海角大神

This may not seem like a propitious time for peace in the Middle East.

But Seeds of Peace, which has become one of the region鈥檚 most recognized peace-building initiatives since hosting its first summer camp for Israeli and Palestinian teens in 1993, is seeking to expand its reach.

While the organization has yet to witness the spread of peaceful relations and treaties across the Middle East, it sees the maturing graduates of its camp program 鈥� more than 5,000 individuals 鈥� as an important resource to be tapped as it refines its goals. More than half of these graduates are moving into leadership roles in their respective fields.听

The organization now hopes to听empower them to transform a wide variety of sectors in conflict areas 鈥� from women鈥檚 rights to technological innovation.听Such progress, say Seeds of Peace officials, is a crucial prerequisite to any comprehensive, sustainable peace.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not about signing a piece of paper,鈥� says Eva Armour, head of programming for the New York-based organization. 鈥淭he question is, do we have leaders who are working to advance political, economic, and social change in ways that contribute to peace-building?听What鈥檚 brilliant is there鈥檚 actually lots of them."

Attendees at a first-of-its-kind conference in Jordan last month, dubbed GATHER, ranged from Afghan deputy parliamentary speaker Fawzia Koofi to Palestinian computer engineer Hani El-Ser to Israeli activist Lior Finkel-Perl. The primary sponsors were two US-based foundations, Pershing Square and Ashoka.听

The event launched a new stage in the work of Seeds of Peace, bringing together for the first time adult alumni from both the Israeli-Arab conflict and from India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. In addition, it reached out to like-minded folks working for social change; 48 percent of GATHER participants had no prior connection to the organization.

鈥淲e were more like a club before,鈥� says Daniel Noah Moses, director of Seeds of Peace educator programs in the Middle East, South Asia, and the US. 鈥淭he organization sees that 鈥� if we really want to make the change we say we want to make, we have to widen our reach.鈥�

Cynicism after second intifada

The inaugural Seeds of Peace summer camp took place in the state of Maine in 1993. Participants were invited to the White House to witness the signing of the Oslo peace accords that September between Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Seeds of Peace rode that momentum of hope for years. But like myriad other peace-building initiatives that sprung up post-Oslo, they faced a backlash of cynicism when the second intifada broke out in 2000.

One of the first victims of the intifada was 17-year-old Asel Asleh, an Arab citizen of Israel and one of the organization鈥檚 most enthusiastic alumni, who was killed by an Israeli policeman on the sidelines of a protest. He died wearing his Seeds of Peace t-shirt.

鈥淪ome people say, 鈥楲ook at all he was trying to do, and he was still killed, so this is worthless,鈥� 鈥� says Ned Lazarus, Middle East program director from 1996-2004. 鈥淥thers look at what he said and did, what he stood for in his life. He wrote some amazing things for 16-17 years old.鈥�

Among them was in which Asel intoned a Persian poet's words: 鈥淥ut beyond ideas of right-doing and wrong-doing, there is a field. I鈥檒l meet you there.鈥�

This past fall, one of Asel鈥檚 Jewish Israeli bunkmates, Tomer Perry, brought his wife 鈥� pregnant with their first child 鈥� to see camp for the first time. Under the brilliant red foliage, they found the cabin where Asel鈥檚 name was still inscribed over his bed. They chose it as the middle name for their son, who was born last month.

鈥淪eeds of Peace has had a profound influence on my life in a variety of ways, and Asel was part of it,鈥� says Mr. Perry, a PhD candidate in political science at Stanford.

To be sure, for many Seeds the initial enthusiasm of camp fades as they go back to work or their studies. But a University of Chicago study published in the fall found that Seeds who made just one lasting friend at camp retained a more positive view of the 鈥渙ther.鈥�

Arguing with your society

Dr. Lazarus, who researched the long-term impact of Seeds of Peace for his PhD, found that more than 140 graduates 鈥� or about 1 in 5 鈥� were working in various peace-building initiatives as adults, eight to 10 years after their summers at camp and despite living through the intifada, which killed more than 4,300 Israelis and Palestinians.

鈥淒o you want to call that success or not? It鈥檚 up to you,鈥� he says. 鈥淭o take on this identity of someone working for peace is to decide to have arguments with your society every day of your life.听It takes tremendous energy and commitment.鈥�

Indeed, such individuals are in a minority. In Israel, for example, support for a two-state solution hit a record low this fall after the Gaza war, and leftists and peace activists have been marginalized 鈥� but not deterred.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not that I鈥檓 na茂ve.鈥� I encounter the challenges and the risks of working together every day,鈥� says Ms. Finkel-Perl, executive director at the Peace NGO Forum, who attended the Seeds camp in 1996 shortly after Prime Minister Rabin鈥檚 assassination by a right-wing Israeli.

Like the politician she hopes to become, she answers cynics of peace-building with a question of her own.听鈥淲hat is the alternative?鈥�