18 July 2008
Indian, Pakistani Youth Plant “Seeds of Peace”
U.S. camp hosts young leaders to promote reconciliation
Washington -- Usman Munir and Jehan Lalkaka laugh over a game of Frisbee. At home, the simple interaction between the two boys from India and Pakistan never could have happened. But the two became fast friends at the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Otisfield, Maine.
“I never imagined in my wildest imaginations that I’d be sitting with the Indians and talking about the issues and the conflicts which we have,” Usman, a 15 year-old native of Lahore, Pakistan, told America.gov. “We made friends with each other, we played pranks on each other, we made jokes with each other. We lived together.”
Seeds of Peace was created in 1993 by journalist John Wallach to give young leaders from regions in conflict the skills they need to begin moving their societies toward reconciliation. The program started with a group of 46 Israeli, Palestinian and Egyptian teenagers and has grown to include more than 4,000 participants, or “seeds.” In 2001, the U.S. State Department helped support the launch of a South Asia program. The Bureau of South and Central Affairs funds the Indian and Pakistani seeds’ experience at the camp, as well as a continuation of programming in Washington and their home countries.
Bitter memories remain of British India’s 1947 partition into Hindu-dominated India and the Muslim state of Pakistan. This conflict has had a nuclear edge since 1974, when India tested its first atomic weapons. Both countries now are armed with nuclear weapons, and disagree on the status of Kashmir, a region between India and Pakistan. The countries have fought two major wars over Kashmir since independence, and resentment remains high on both sides of the border.
Usman and Jehan are two of 32 Indian and Pakistani participants nominated by their schools and communities to go to the camp for three weeks. Although they lived, ate and participated in activities with members of other delegations from Egypt, Israel, Jordan, the United States and the Palestinian territories, they took part in 90-minute daily dialogue sessions with members from their own Indian-Pakistani delegation to discuss current regional issues.
Through the daily dialogue sessions, the participants respectfully worked through their differences, even formulating a proposed solution for the Kashmir conflict.
“It was surprising that we were all on one point at the same time. The coordination between us was really good,” said Izba Shahza, 14, of Lahore, Pakistan. “Maybe we can stop fighting over Kashmir and maybe we can just help and support them economically and make Kashmir a better place.”
In addition to encouraging conflict resolution, the dialogue sessions changed campers’ world views.
“Before coming to this camp, when I grow up, I thought I would do something for my country. But now, I think that I will do something that will benefit the whole world,” Usman said.
The dialogue sessions, along with sports and art activities, promoted bonding. A “Group Challenge” ropes course required mutual trust for completion. Jehan, 14, of Mumbai, India, bonded with a Pakistani girl on the ropes course.
“My partner was an Indian girl. She stood on my shoulders and she showed full trust in me. When it was my turn to climb, she gave me her hand and I showed complete trust in her,” Usman said. “It showed me I can easily trust Indians, and this was the objective of the Group Challenge.”
The participants also were split into two multinational teams at the end of camp for Color Games, a camp “Olympics.” Despite intense competition, the games fostered cooperation that crossed ethnic divides.
After camp, the Indian and Pakistani delegations traveled to Washington to meet with State Department officials and the ambassadors from India and Pakistan to encourage their continued leadership development. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte addressed the group in a reception July 16.
“Your dedication to religious and cultural tolerance, coexistence and dialogue is important to achieving lasting peace. Equally important is holding onto your ability to imagine a peaceful and hopeful future. ... Imagination is an underrated part of foreign policy. The challenge is to keep imagining a better future, and to keep working to make what you imagine, real.”
Some Seeds of Peace participants already have started planning their next steps. Akshita Mehra, an Indian, and her friend Izba said that they hope to meet at the Wagah border, the only road that crosses between India and Pakistan.
“We will be calling up the media people, and holding hands across the border, and tell them ‘This is what we call peace, and this is what we call friendship across borders,’” Akshita said.
The campers know that the conflict will not be solved overnight, but are leaving the United States with new determination.
Izba smiled as she said, “Dream it, do it, we can change the world.”
