Seeds of Peace

“Treaties are negotiated by governments, but peace is made by people.” –Seeds of Peace founder John Wallach After two years of devastating loss in our Israeli and Palestinian communities, today we receive more hopeful news: a ceasefire that appears to be holding as more captives are freed. John’s words, spoken three decades ago, ring truer than ever. We have seen what happens when peace between people is neglected. Building a real peace, with safety and freedom for all, depends on recognizing each other’s shared humanity. May we remember that this work happens not just at negotiation tables, but in the hearts, classrooms, and communities of people willing to listen, connect, and rebuild—together. And this is the moment to grow and deepen it. Get involved with building the future: https://lnkd.in/gTFy5sgY #SeedsOfPeace #Peacebuilding #Leadership #MiddleEast #Dialogue #Hope

We are honored to participate in a convening hosted by the Institute for Middle East Options (IMEO) on Thursday, October 16, at noon ET. The webinar will be moderated by Seeds of Peace Executive Director Eva Armour and will highlight the work of activists, peacebuilders, and humanitarian leaders to foster resilience, dialogue, and reconciliation. Register to join us at http://bit.ly/4qfqBtp

We're thrilled to share this video from our "Mind the Gap" partnership with Future Leaders UK! The leadership program, held in London, brought together young people from diverse backgrounds. Hear directly from them about how, in just three days, they were able to use dialogue to challenge their biases and build a strong community. https://lnkd.in/gwezjBsd Thank you to Saloni Thakrar, Lani Martin, and Faiza Seth, along with Faheem Khan, Zaynab Albadry, and the rest of the Future Leaders UK team for making this possible, as well as to Dishoom for hosting the program.  #FutureLeaders #SocialImpact #CommunityBuilding #LeadershipSkills #EmpowerYouth 

Over 270 supporters, friends, and alumni of Seeds of Peace gathered in New York City on May 27 to honor the past, present, and future of the organization while recognizing board chair Sandra Wijnberg, Open Hands Initiative founder the Hon. Jay Snyder, and longtime Seeds of Peace Camp Director Timothy P. Wilson. This special evening, which was hosted by MSNBC's Ali Velshi and featured performances by the Jerusalem Youth Chorus and Anuradha "Juju" Palakurthi, brought people of all backgrounds together, united by the belief that another way is possible. More at seedsofpeace.org/2025spd/ Pious Ali, Bobbie Gottschalk, Anna Tunkel, Robert Bordone, Micah Hendler, Kamal Almashharawi, Richard Dale, Danielle Whyte, Janet Wallach, Sushant Palakurthi Rao, Eva Armour

Congratulations to Seeds of Peace Board Member Bob Bordone and Joel Salinas, whose new book "Conflict Resilience Negotiating Disagreement Without Giving Up or Giving In" just made USA Today's Bestseller list! Bob has been running negotiation and mediation seminars for our alumni around the world for 13 years and was inspired to write the book in part by the Seeds he has met. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e2gSeFGc

Pakistani Seed Rumi reflects on his experiences meeting Indian campers at the Seeds of Peace Camp in Maine last summer. "Sometimes, all it takes is one experience to challenge everything we thought we knew. For me, that experience came in the most unexpected way: at a camp where I found myself questioning everything that I had grown up believing."

Seeds of Peace was thrilled to partner with Cognizant in #Davos this year to host a conversation on human-centric leadership. The need for leadership which can solve problems through dialogue, rather than resorting to violence or division, has never been more clear. Seeds of Peace Board Members Sushant Palakurthi Rao and Anna Tunkel were joined by Rajesh V., Cognizant's India Managing Director and COO, and Dr. Ulrike Schwarz-Runer, Managing Director and General Counsel of Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Dr. Sian Leah Beilock, President of Dartmouth College, also joined the panel. We are excited to build on our ongoing partnership with The John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth in equipping student leaders with new tools to bridge divides and shape new models for dialogue. The interactive discussion in Davos explored the full trajectory of learning to disagree productively—from early teenage years as instilled by Seeds of Peace, to how institutions like Dartmouth are navigating this and developing a student-centered approach to addressing tensions on campus, and through global workplaces like Cognizant and Boston Consulting Group that shape innovative programs to touch not only their workforces, but also the communities in which they operate.

Seeds of Peace creates transformative experiences that offer a glimpse of the world 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦. By facilitating dialogue and building deep connections between youth and educators from the Middle East, South Asia, US, and UK, we are bridging divides, investing in leaders, and transforming schools in the ways communities need now. It’s why 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙗𝙚𝙨 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 “𝟵 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱.”    Your support this #GivingTuesday will help us 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 by bringing more youth together, equipping educators with skills to navigate conflict and polarization in schools across the US and world, scaling critical dialogue programs in Palestine and Israel, and investing in 8,000+ alumni leading change around the globe.   Donate to Seeds of Peace this Giving Tuesday to support the hard and transformative work of bridging divides through dialogue. You’ll be helping create the world 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦.

We are honored to be mentioned by Forbes Magazine alongside the likes of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Carter Center, and Mercy Corps! “Getting involved with and supporting organizations that fight discrimination and promote peaceful dialogue can do more to change the world.”