a full-time transit driver, going up and down theRamallah-Jerusalem road, picking uppassengers and dropping them off. He usedto let me run the line with him, collectingmoney, and shouting out, "Ramallah,Ramallah, Ramallah." It always used tomake him laugh. I tried to convince him tolet me drive, and got the patented Azzamal-Jundi response: "Shut up," "Thank youvery much indeed," and "You knowwhat I mean."

And so we drove. I logged in countlessnumbers of miles with Azzam. He wouldlove to get into endless fights with me,ultimately resulting in a hair-pulling war,where we would each try to pull out theother's arm hair, all while navigating downthe road. He was a great storyteller, infusilgcomedy and tragedy - the story of his life- so seamlessly into every tale. Even afterspending five hours in a transit with him,and now lacking any arm haiq I was alwayssad that the ride was over.

Azzam was the kind of guy who couldalways make you laugh. His biting sarcasmcould make any situation easier; he wasalways quick with a witty come back.Azzam was also a great chess player. Hechallenged me one day, and needless to say,

he destroyed me. I didn't want to playanymore, but he made me play him threemore times. each time with the same result.A few days later, someone else asked meif I knew how to play chess. I said yeah.Azzam was quick to intervene, "You don'tknow how to play chess, you onlyknow how to move the pieces."

What I loved most about Azzam was howhe welcomed me, and all the rest of theSeeds of Peace team, into his home. Hewelcomed my family, and friends, and healways made me feel that his home was myhome. We ate countless maklubes withAzzam, enjoying his witty banter, his wifeWafaa's gentle kindness, and enjoying theplayful atmosphere that his six kids wouldalways provide. Azzam was one of theunluckiest people I know, but he was alwaysshowered with the amazing luck of a close-knit family and good friends.

Even as Azzam was dying, he kept his headup. Even as his body was deteriorating, hissoirit and wits flourished. When he told mehe was hurting, I told him that I thought helooked pretty good. . . except for the factthat he was ugly (a usual jab we would alltake aI-Azzam). His face lit up with a smile,and he put his arm around me, and said, "Iknow, this is my curse, but at leastI am not as ugly as you

I am really going to miss Azzam. He wasa truly special person. Allah y'rhammo,Azzam.I love you.

Sami al-Jundi (Jerusalem)

We knew it would happen, but when ithappened it was very hard. Two weeksbefore his death, Azzam asked all thebrothers to meet in his house and asked usif the family burial plot was ready. OnWednesday, December 29, I visited Azzamand he asked me the same question. Heasked me to bring his kids to the hospitaland he sDent one hour with them. He hadhardly slept for the past two weeks. Thefollowing day I got a call from the hospital.They told methatAzzam passed away. Hiswife told me that he had slept like a babybut during the last hours of the moming hisheart became weak. The doctors couldn'tdo anything and at his hearl stopped. Allahy'rhammo, Azzam.

Eli Shteinberg (Haifa)

When I found outAzzam was sick. I visitedhim at his home in East Jerusalem. I tooka bus from my army base in Eilat. Iremember Azzam was very touched that Itook the five-hour trio in the middle of theweek just to come and see him. I told himthat he and his brothers used to drive usback and forth for two years, in the middle

valley in the middle of the night, or to Haifaon a Saturday afternoon. He was alwaysaround, right until he couldn't do it anymore.

In the fall of 2004, on the porch of his homein Issawiya, overlooking the Judean Desert,we drank tea and Azzam looked veryoeaceful. He knew how bad his conditionwas and told me that althoueh he wasn't a

religious man, listening to Koran readingsmade it easier on him to accept the fact thathe was probably going to die soon. Thenext time I went to see him. he was almostunable to move, but was still very talkative,and played with his kids. A few days afterthat he called me from Acre, where he wasspending the day with his family, and heasked me if I was around. I told him I wasn'tbut that I would come to Jerusalem to seehim.

I was supposed to visit him at the hospitalthe day before his death; Ned from theCenter called me in the morning and toldme he had passed away. I went to see hisfamily immediately in the Old City ofJerusalem. Unfortunately, I didn't stay forlong - without Azzam and his trusty FordTransit around, I had to catch the last bushome. I'll miss you Azzam, and all thoselong hours in the passenger seat next toyou, talking, laughing, enjoying the ride. I

Siddharth Shah (Mumbai)

Here in India, Standard 10 (10thgrade) is considered to be one ofthemost important Years of Youracademic life. On the basis of theexamination that occurs during thisvear. one receives admission to thevarious junior colleges. This test isthe first maj or generalexamination, wherein all the studentsof Maharashtra (our state) appearfor the same exam and comPete

asainst each other. Around 100,000siudents take this exam.

Last year, in March 2004,I scored93.20% in the exam, standing ninthin the entire city of Mumbai. MYname appeared on the merit list ofstudents, and my achievements werenoted by the mayor of Mumbai,Mahadeo Devle, the RotarY Club,the Lions Club and several otherorsanizations.

Mamdouh Eid (Gairo)

Mamdouh was one of the organizers of Avex 2005, an

aviation expo that took place in Cairo in February' Thq

exhibition ieatured leadlng aviation manufacturers and

suppliers such as Airbus, Bombardier, Gulf Stream, ATR,piriistr Composite, Pratt, Whitney and Rolls Royce' It was

alarge evenf afiended by many ministers and inaugurated

by E-gyptian President Hosni Mubarak. At the expo, the

world';sieading pilots participated in an air show to entertain

visitors.

Mamdouh is in his third year studying architecture at the

Modern Science and Arts University and has been selected

for the Egyptian National Basketball Youth team several

times. gE-ii active in Seeds of Peace in Egypt, havingbeen an organizer for the Sharm al-Sheikh Seminar inEgypt last summer and a counselor at the Arab Seminarin Jordan last June.

I

Lionel Daich {Ashdod)

(as reported by Agam Rafaeli,Haifa)

Cunently living in Ashdod is LionelDaich, an 18-year-old Seed. Lionelretumed from camo in 2002 withmany of the values he had leamedand lived. He spread those valuesin all of his circles, at school, withfriends, playing the guitar and allthe way to the city student body, ofwhich he was president.

On one of their many quests to helpthe community, the Ashdod studentbody entered into a partnership withthe local branch of UNICEF (theUnited Nations lnternationalChildren's Fund). The city's studentbody launched a rnassivefundraising, awareness-rai sing andpublicity proj ect for UNICEF-Israeland UNICEF Intemational. ln retum,half of the funds they raised wereused to help children and youth in

Ashdod, which is the fifth largestcity in Israel and places third on thepoverty list. The project, in whichLionel took a major part, was anenormous success ano ever slnceAshdod serves as an importantTINICEF liaison.

Lionel got so hyped from workingwith UNICEF that he sent them aletter listing his projects and askedif he could take part in their futureactivities. IINICEF's response wasan invitation to its annual boardmeeting. Attendance at this meetinggranted Lionel the awesome chanceto take part of the Israeli Foundationfor UNICEF. Ever since Lionelserves as part of the board of theIsraeli Foundation for UNICEF.

Lionel's work spans over manyareas, and his current actions aim tocreate a bond between the Israeliand Palestinian branches ofUNICEFto work together. May we havemany more Lionels.,

the LeadlnMuhammad Haj Yehia (Taybeh)

One day I sat thinking, "How can Icontribute to Seeds ofPeace?" I ama big fan of computers and so I cameup with the idea of building a

website. I called the organizer ofour resion and said to him that Ifoundlhe perfect project. I spent

many sleepless days and nights tobuild a successful site: SOP-ME, athttp ://www.sop-me.com.

I worked hard to offer interactivefeatures such as forums for keepingSeeds in touch, downloads and newsforkeeping Seeds informed. I updatethe site continually and do my bestto make it look cool and attractive.

Seeds of Peace contributed a smallamount of money for the storagespace on the Internet, and I askedpeople from all delegations to findone representative to be responsiblefor their area's news and projects.The website has become 100%Seeds, and today we have four greatadministrators: Ibrahim Dakkak andAya Zuaiter from Jerusalem, DanaAudallah from Jordan and ZachRuchman from the US. And we still

are waiting to hear from otherdelegations . . .

The site initially started as a regionalproject for the Seeds of the Triangle,but little by little, it became aninternational website accessible toeveryone. Today, the statistics showthat up to 1000 people visit thewebsite daily. I hope more peoplewill continue to visit the site andwill involve Seeds from around theworld.

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Where are They Now? TheAbed lfiqat graduate course at the Center in Jerusalem. I recently

I received my B.A in law from Al-Quds University participated in.an Israeli-Palestinian dialogue about

and I am now training in the Palestinian courls for a the media at the Peres Center in Tel Aviv. I stillcareer in law. Since ily first summer with Seeds in volunteer with SOP and I view it as one of the great

1993, I have participated in a number of SOP activities, achievements and activities in my life.includins the Amman seminar in 1996, the seminarin Cyprui in2004 and the Mediation and Negotiation

I'm now livine in Califomia and am working in the film/media business as a freelanceproducer and?irector. I also work part time in theatrical distribution, sending outpress kits,movie posters and trailers. My interest in media was definitely somethingthat Seeds of Peate had a large impact on. Over the years, I starled understandingthe mechanism of the media and realized that it is THE single most powerfulapparatus in the private realm, and I wanted to harness this kind of influence torepresent my part of the world with a new and refreshing image - one that was voidof stereotvoes and miscommunications.

It

Wael Bader

in understanding legal procedures at the cout't.I also work for the SOP Center in Jerusalem, xas the coordinator of the Israeli qraduatesprogram.

Yehoyada Mande'elAfter I finished my military service, I starled working for theJewish Agency, an umbrella organization for Jews around theworld. I worked for the Jewish Agency in South Africa and inthe USA, doing educational and promotion programs aboutIsrael in Jewish and non-Jewish communities. As a law studentat the Hebrew University I volunteer at the Magistrates Courtof Jerusalem, explaining and giving aid to those with difficulties Badawi Qawasmeh

Badawi Qawasmeh is cunently on a Fulbright Scholarshipat Stanford University where he is completing a Master'sdegree in engineering. He organizes events to raiseawareness about events in Palestine; he recently helpeda Deheishe refugee camp dance troupe to tour various UScollege campuses. He received degrees in engineeringand business from Bir Zeit University and in Grenoble,France. and before this he worked in Jerusalem at theI

seeds or peace cfass of 1993 IAriel Margalit

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compinv o'inell.withdrawal from south t-.ur""". in. b.i"'#.ir0ooevents. the onsoino nrisc;lp 1.,,,-^L^^ ^. ;, .-.-:'

:"^.^,t-,r. rne ongolng mrssile-launches at Sderot, tneslege and bornbardment of Jenin. the cleath tllate

:l;11::ll"^lr"t"l, rhe on-gorns terronsr attacks I

l:rrrlr,i+"n#**,l*r*i

l:T"l': that I grew out of Seeds of peace a peacetul tree,one tha[ ]oves hurnanitv.I thank Seerts nf o."^; ,l-olJ,.^t

p,eace and understanding.I thank Seeds of p"o.Ji- tr,^ t"d;t;#"ii?;i'ffili;...-..."::j:,:3,l1tive and t"'r.""* ii,* yo, o..tiT:rid:d with people ,..ti"g p.,... #a\respect fr)r\ *ffil;::i: l":,,,.: l,,ay,,,og !j,i.il

or perhaps rravel, bur .*i"i"Tii"'ri]y'j#:'*il ;t::3 ;1 f :"li 1", fi'"'tri Sil

Tamer Nagy MahmoudI nt\ e beejl.prrr.suing a duul dr,gr.ce ,In n\^ and rnlernrtionlrl aillriri lrr /lA.rnelie un Unir er.sity inWrshington. DC. I urn also Iresearch associate at the publiclnternrrionrrl Llw & prli.u C,"r" \u olking on rr.irnsir;onilt poir_c,rniiie t \conslrlUt tons und dcvising tregoliation

Matthew Liebmanr,urn pl'e\ently living irr ,New York bitt r-nJworking for a stlrt_unInr estruen t Managenrerittinn. The best part about

abiiity to listen to others

Seeds of Peace for -. is \that the experiences that Ihad as a l-5-year-old b..n-"

who disagree with rr-re.and this causes me toreview my ownteUefs. In acldldon. theDasrc notlon that others' around the world are tooorten denied thestrategies fbr governntent enTiti"s, NGOs ana

ts:!;:."f iH1ii",t"'3:'q' ""0'"v e u'r"r oi;Ii n po

I i r i cs, n d E.ono ri'l:i: i?,,'"?'l rTij"i ::

*i i.|d?:r, :::x:,:J,'; :n;l :* ::* i:

:,:l.."ill,..hle as I ger otcler.. Mycareer choice does not dir.ectlyrelate lo_lessons lcarned while a'tSeeds of Perce. hut I rrrilize,kilistnflt.l gat.nered rrrrd honed as aresult of-iny participation thairnau-9ural suntmer. I have the

oppor.t u n it1 to live in apeucelul e,nr ironment keeps m1certy challerrges in perspecrir e".

t hL: LL=u LrLutrGlearing up Misconceptions about AmericaYazid Al-Saeedi (Sana'a)

In this era of wars, international diputes and misconceptionspromoting peace and friendships becomes more important thanever and in this field Seeds of Peace has proved itself to be mosteffective. Before my arrival to the United States I had my ownmisconceptions, and was skeptical since I was influenced by theanti-American media. But upon my artival, I was able to see thereal face of America. In the camp we interacted with Americanyouth in different ways and through different activities which mademe realize that Americans are not so different than us; they like

Seven months after meeting in Maine, Arab and American Beyond

Borders participants reunited for a week in Jordan to continue

their dialogue sessions, tour the country, speak with senior

officials and reminisce about their summer together

faimess and hate injustice, they admire persuasion and hate force.Most importantly, they dream of a better future not just forthemselves, but for the whole world. The only differences I foundbetween us are in culture and religion. Every American I've evermet has shown a great deal of respect for my culture and religion'This kind of attitude is what compels me to admire and valueAmerican society.

When I arrived home I felt that I had an obligation - actually, aresponsibility - to clear up the misconceptions that my people hadabout Americans. This was one of the hardest things I've everdone in my life, but I was well equipped with many skills that Igained at the camp. I started in my family, then my school, andthere I faced many difficulties. But Yemenis prove themselves tobe open-minded and I was able to convey my message toschoolmates and even several think tanks.

After being apart from each other for six months, we and ourAmerican friends met again in Jordan. We listened to a number ofspeakers from different countries who suffer from conflicts andlook forward to peace, such as Iraqis, Palestinians and Israelis.

During my stay in America and Jordan, I developed strongfriendships and great relations. I didn't think it would be hard tosay goodbye to my American friends; actually, I found it REALLYhard to leave those with whom you share with principles andbeliefs. In my heaft I believe that we will meet in the near future,and hopefully we will be in positions that allow us to turn ourdreams into a reality.

I