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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 536 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 536

Recognizing the 15th anniversary of the founding of Seeds of Peace, an 
   organization promoting understanding, reconciliation, acceptance, 
   coexistence, and peace in the Middle East, South Asia, and other 
                          regions of conflict.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 28, 2008

Ms. Collins (for herself, Mr. Levin, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. 
Carper, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Sanders, Mrs. Boxer, Ms. Stabenow, 
     and Mr. Durbin) submitted the following resolution; which was 
                        considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Recognizing the 15th anniversary of the founding of Seeds of Peace, an 
   organization promoting understanding, reconciliation, acceptance, 
   coexistence, and peace in the Middle East, South Asia, and other 
                          regions of conflict.

Whereas Seeds of Peace, founded by John Wallach, organizes and operates a 
        program that brings together young people and educators from regions of 
        conflict to study and learn about coexistence and conflict resolution;
Whereas Seeds of Peace operates a summer camp in Otisfield, Maine, as well as 
        regional programs around the world, such as the Facilitation Training 
        Course in the Middle East, the Homestay Programs in South Asia, or the 
        International Regional Conferences;
Whereas the first International Conflict Resolution Camp welcomed Israeli, 
        Palestinian, Jordanian, and Egyptian youth the summer of 1993, and the 
        camp has since expanded to involve youths from other regions of 
        conflict, including Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, the Balkans, India, 
        Pakistan, and Afghanistan;
Whereas Seeds of Peace utilizes the summer camp to initiate dialogue between the 
        youth of the United States and youth from various conflict regions to 
        dispel hatred and create religious and cultural understanding;
Whereas hundreds of educators receive training through the regional operations 
        of Seeds of Peace to support and teach peaceful conflict resolution 
        techniques in their classrooms, ensuring that thousands of students 
        around the world are exposed to those techniques;
Whereas Seeds of Peace works to dispel fear, mistrust, and prejudice, which are 
        root causes of violence and conflict, and to build a new generation of 
        leaders who are committed to achieving peace;
Whereas Seeds of Peace reveals the human face of youth who are too often exposed 
        to hatred, by engaging campers in both guided coexistence sessions and 
        ordinary summer camp activities, such as sharing meals, canoeing, 
        swimming, playing sports, and exploring creativity through the arts and 
        computers;
Whereas the Arab-Israeli conflict, as well as India-Pakistan and Afghanistan-
        Pakistan tensions, are currently at critical junctures, and progress 
        toward peace will be enhanced by the emergence of a new generation of 
        leaders who will choose dialogue, friendship, and openness over violence 
        and hatred;
Whereas Seeds of Peace provides year-round opportunities, through regional 
        programming and the innovative use of technology, to enable former 
        participants to build on the relationships forged at camp, so that the 
        learning processes begun at camp may continue in the participants' home 
        countries, where they are most needed;
Whereas youth graduates of the camp, known as ``Seeds'', currently number more 
        than 4,000, with an additional 567 adult delegation leaders also having 
        completed the camp programming;
Whereas this graduate network receives continued support in promoting 
        professional cooperation;
Whereas Seeds of Peace is strongly supported by participating governments and 
        many world leaders;
Whereas Federal funding for Seeds of Peace demonstrates the recognized 
        importance of Seeds of Peace in promoting the foreign policy goals of 
        the United States; and
Whereas it is especially important to reaffirm that youth must be involved in 
        long-term, visionary solutions to conflicts perpetuated by cycles of 
        violence: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes the 15th anniversary of the founding of 
        Seeds of Peace;
            (2) honors the accomplishments of Seeds of Peace in 
        promoting understanding, reconciliation, acceptance, 
        coexistence, and peace among youth from the Middle East and 
        other regions of conflict around the world; and
            (3) recognizes Seeds of Peace as a model of hope for living 
        together in peace and security.
                                 <all>
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