As part of my work with the international NGO, Seeds of Peace, I facilitate and support a bi-annual exchange program between American, Israeli and Palestinian youth. It’s an opportunity for American youth to visit a region, often engaged conflict, while meeting fellow youth delegates to see the region through the eyes of Israelis and Palestinians and open a dialogue.
The program is called, Bayti, which means ‘our home’ in both Arabic and Hebrew.
This year we had 12 American youth participants from a diversity of backgrounds sign up and take part in the trip. They visited several towns and cities from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to Ramallah. The trip is often physically and emotionally intense, given the short amount of time they have in the region. Yet, despite all that, this trip opened powerful conversations that continue to resonate with me and surely will resonate with all those who participated, for a long time.
Visit Seeds of Peace to learn more about the important work that is being done to cultivate new generations of leaders to transform conflict.
