/Summer2004_2 by Seeds of Peace

Overwhelming but Important

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Agom Rofoeli (Hoifa) My nome is Agom Rofaeli. I om 16 yeors old ond I ottend the Hebrew Reoli School in Hoifo. My school is pretty old - it will celebrote its 90th birthdov this yeqr - ond hos suffered over 250 cosuolties in the present conflict. Hovinq this grove history, my school is known ior its militoristic noturi ond it right-wing policies. One indicotor of this is thot in my closses, we hove o few codets who study in the pre-militory

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Itli'i,.,.......

Seeds

outside on Isroeli school in Katzir

An Isroeli Militory Codet's Perspective Interview with Itqi Martziyano, a military cadet present at a Haifa school presentation

ocodemy. Having this kind of orientotion, my school presentotion hod on odd color. I ond the other five seeds in my grode, Poul Roit, Roni Bologulo, Shohor Mendelovitch

Agom Rqfoeli (Hoifa)

Itai, would you introduce yourself please. My nome is Itoi Mortziyono ond I om 16 yeors old. I live in Mo'olot which is o smoll city in the northern port of the Golilee. Todoy I don't live ot home but spend the week ot the militory acodemy in Hoifo. I study ot the Hebrew Reoli School like oll the other codets ot the ocodemy. As o codet I leorn Isroel's history, both militory ond culturol. Together with the rest of my plotoon I om troined to become port of the future orroy of officers in Isroel's ormy. HeIIo,

ond EIIo Coren, set up o slide show describing comp ond other octivities SOP hos done for us in the region ond intemotionolly.

For obout 45 minutes we spoke to them obout moking friendships, obout crossing un-crossed lines ond understonding things thot were not yet known to us. As o group we spoke obout how we have chonged, whot we hove leorned and the

unique experience SOP hos been for us. Following this long tolk we ollowed the students to osk questions. The reolity my friends ond I live in wos put foce to foce with the reolity the

What was your impression before the presentation at the school? I know o few Arobs who work with my fother. I olwoys knew thot peoce wos o mutuol gool, though now ofter I got to

Arob Isroelis which come to the presentotion live in. Accusotions were mode, explonotions were given ond to me it just seemed Iike o big coexistence session. Topping it off were the people who osked privote questions of the presenters. I think thot onybody present wos overwhelmed o bit but everyone olso took it oll in ond thought it over. I think thot this wos on amazing chonce to poss on the Seeds of Peoce ideo ond it wos o huoe success.

meet some teenogers who think ond speok like me the

obiective seemed

o whole lot

closer thon usuol.

What was the one thing that rattled you during the presentation?

At one point one of the kids in my grode osked one of the Arobs if he thought thot bombings ore o legitimote tool. One of the Polestinion Seeds onswered thot he thinks thot defending one's home is olwoys legitimote. He osked us, the |ewish Isroelis, whot we would hove done if our home wos in peril. I hove been thinking of this ever since. When the presentqtion ended I saw you hugging one of the

Arab Seeds. How did your peer cadets take that? My peer codets couldn't figure out how I, o right-winger, could hug on Arob. I lust told them thot I reolized the conflict wos something thot hovers obove ond thot the personol motter is the importont thing. But this Polestinion Seed wos o person whom I respected for his opinions ond os such he is the some cts ony one of us. Seeds describe

the orgonization's octivities to interested high-schoolers

his post yeor, Seeds of Peqce hos undertqken efforts to re-estoblish its presence in Egypt ond ]ordon. While Egyption ond |ordonion Seeds come to the onnuol comp, they now porticipote in regionol follow-up progroms such os school presentotions ond group seminors.

Presellipg,,,

Seeds

of Peace

Faroh al-Kayed (Ammon) When Center staff member Genny Adel come to |ordon, I wos so excited thot o counselor from comp plonned to come to see us in fordon! And I didn't hesitote obout going. I reod the emoil she sent, went crozy ond conceled oll my plons lust to see her! The first meeting wos inspiring since Genny told us she is coming back ond thot fordonion Seeds ore going to stort some

octivities here. The mojor topic in thot meeting wos the

presentotion we were going to mqke in front of people obout Seeds of Peoce, so the Seeds who were interested offered to toke port in thot presentation. Those interested were myself ond my fellow ]ordanion Seeds: Dono, Mo, Royo, Honi ond Ehqb. We hod severol meetings before the presentotion, ond we plonned whot eoch one wos going to say, ond qwoited the

big doy. Honestly,

I didn't

sleep thot night thinking obout the presentotion. Butterflies in my stomoch kept me up oll night. There were mony questions flooting in my mind but the moin question wos, "Will people be interested in opplying to be compers ot Seeds of Peoce?" I meon, ore we going to be good enough to encouroge them to go? The big doy come, I got dressed ond ron to the Rodisson Hotel, where the presentotion wos, and mode sure that I wos well prepored. When I got there, I noticed thot I wosn't the only one who was nervousl We kept jumping oround until the holi wos totolly full, we sot ond then one ofter qnother storted presentingl At the end I forced my componions to come up ond sing the SOP song for the oudience, ond one member of the oudience, o former Seed, loined usl Words con't describe how hoppy I wos when Genny osked if onybody wouid be interested in opplying for comp ond there were so mony honds up - people who were reolly excited to gol Lote thot night I sot on my bed ond did the usuol thing I do every night - I wrote in my diory. I wrote, "lt is the first time in my life thot I feel I hove done something for the people who gove me hope ond showed me thot the world con be o better plocel" Till todoy, whenever I think of comp, I con't help crying becouse its the only ploce were I felt relieved obout the future ond promised me thot one doy thot peace which is sooring obove, will Iond at lost. Thonk you SOP - for moking the world o better ploce.

fordanian Seeds Aoyo, Royo, Dono, Honi, Mohommod, Foroh, Rowon ond Ehob

Spreoding the Messoge from Cqiro to Alexondriq Mostofa Sollom (Coiro)

Until recently, Egyptian Seeds hoven't hod o mojor role following comp in Moine. But this yeor thot hos chonged. Now, the Egyption delegotion is beginning to contribute something bock to Seeds of Peoce. This yeor, there were presentotions for the very first time to internotionol schools in Coiro ond Alexondrio, to future Seeds of Peoce compers. I took port in two of these: One ot The Modern English School (MES) ond the American School in Alexondrio (ASA). The one thqt tool place ot MES wos the most vital one, since it wos the first of its kind in Egypt. And believe me when I soy this, it isn't eosy talking to people obout the value of peoce in times when wor is stirring. Teochers told us thot there were numerous students who wonted to go to this comp of omity ond toleronce. We storted by telling the future compers obout the doily routines of comp ond whot to expect when they get there. They were cl tod shy obout osking questions ot first but then ofter heoring personal occounts from fellow Seeds Sherien ond Sherief, who hod occomponied me, they storted osking whot it felt like sitting with the "enemy" ond the experiences

thot we Seeds hod gone through. Seeing how the future compers were thonkful for our presentotion, I wouldn't mind

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doing o hundred more. v

Impressive Activities for o New Stort Royo al-Halowoni (Ammon) I porticipoted in the presentotions thot took ploce in Ammon in February ond April ond they were quite good. When I signed up for toking port in this presentation, I wos o bit nervous but ot the some time hoppy ond proud. I wos going to present in the nome of the organizotion which positively chonged my woy of seeing others' perspective, os well as improved my coexistence ond Iistenino skills. ni'i'--3..':ii-:.li:";",'..:ir;i.',ia

These activities, helped us, the Seeds... unite and discuss the future of Seeds of Peace in Amman !r;:i,;ir:tii.:::iji;,,:,-

The presentotion wos pretty impressive. As we included oil the topics concerning the comp, we focused on the coexistence sessions in oddition to the vorious octivities we used to do. I felt as if I wos there; I remembered everything. This wos

amazing, especiolly becouse I hoven't porticipoted in ony coexistence octivities since comp, becouse I hod to come here to Jordon with my fomily, from my former home in |erusolem. Despite the unstoble situotion going on in the oreo, the

ottendonce wos good during our first presentotion. Two doys ofter the presentation we went to the Deod Seo. It wos extremely exhilaroting - we ployed ond swom for the whole doy. It wos exciting and the weother wos superb. It wos reolly greot to do some octivities here in ]ordon, and Overlooking the Deod

Seo

A few doys loter I wos on o troin heoding for Alexondrio, Iocoted 300 km to the north of Cqiro. With me were Seeds Hotim, Yossin, Rogia ond of course, |erusolem's finest, fored and Genny. Upon our orrivol we were surprised to know thot the school's medio closs wonted to interview us before we

I hope they will increose. These octivities helped us, the Seeds, to meet ond unite to discuss some different issues concerning the octivities in fordon ond the Arob Seeds, ond the future of Seeds of Peoce in Ammon.

presented our tolk. They were extremely moved by our experiences with the "enemy" ond osked us numerous questions,

like if we think thot peoce is reoily possible ond whqt wos comp oll obout. After we were done with our interviewers, we went to tolk obout comp to the students who showed up. It wos on experience thot one hos to see for himself in order to understond its sotisfqction. Generolly, the two presentotions were on overall success ond hopefully there will be more to follow. It is good to know that now Egyptions Seeds will ploy q vitol role - in their country ond the Middle Eost - not only ot comp, but throughout the yeclr.

Usomo Solamo ond fordonion Seeds reloxinq qt the Morriott Dead Seq

resort

L-/ uring the first hqlf of 2004, Afghon Seeds hqve porticipoted in progroms thot hove brought them together to discuss their post, present and future. Seeds tought ond leorned, ond shored their memories ond their hopes for o peaceful Afghoniston.

Dreom

Reolizing the ? Ahmqd "Hemmot" Shah (Kobul) i

I qm thonkful for whot Seeds of Peoce hos given me. Being in wor, growing in wor, Ieorning from war, being owoy from peoce ond ot lost becoming hopeless ond

disoppointed of peoce - these qre not

stronge ond new things for Afghon teenogers. All Afghon teens hove grown up not only in wor, but through severol kinds of disosters ond difficulties like illiterocy, poverty, indigence ond humiliotion. Lots of Afghon teenogers ore still disoppointed obout their future ond their country, ond they need to chonge, but we, Afghon Seeds, ore lucky

with friends, troubleshoot ond overcome problems in my fomily, closs ond society; now I om hopeful obout my future, my country ond peoce in the world. I hove strongly decided to give these feelings ond ideas to every Afghon teen. I do not feel alone or weqk. I know we can do much, but we hove to work hqrd ond we

will show the results of this work to the people of the world. Before the collopse of the Toliban regime in my country, I thought thot the fight ogoinst wor ond

Mir Akhgor (Kobul) Holding SOP workshops in Kobul wos cl new experience for us Afghon Seeds. AII of us Seeds worked very hord for two doys in Kobul with Seeds of Peoce stoff members |en, Morieke, Dovid ond Noor.

The points we covered during the workshop were coexistence, behoving ond communicoting monners. It wos especiolly useful for me, ond o fun port

terror wos impossible; but now I om sure thot WAR ond TERROR hove no more life in the world. We hove to redirect humon possions from negotive gools toword SOP gools: to creote peoce ond brotherhood

qnd different; we hove the chance to

omong the nations of the world. fhe

with teens from more than 22 countries and now we con decide whot to do. At the Seeds of Peoce comp in 2003, we hod more experience to overcome such kinds of

recent Loyo |erga (greot council ossembly)

discuss these types of problems

Building Leodephin Stittg

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ond elections ore moking the people of Afghoniston hopeful obout peoce ond

democrory in their country. I wish oll the dreoms of the people in my country come true. These developments moke me

optimistic obout peoce in Afghoniston. I believe in the power of peoce ond

tI fI

Meditoting before o long doy's work

unity in the world.

Doing my

J-O-B

Khobir Sollqh (Ghozni) I hove done very greot things to promote Seeds of Peoce in Afghoniston. I went

hvice to my hometown, o villoge which is in Ghozni province of Afghoniston ond

for from Kobul. I've shored Mir, Noiia ond Shobnam ot work

problems, ond I feel luckier thqn other Afghon teens, hoving hod the chqnce to think not only of wor, but of peoce ond how to creote it. I feel I om occountqble for helping other teenogers. Seeds of Peoce wos the world of my dreoms, qnd it is the only shoulder for wor-rovoged countries to cry on. I believe in Seeds of Peoce ond oppreciote whot it hos provided me with: HOPE. After ottending the SOP internotionol comp, I wos oble to discuss importont issues

experiences ond ideos with illiterote people of this villoge. They come to ogree with me ond gove me very nice support with lots of love. They told me thot they were proud of me ond thqt I am the future

of our country, ond that mode me so hoppy. Recently, I held o four-hour workshop with students of my villoge ond brought together six clossmotes of mine who know o lot obout SOP - together we prepored o workshop for 150 students of our school. I will continue my work in

Kobul ond qlso in the provinces ond villoqes of Afqhoniston.

of it wos obout commerciols. We were told to create o commerciol to "odvertise" peoce. In our group, we thought up o commerciol, in which we expressed peoce and justice: when there is justice in o society there will be peoce os well. Following the commerciols we discussed the problems of our country such os why we hod o wor for o long time ond why we didn't hove potience with eoch other ond why we couldn't think up solutions for all of these problems. This workshop helped me to find solutions very eosily,

becouse

I leorned to understond the

origins of problems in our society. I used to only understond the problems but I didn't know from where these problems emonoted; but one workshop helped me

to understand the sources of our problems too.

During the second workshop, we wrote

obout o mentol or physicol scor thot

offected us. For most of the Seeds, it wos the first time thot we wrote something from bod memories from our lives, but it wos o good experience to do so. Some of us wrote very powerfully, ond I leorned obout the bod experiences of my fellow Seeds ond I reolized thot there is nobody in Afghonistan who wos soved from the

irl

torture of the long wor in my country. The next day focused on photogrophy. Three visitors ron o digitol photogrophy workshop; they were photogrophers who told us how to use o digitol comero for toking pictures. In groups contoining five seeds, hvo stoff members ond one comero,

we went to different domoged sites in Kobul. My group wos lucky. We went to Doru-ul-Amon, which I hodn't been before. We spent the day toking very nice pictures ond seeing once more the morks of 25 yeors of wor. The beneflt for me wos to see o ploce I hod been interested in seeing but hodn't before. This workshop wos monoged by us, the Seeds, but supeMsed by the stoff. It helped oll of us Ieorn how to stort o workshop ond how to monge it. For me, it gove me

o better sense of how to implement my hooes for the future.

Haseeb, Wohid,

Motiulloh, Abido ond Sopno

debate solutions

A Scqr in My Life Pornian Nozory (Kabul) During a workshop exercise, Pamian wrote

the following about her struggles in Afghanistan

1992, Afghonistan wos token by the

Mojohedeen. After the tokeover, some unknown people come to our neighbor's house ond they jumped obove the wqll

Pqrnian discusses obstocles to peoce and how to overcome them

cor. Fortunotely, my cousin wos in our house ond sow them. My cousin mode noise. My fother went out ond he chosed

owoy the thieves. When the other neighbors informed the Mojohedeen, the thieves were orrested but qfter seven doys they were freed from joil. They come to our house ogoin. MY fother wosn't home ond they soid, "We'll toke revenge." We were reolly scored. Our neighbors helped us. They stoyed owoke

with my fother for three nights on the

in Peshowor ond becouse of the worm weather, my brothers hod pimples on their foces, necks ond bodies. My mother took them to the doctor, but when they returned, their cor wos in on occident ond fell down into o dry river. My mother's spinol column wos broken, so she couldn't wolk or stond. My older brother wos four yeors old and suffered from o bod shock. He couldn't remember or soy onything. The occident coused o lot of problems. It wos o bad scor in my iife ond my fomily's

roof. Finolly, my father decided to leove Afghoniston so he obtoined Russion

life. I'll never forget it. The doy of my

possports for the fomily. Our flight wos

with the good news thot we were going

through Pokiston, but unfortunotely thieves stole the bike in which our

to Conodo. My mother wasn't home when he got there. We told him the story ond

possports were, os well as my mother's precious jewelry ond oll our money, too. fust $200 wos left in o suitcose thot my fother brought from Germony mony yeors o90. When we orrived in Pokiston, mY mother's cousin wos there. He took us to o friend's house, then we found o house

we oll cried. The thing I won't forget is my fother's teors coming from his eyes. My fother hod never cried before ond it wos the first time in my life I hod seen him do so. I knew how hord my mother's occident was on him. After thot, our flight from Pokiston to Conodo wos concelled ond we were in Pqkiston for four yeors.

for rent in Hoyot Abod. Life wos reolly difficult becouse ofter hoving o very comfortoble life in Afghonistan we foced

My sisters went to universitY in Afghoniston ond we returned there in 1996, after my grondmother's deoth.

moteriol ond intellectuol issues. Howevel my father went bock to Afghoniston and he brought money. There were no iobs

After hoving obout seven or eight months

ovoiloble for Afghans so he begon o corpet shop.

After two or three months, we hod responses to our request for going obrood. One wos in Austrolio where my fother's

best friend wos ond the other from Conoda, where my qunt wos. We were

mother's occident, my fother cqme home

of o good life in Afghoniston, troubles come to us ogoin. The Tolibon entered. They closed schools for girls ond hod very bod lows. The closing of the schools wos

like onother scor on my heort. I loved school ond studying. Five yeors of the Tolibon wqs o block mork on the history

of Afghoniston, just as it wos on mY fother's heort.

\./

n April 30, Greek Cypriot voters reiected the United Notions-sponsored plon by Secretory-Generol Kofi Annon to unite their islond. Seeds from both the north qnd south of the islond reoct to the decision thot keeps their islqnd divided; they hope for a doy when they cqn eosily visit friends on both sides of the islqnd. We Donlt Seem

to Core Anymore

Notalio Kouhqrtsiouk (Geroskipou) A fomous Greek poet once wrote:

some people in this younger generotion ore no better thot the ones 30 yeors ogo. They still corry those ideqs thot ruined us before. I wos ond still om disoppointed.

Generol Kofi Annon; ond referenda were held in the north ond south of the islond

to occept it ond Cyprus entered the Europeon Union. Hod everything gone occording to Mr. Annon's plon - thot is, hod both referendo been positive - the Republic of Cyprus,

day

Now thot everything is over I om trying

when they have to say that important 'Yes' or that important'No'. Then you can see clearly

to understond their woy of thinking. I could only give one explonotion: some of us do not core ony more. I feel unoble

now controlled entirely by Greek Cypriots

who had the word 'Yes' inside him, and once he speaks that word he takes the road to honor and self-assuredness. The one who says 'No' never regrets it.

to do onything for my country. For the first time, I come foce to foce with whot people wont on this islond. As I see it,

ofter the withdrowol of Turkish Cypriots in 1963, would turn into the Federol United Republic of Cyprus with Greek

the Greek Cypriot side refused to open o door for us, for the future. I om oshomed thot I even heord Greek Cypriots soy, "They should stoy on thot side qnd we should stay on our side, it's thot simplel"

ond Turkish Cypriot constituent stotes. enter the EU in this form, ollowing for all Cypriots to be united ond to prosper in the union. Becouse of the negotive result in the Greek Cypriot referendum, only the

"For some people there comes

If he was asked once more, he would still say'No'. Yet that'No' - that'right'- knocks him down for the rest of his life." (1901)

A greot port of the Greek Cypriots did

soy "no" to the Annon Plon. And I suppose if they were osked once more, they would still soy "no," ogoin ond ogoin ond ogoin. I do not Iike the foct thot we

soid no ond the Turkish Cypriots soid Thot shows the real, ugly foce people hide. I feel os if I hove been living in o ploce where people do nothing but lie! I don't understond why for 30 years we hove been osking for a solution, for on open door to go home; now, finolly, there is someone who cores enough to point out o woy to moke it hoppen, ond we just turn our bocks ond wolk owoy. yes.

People insuited me ond colled me o

troitor for soying yes to the Annon plon. I sow friendships being ruined becouse of

or "l don't wont them on our londl" I think thot o simple word hos given us o one-woy ticket. I connot see ony reoson why onyone would wont to help us find

onother solution to our problem. I just hope thot when we woke up ond see whot we hove done to our country it won't be too lote.

The Annon Plon Exploined Loizos Kapsolis (Nicosio) April 2004 wos probobly the most important month in the history of Cyprus in the lost 30 yeors. The four-porty tolks finished in Switzerlond; o proposol for o comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem wos drofted by UN Secretory-

different opinions ond teochers encouraging students to soy no. My school looks like o hooligon's place.

recognized Republic ofCyprus hos entered

the Europeon Union, while the north remoins o community only recognized os o country by Turkey. The results ofthe referendo were o porodox. The Greek Cypriot side, so for known to be the one octively pursuing o solution, responded negotively, while the Turkish Cypriot side, considered to hove been the reoson behind the collopse of previous ottempts, responded positively. The results were not, however, unexpected. The positive vote of the north reflects

the will of Turkish Cypriots for reunificotion ond entry into the

hos been refiected in

EU. This

mossive demonstrotions (more thon 80,000

(

porticiponts) during the lost two yeors, ond the chonge of leodership lost yeor.

The negotive vote of the Greek Cypriots

is more complicoted to exploin.

Everyr,vhere you turned there wos o cor

ond o house with o lobel on: YES, NO, NO. I refuse to believe thot even holf of those who morched in the streets yelling reolly knew whot the Annon plon wos obout. As I watched students blocking the moin roods ond writing with sproy point on the wolls, I reolized thot

It would

YES,

There were o good number of reosons

(

to vote "yes." These included on end to the Cyprus problem; the return to their homes for o lorge number of refugees; the decreose in the number of Turkish soldiers ond settlers; ond the obility for

(

Cypriots to control their country together Turkish Cypriots morch in o demonstrotion colling for reunificotion

in on

EU promising prosperity ond

development. There wos, however o

different perspective: thot the number of refugees returning ond the number of soldiers ond settlers leoving wos very small ond the time periods long; thot the presence of the Turkish ormy would creote

o feeling of insecurity; ond thot the change in the woy the government operotes would bring politicol ond

the Greek Cypriots. They soid "NO" ond Turkish Cypriots soid "YES." And now the Iqst word will come from the Europeon Union Porlioment. They hove decided to odmit o divided, not united Cyprus into

I I

j j I

i I

the EU. I om so sorry. Cyprus is my

motherlond. I om not occepting this twostote ideo.

economic instobility - just one week before occession.

A Struggle to Stoy in Touch

Greek Cypriots soy thot the occession gives them the obility to negotiote o better

Aylin Yardimci (Ankoro)

plon. They ore hoving o hord time

Perhops this is nothing new to most of

convincing the Turkish Cypriots ond their EU counterports thot their "no" wos not o "no" to o solution - but to this porticulor solution. Turkish Cypriots seem very disoppointed ond most believe thot Greek Cypriots hove betroyed them. The emborgoes imposed by the EU on the community hove been portiolly lifted os o reword for the positive ottitude of the north ondthis gives them the opporfunity to improve their shottered economy. But the question posed now is: Whot will hoppen in the future? We ore effectively bock to where we were before this round

you, ond perhops I om just being too

of discussions stqrted. It is impossible thot

this wos the lost chonce for o solution, os some worned before the referendo.

is, however, obvious thot o lot of work needs to be done both on o politicol ond personol level to reverse the negotive

stonce in the south ond the

disoppointment in the north. In this, Cypriot Seeds hove o soy. It is time thot we roll up our sleeves ond octively seek o solution to the problem.

Unknown Futurg of Cyprus Resot Sobon (Guzeylkurt) A few yeors ogo, I wos chosen to be o

comper for Seeds of Peoce Comp, representing the Turkish Cypriot delegotion. My politicol interest in Cyprus storted with this event. Before the como

I hod met with

Greek Cypriots, but I hodn't tqlked with them about politics.

After o wonderful two weeks ot the of Peoce camp, with o lot of hopes in our heorts, we returned to Cyprus. When I got home I hodn't thought thot Seeds

Cypriot Seeds in front of one of mony

checkpoints dividing their islond

if I hod the chonce I would be oble to see my friends ogoin. But soon ofterword we formed o Yohoo Group to contoct eoch other obout meetings ond octivities in Cyprus. Neorly one yeor loter we met in Pyla, which is the only villoge where Turkish Cypriots ond Greek Cypriots ore living together. Over o period of o yeor, we met obout every two weeks. It become o routine. Two Sundoys o month we met in Pyla ond hqd fun. We orgonized a lot of octivities together with my Greek Cypriot friends. We joined o bi-communol folk donce group. We met for Christmos ond birthdoys. When we were orgonising these kinds of octivities, the Greek

Clpriot

politicol porty AKEL ond the United Stotes Agency for Internotionol Development (USAID) supported us. I thought thot AKEL wos the unique porty in the South thot supported reunificotion of Cyprus, like the CTP (o Turkish Cypriot politicol porfy) in the North. It wos reolly unbelievoble to me when I heord the AKEL decision to soy NO to the referendum on reunificotion. When I met with my friends in Pylo we alwoys sow thot there were representotives from the AKEL porty. And I thought AKEL wos o peoce supporter in Cyprus. But we reolly don't know whot the future will bring us. The question is in my mind right now is, "What mokes AKEL do this?" Is it the USA

ond EU, or the inside politics of Greek Cypriots? I think ofter the referendum we missed

emotionol, but the three doys thot I spent

in Cyprus o few months ogo mode me comprehend how distressing it con be to

reolize thot sometimes even our

friendships hove to be monipuloted by our governments. Before my trip, I wos indescribobly excited obout the idea of visiting Nicosio, ond seeing oll of my friends ogoin. It wos greot to know thot we were going to hove fun, but it wos heortbreoking to know thot this fun would hove to be limited becouse of boundories. Becouse I om o Turk, I wos not ollowed to poss to the southern side, we oll hod to spend time

in the north. No motter how much

wonted to see the oreo where my Greek Cypriot friends lived, I wos not ollowed to. It wos not even possible for me to coll them by dioling their country code +357.

Thot probobly must hove been the ultimote stoge of futility, I thought. It wos then thot I reqlized thot our countries were in foct monipuloting our friendships ond limiting our woys of communicoting. As we tried hord to see eoch other, our governments olso tried hord to seporote us by setting vorious regulotions. The ones who were supposed to be moking peoce were trying to stop

the ones who were willing to do so. This experience is whot mode me remember once more that we oll hove o

chollenging mission to occomplish. Despite oll kinds of obstocles thot we moy be foced with, I still believe thot the purity of our intentions ond feelings hove more power thon ony mon-mode borriers

or stubborn oovernments.

ITn the woke of the violence thot wrocked Kosovo in Mqrch of 2004, Bolkons still mointoin hope for their region. Their Moy workshop in2004 in Ohrid, Mocedonio, showed iust thot: it brought Seeds of every ethnicity from Kosovo, Albqnio ond Mocedonio. Seeds

trs

There Still Hope For

Mitrovico, I stored out the windows to ? to his, or he tolked with the Albonions who were torching the homes ond see if something wos hoppening. I colled

Us?

elena Trojkovic (Kosovo)

Morch 17: Demonstrotions in Mitrovico storted ofter Albonion TV showed thot three boys died becouse of the Serbs. A couple of weeks loter, KFOR (the NATO force in Kosovo) representotives qt the

press conference soid thot upon investigotion, Serbs were not guilty for these deoths. But thot wos the reoson why Albonions storted demonstroting in oll Kosovo towns. After q couple of hours it coused a lot of violence oll over the Kosovo.

In Mitrovico, o town divided between Serbs ond Albonions, Albonions wonted to poss the bridge thot seporotes the two sides of town. During these events, two Serbs were killed qnd mony of them were

wounded.

I wos ot the university

Mitrovico when I heord gunshots. There were colls on the rodio for people to come ond give blood in hospitols becouse there

were mony wounded people. After five yeors of trying to reoch out, Serbs were

my porents every five minutes ond every time they told me thot somebody's house

in my

neighborhood was on fire. The next two doys were o worse

nightmore. On Morch 18, my sisters went to my uncle's house in o Serbion villoge neqr Kosovo colled Polje. On Fridoy, Mqrch 79, my porents hod to Ieqve our house. Albonion neighbors come ond told them thot they could not sove them. When they left, they sow o huge group of Albonions burning Serbion houses on my street. They thought thot it wos the lost time they wouid see their home. When I heord oll of thot, I storted to cry. When somebody just mentioned the word

"home" ond their fomilies, my honds started to tremble. During the violence, mony people left

their homes ond lost everything they hod. Following the two doys of violence, my Albonion neighbor colled my porents ond told them thot our house wos not burned; our house wos either too close

o torget for Albonions who wonted to undertoke ethnic cleonsing in Kosovo.

I I I I I I I

convinced them not to touch our house.

We still don't know. During qll this I osked myself if there is hope for o better future. But everydoy somebody from the Seeds of Peoce office

colled me ond I knew thot I hod friends oll oround the world who octuolly cored. I wos owoy from my porents, but I wosn't olone. Seeds ofPeoce supported me. Yesthere is hope for o better future here in Kosovo. I just hope thot these events won't hoppen ogoin.

to be e\,

e: th be

frr

The New Beginning Gent Sqlihu (Pristina) Riots spreod oll oround the country over two trogic doys in Kosovo, Morch 17 and 18. While the riots developed throughout Kosovo I wos in school. Those fivo doys mode me think of terrible yeors post, full of stress ond hohed. Following the murder

of three Albonion children, over 2,000 NATO reinforcements were deploved to support the existing 18,500 KFOR (the NATO-led force)

gâ‚Ź se

fif

trr

troops ond 10,000 United

colled my porents in

Notions personnel ond locol

Kosovo to check how the

police in Kosovo to mointqin

situotion wos there. They told

stobility.

me thot Albonions in big

During these two doys in

groups storted burning Serbion houses ond

March, 18 Kosovor citizens were killed. Hundreds of others were iniured or

importont buildings. They olso burned churches,

wounded. Peoce, which hod seemed neorly o reolity over

hospitols, o post office ond my school. I wos so scored, so

the post five yeors, shottered

in the moments when the riots storted to spreod. It is difficult to ochieve ogoin

for owoy

from my fomily who wos holed up in their house. The hordest thing for me wos when my mother cqlled me; she told me thot the most importont thing wos thot I wos OK. Thot night I wos in

whot wos "built" during five yeors ofter the wor. All thot hod been ochieved collopsed in just two doys. A Kosovor boy honds flowen to KFOR Soldien

slr

Ib p(

M m

The demonstrotions thot hoppened in Kosovq were not without reoson. The

NATO/KFOR come to spreod peoce in Kosovo ond throughout the Bolkons.

unemployment is increosing, the country

Children were giving flowers to KFOR soldiers. They were groteful for the

economy is underdeveloped,

has old ond improcticol lows ond highwoys clre commonly blockoded. But with the killing of these children, riots

broke out ond were followed with destroying ond burning houses ond religious buildings by o group of hooligons who don't volue the future of my country. Mony people in my country soy, "Better to be a dog in Sweden thon o humon being in Kosovo." The first impression for everyone who comes to Kosovo would be exoctly this one. When you see the streets,

there is poverty everywhere: children work in the streets, crying ond ignored, beggors look for help and people suffer from the pollution. People live for "todoy"

ond woit for o better "tomorrow." Kosovor ond internotionol medio ore never focused on the day-to-doy problems

thot people foce in the

Bolkons. Throughout those ethnic closhes in Morch, Kosova continued struggling to get on its feet, trying to meet stondords set by the internotionol community for the future of our country. These disconcerting happenings thot occurred were just six days before the fifth anniversory ofthe entronce ofNATO troops. After the situotion become colmel

thousqnds of people gathered in Prishtino to

politeness of Kosovar citizens. There is olwoys hope for Kosovors ond this shows when we see billboords written during 24 March: "Doys of hope - The new beginning,"

,Vq1e91{in9

uivglitr

it. Another greot ospect of the town religion. When you

the mosque ond the church neor eoch other the religious tolerance is obvious. During the workshop, the group leoders, Chris, Sonio, Andy ond Scott, helped us a lot. Their effective ond successful activities influenced our minds for good ond mqde us reflect. Although hesitont ond shy, overthe course ofthe workshop see

we begon to express ourselves. We storted

to tell something obout our post, our

Arlind Mucaku (Tirona)

experiences. We tolked obout the violence

It's difficult to occurotely describe the

workshop orgonized in Ohrid,

Mocedonio. Everyone who wos port of the workshop should be proud of himself.

The workshop wcls speciol in every respect. Two dozen youth, of every ethnicity from Kosovo, Mocedonio ond Albonio come, which wos o first in mony yeors of Seeds of Peoce octivities here. Storting with the locotion: Ohrid is o town locoted in the heort of the Bolkons. We oll hod the chonce to visit and to hove o smoll tour. Everyone wos foscinoted. The town is old ond modern

at the some time. The noture is fully protected, the loke is striking ond the architecture tells more thon everything obout the history of Ohrid. The Ohrid costle is enormous ond from it one hos on owesome view of the whole town. It stoyed in my mind ond I'll never forget

Kosovo

in Morch.

We storted to

understond eoch other. We storted to be more tolerant ond to respect some convenofion rules. We all developed greot communicotion skills. We mode plons

on how to continue meeting in the Bolkons ond how to tqke more responsibility in plonning events ond octivities. The best port of the workshop wos introducing our countries ond notions, olthough it included o lot of debote ond observotions. This session contoined greot culturol diversity. We leorned o lot obout

symbols, religion, Iifestyles, culture, troditions, history, longuoge ond finolly, the future of our countries. The lost doy

we hod enough free time to choose different octivities to do. Some of us tolked

about Seeds of Peoce ond its role in our Iives ond future. Some of us wotched a

fontostic film obout

Kosovo ond the ethnic groups living there ond

commemorote the doythe oir strikes storted. During

how cooperation between

the riots teochers kept us inside our schools for feor that something bod would hoppen to us, but o week

them hod begun.

loter, we, together with

shored emoil oddresses,

The workshop wos too short ond the end orrived very quickly. Everyone

phone numbers ond

our teochers, held support slogons in our honds ond wolked toword KFOR soldiers.

different woys to keep in touch. We returned to our communities. As I think bock, I reolized we plonted

Kosovor President

the seeds of peoce ond love ond ore now better quolified qmbossodors

Ibrohim Rugovo colled for

people to remember Morch 24 os "one of the most importont dotes of Kosovo's history." People

remembered when

iffi,lffi.lll1i$W:.

i$W

Porticipants explore ethnic ond notionol identity througli an imoge theotre octivity

who con connect our countries.

ffi

ffi...nt

Indo-Pqkistoni politicol diologue, olong with some amozingcricket motches, hos given Indions ond Pokistqnis hope for peoce. Seeds in the region continue to realize this hope, ond hold leodership workshops, enioy cricket ond

onolyze the medio thqt negqtively portroys their neighbors.

F:*:e*li:ag {**p*r*9i*:t

n-*.i:*r*

Andrew fohn (Lohore) To revive the comp

spirit ofter returning

to our homelonds, ond to properly do our f-O-B, Seeds of Peoce orronged mony post-comp follow-up progroms in Indio

ond Pokiston. This April, we held o workshop with Seeds stoffmembers Andy ond Sonio, o morvelous event where we spent two ond o holf doys leorning. We Ieorned o voriety of skills thot would help us corry out our mission more effectively. The porticiponts orranged o sort of o "mini-workshop" themselves, without the

qid of the focilitotors, to give the other Seeds o

toste of whot we hod been doing.

During the workshop, we were taught obout communicotion through body Ionguoge ond eye contoct, ond through o series of effective coordinotion exercises we were oble to get our messoge ocross to our portners without speoking. Then, we hod other similor exercises where we

hod to oct 0s o group to

promote

The workshop on the whole wos o reolly fontostic and memoroble experience for qll of us. The hord work ond efforts of Andy ond Sonjo ore commendoble. The

best port of this workshop wos thot everyone felt comfortoble with everyone else

ond every Seed porticipoted. Everyone

porticipated; no one felt reserved. The workshop wos reolly o greot leorning experience for oll of us. {<ar::p Aw*-1'

}r*:a

{*:za;=

Shonoor Seervoi (Mumboi) "Korjot is omazing. You'll hove

os I sot on the troin to Koriot, o smoll town opproximately three hours owoy from our city of Bomboy. Eleven of us were obout to porticipote in o Seeds of Peoce leodership seminor.

I expected to enjoy myself, but nothing prepored me for whot I wos obout to Ieom. We begon the workshop by shoring stories of our own experiences of comp

Pakistoni Seeds porticipoting in Get-To-Know-

teomwork, confidence building ond understonding. We were also tought how to be o leoder ond o follower ot the same time ond olso how importont it is to be o good listener os well os o good speoker. We olso onolyzed how different imoges

moy depict different messoges ond be interpreted differently by different people.

originolity in interoctive, humorous sessions. We divided into two groups to plon our own presentotions orworkshops, which we could use in our own schools ond colleges. My group prepored o workshop bosed on preiudice. We were

unsure of whether we should bring up the topic of the Indo-Pokistoni conflict with o group of students whose opinions we hod never heord before. We decided

to use octivities thot involved teqmwork

to help fomiiiqrize our oudience with eoch other, but we worried thot they might not wqnt to shore their inborn

prejudices with others. Then we plonned to proceed to o discussion obout the deep roots of prejudices, which hove been

ingroined in our society for years.

frustrotion, wormth ond understonding. In one of many octivities, we got o glimpse of being o leoder when we led onother person oround o room, guiding him by plocing our polm o few inches owoy from his fqce. It wos the duty of the leoder to toke his follower on o sofe but exciting journey within the four wqlls of the room. It wos chollenging to toke responsibility for just one individuol; but it wos correspondingly difficult to blindly obey onother. A leoder is not chosen to generote feor ond obuse power. He is powerful becouse of the implicit trust he receives. To use this trust to horm ond stifle his followers is not leqdership; it is tyronny. As Seeds, we oll hove the opportunity to be leoders. We have been through on experience thot millions of other people branded os 'impossible' -

That weekend I felt rejuvenoted, ond realized thot people would listen to whot I hod to soy if I soid it well enough. In

- funny stories ond memories

You octivities

much fun there, it is unbelievoble." These words of o fellow Seed echoed in my mind

ond it is up to us to chonge 'impossible' into reolity. We con use our experience to guide people oway from hotred ond toword the beginnings of occeptonce. But how could we chonge people's minds without moking them feel os if we ore preoching? We discussed vorious toctics we could use to spreod the messoge of peace with

those two doys we oll goined even more confidence to spread o messoge thot we believe in: the messoge of universal peoce ond brotherhood. It wos only o weekend

oway from the harsh bustle of the city but those two doys felt like comp owoy from comp.

il$ek*â‚Ź; Tk*

T*s?

*{ il*eE:sq1:?{*

foneen Modon (Mumboi) Eorly this yeor, the Indion Prime Minister ond the Pokistoni President sot ocross o toble ot the SAARC (South Asion

Associotion for Regionol Cooperotion) summit held in Pokiston ond discussed some of the issues thot divide our two

? ond witness the greot otmosphere thot I

pervoded the cricket stodiums during these speciol mqtches!

Eiatk hâ‚Ź+gi* *f **3igi.u;sg Siddqrth Shoh (Mumboi)

?E:*

Ever since the grond sogo of movies begon in Indio in the 1920's, movies hove

been depicting the true vitolity ond compossionote volues of the Indion trodition. However, over the lost seven to eight yeors mony of these movies hove ocquired 0 new dimension - on ontiPokistoni one.

In the movie Border, some soldiers brutolly shoot o few tribesmen upon leorning thot they ore Pokistoni ond on Indion

Seeds

the Indion side of the Line of Control

building trust between themselves

(LoC). In onother movie calledAgnipankh, some of the Indion POW's ore shown undergoing severe horossment in enemy territory; before they finolly run owoy

notions. The two leaders hove ogreed to o thot they were ostonished ot the Pokistoni discuss ties thot bind - such os trode, hospitolity. Indions were presented with trovel ond culturol exchonge - ond moke bouquets of flowers ond speciol these o kind of protective cocoon from orrongements were mode for them to where delicote issues such os Koshmir trovel into the city. Everyone wos filied con be resolved. with hope for the improvement in Of course these tolk between our leoden relotions between the people of our two ore of the utmost importonce to the countries. ongoing peoce process. However, there The cricket motches begon with millions is something more importont thot hos of people drown to their rodio sets ond occurred. In Morch, the Indion cricket television screens. I hod my exoms going I

they ore shot of the LoC. There ore severol

teom went on ctn exclusive tour of

other exomples of such demeoning movies like IOC - Kargil, Deewar and others. By showing Indion soldiers being killed by their Pokistoni counterports ond then showing the "hero" killing hordes of the enemy soldiers, such films hove chonged

the mindset of the peopie, especiolly those

on qt thot time, but my friends ond I

who ore illiterote ond more susceptible.

Pokiston. Indions flocked to buy qir ond

couldn't heip but close our books ond sit

troin tickets to oll the motches there.

Such films tend to creote o sense of enmity

with our eyes glued to the television

As mony os 1500 Indion cricket fons crossed the border to wotch the motches

screens. Business men stoyed home from

ond hotred ogoinst the Pokistoni people. (A survey conducted by the 2003 Indion

Lohore. The Indions who visited

Pokiston were overwhelmed by the worm welcome they received. Indion celebrities who were interviewed on television soid

work, children sot in their clossrooms woiting onxiously to know the score ond

Seeds

fomilies on the streets crowded oround o single radio set. Every motch wos ployed with o tremendous competitive spirit ond hod us oll sitting ot the edge of our seots

the two countries hos become hopeful

optly proves thot.) Now, however, the otmosphere between

ond peoceful. Peoce con be occomplished

only if the people of both countries themselves root out the feelings of hotred,

owoiting the resuit of the noil-biting

but these movies ore preventing this from hoppening. Cinemo is o preacher ond o teocher. It

finish. For once it seemed like we didn't need politicions ond government officiols to bring hope to our people: they hod discovered the possibility of peoce ond friendship themselves. These cricket matches hqve kindled close relotions between two "enemy" notions of o cruciol i

Pokistoni cricket fons cheer teom ogoinst Indio

j I

is poinful to note thot now the film

i I I I I I

time of the peoce process. As o greot

cricket fon myself the only regret I hove is thot I wos unoble to trovel to Pokiston

I I I

industry hos become o money-moking foctory. Film producers poy very little or no ottention to the ethicol side of the picture. Cinemo can work mirocles if both the producers ond government

embork upon producing films thot present morol ond ortistic ideols.