SEEDS OF PEACE INC

MULTINATIONAL IN 2022, GATHER FOCUSED ON BUILDING LOCAL HUBS IN EAST JERUSALEM, RAMALLAH, AND TEL AVIV TO FOSTER COLLECTIVE ACTION AND INCREASE ITS IMPACT IN PALESTINE AND ISRAEL. IN EAST JERUSALEM, WE PARTNERED WITH SINSILA, A PALESTINIAN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO EDUCATING, INSPIRING, AND EMPOWERING LOCAL COMMUNITIES. IN JULY, WE RAN A MONTH-LONG PROGRAM THAT INCLUDED COMMUNITY DIALOGUE CIRCLES, DESIGN THINKING SKILL BUILDING SESSIONS, AND PROJECT-BASED ACTION TO BETTER THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE LIVING THERE. THIS HAS RESULTED IN A GROUP OF APPROXIMATELY 30 PALESTINIANS WHO HAVE CONTINUED TO MEET, BEYOND THE DURATION OF THE PROGRAM, TO WORK COLLECTIVELY FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR NEIGHBORS AND THE COMMUNITY. IN TEL AVIV, GATHER PARTNERED WITH ZLILIM, A NEW ARTISTS UNION, TO BEGIN BUILDING ITS TEL AVIV HUB. THE GROUP OF 20 ARTISTS HAVE FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING CREATIVE STRATEGIES TO MAKE THE REGION MORE DEMOCRATIC, INCLUSIVE, JUST, AND PEACEFUL. WE CLOSED OUT OUR 202 FELLOWSHIP CLASS AND BEGAN RECRUITMENT FOR OUR NEXT COHORT, FOCUSED ON COMMUNITY ORGANIZED, WHICH OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED IN 2022. WE ALSO CONVENED OUR FIRST GATHER ADVISORY COUNCIL, A GROUP OF 14 PAST GATHER FELLOWS THAT WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE GATHER STAFF TO GUIDE THE DIRECTION OF OUR VISION, STRATEGY, AND PROGRAMMING.SOUTH ASIA THE KITNAY DUUR KITNAY PAAS (KDKP) FILM PROJECT TRANSLATES AS "SO FAR, SO CLOSE" IN BOTH HINDI AND URDU. THIS BORDER-CROSSING INITIATIVE CHARGED 42 FILMMAKERS FROM PAKISTAN AND INDIA WITH JOINTLY PRODUCING WORKS THAT TOLD STORIES OF FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE POPULATIONS. A U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT FUNDED PROGRAM ALLOWED FOR EIGHT TEAMS TO WORK ACROSS BORDER VIRTUALLY IN CREATING STORY BOARDS, FILMING AND EDITING WITH COMPLETION OF FILMS SET TO OCCUR IN 2022. THE SAMVAAD PROJECT, FUNDED BY A U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT GRANT, TAUGHT UNIVERSITY EDUCATORS IN WESTERN INDIA TO BE "INTERFAITH DIALOGUE FACILITATORS" FOR THEIR STUDENTS AND COMMUNITIES. THE INITIATIVE CULMINATED IN A DAY-LONG CONFERENCE OF MORE THAN 70 EDUCATORS, STUDENTS, ARTISTS, RELIGIOUS AND BUSINESS LEADERS, AND PEACEBUILDING ORGANIZATIONS. SEEDS OF PEACE THEN SYNTHESIZED THE LEARNINGS IN A HANDBOOK THAT WAS CIRCULATED AMONG THE 7,300+ MEMBERS OF ITS NETWORK, AS WELL AS PEER INTERFAITH ORGANIZATIONS, AND ELSEWHERE.CAMP IN MAINEIN SUMMER OF 2021 SEEDS OF PEACE OFFERED TWO SESSIONS OF IN PERSON CAMP. UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO COVID THERE WERE NO INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPANTS. ONE SESSION, WAS DEDICATED TO YOUNG PEOPLE FROM MAINE. WHILE THE OTHER WAS OFFERED TO YOUTH FROM NEW YORK, SYRACUSE, AND THE NORTH EAST CORRIDOR TO BOSTON. YOUTH ENGAGED EACH OTHER IN DIALOGUE ACROSS LINES OF DIFFERENCE TO ANALYZE STRUCTURAL AND INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT AND INEQUALITIES IN THE US WHILE TACKING TOPICS SUCH AS CLASS, RACE, GENDER, POWER, AND PRIVILEGE.IN EACH SESSION, PARTICIPANTS EXPLORED CONFLICT ON PERSONAL, INTERPERSONAL, AND SOCIETAL LEVELS BY SHARING THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES AND GRAPPLING WITH THE DIFFERENCES IN THEIR RESPECTIVE HISTORICAL NARRATIVES. THE INTENT WAS NOT TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS OR PROVE THE VALIDITY OF ANY ONE NARRATIVE. RATHER IT WAS TO DEVELOP ESSENTIAL LEADERSHIP QUALITIES: STRENGTHENING ONE'S VOICE, DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING, FOSTERING RESPECT AND EMPATHY, AND LEARNING HOW TO ACTIVELY LISTEN. ALL WITH THE GOAL OF DEEPENING PARTICIPANTS' SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY TO LEAD CHANGE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AT HOME.