Seeds of Peace

In 1993, Seeds of Peace founder John Wallach, an award-winning author and journalist, creates Seeds of Peace. He asks Bobbie Gottschalk, a seasoned clinical social worker and program developer, to become its executive director and Tim Wilson, a long-time camp director and educator, to run the International Camp in Maine. That summer, a group of 46 Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian, and American teenagers inaugurate the Camp. The Seeds are then President Clinton's invited guests to the historic signing of the 1993 Oslo Accords between Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat on the White House lawn. Seeds of Peace expands to South Asia with the India-Pakistan Program in 2001. To help its alumni continue their education and leadership training, Seeds of Peace establishes the Education/Scholarship Program. Founder John Wallach passes away in 2002, but is able to see his dream enter its 10th season. The South Asia Program expands to include an Afghan delegation. Palestinian and Israeli Seeds win the Voices of Courage award given by the Women's Commission on Refugee Women and Children. Over 100 Seeds are on scholarships at universities and colleges in North America through the Education Program. The documentary film SEEDS is filmed at Camp with a 2004 release date. In 2012, camp is held for the 20th summer. Sixty Seeds from the Middle East, South Asia, and the United States meet in Ireland to learn about past approaches to international conflicts.