This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001477 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR PRM AND NEA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PREL KPAL KWBG IS JO
SUBJECT: MONITORING AND EVALUATING PRM-FUNDED ACTIVITIES AT 
SEEDS OF PEACE'S COEXISTENCE CENTER IN JERUSALEM 
 
REF:  A)02 STATE 148171 
      B)02 AMMAN 05823 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  REGIONAL REFCOORD ASSISTANT MET WITH SEEDS OF 
PEACE'S COEXISTENCE CENTER OFFICIALS JANUARY 27 TO MONITOR 
PRM-FUNDED ACTIVITIES AT THE JERUSALEM CENTER FOR 
COEXISTENCE.  ALTHOUGH POLITICAL AND SECURITY CONDITIONS 
CONTINUE TO IMPEDE DIRECT CONTACT BETWEEN ISRAELI AND 
PALESTINIAN SEEDS, SOP HAS MANAGED TO CONDUCT CREATIVE 
COEXISTENCE PROGRAMMING.  SOP STAFF MET PALESTINIAN SEEDS IN 
THEIR TOWNS, HELD A SEMINAR AND A COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT 
IN JERICHO FOR PALESTINIAN SEEDS, HELD MEETINGS FOR PARENTS 
OF THE ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN SEEDS IN ISRAEL AS WELL AS 
COEXISTENCE MEETINGS FOR ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN RESIDENTS 
OF JERUSALEM, AND MAINTAINED A SOP WEBSITE AND MAGAZINE IN 
ORDER TO MAINTAIN LINKS BETWEEN THE TWO COMMUNITIES.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  Regional RefCoord Assistant met with Seeds of Peace's 
Coexistence Center Program Director Ned Lazarus and Senior 
Program Officer Jen Marlowe January 27 to monitor PRM-funded 
activities at the Jerusalem Center for Coexistence.  Because 
the political and the security situation on the ground has 
not changed since our last report (ref b), Seeds of Peace 
continues to face difficulties in bringing together Israeli 
and Palestinian Seeds for coexistence activities. 
Nevertheless, Seeds of Peace maintained communication links 
between Israeli and Palestinian youth through chatting on 
the Seeds of Peace (SOP) website and writing to the SOP bi- 
annual Olive Branch magazine.  Through these activities, 
Palestinian and Israeli Seeds also develop their writing 
skills and learn international perspectives on other 
relevant issues through virtual contact with Seeds from 23 
different countries. 
 
¶3.  In spite of travel restrictions in the West Bank and 
Gaza, 90 of the 116 Seeds who participated in the SOP summer 
camp 2002 managed to meet regularly in different locations. 
Israeli and Palestinian residents of Jerusalem held their 
meetings at the Seeds Center in Jerusalem, while Arab and 
Jewish Israelis met in northern and southern Israel.  Since 
Palestinian participants from the West Bank and Gaza could 
not move out of their towns, Lazarus and Marlowe conducted 
regional check-in meetings with the Seeds in their towns -- 
Ramallah, Beit Jala, Abu Dis, Nablus and Gaza -- to share 
what they have been facing in recent months, how they have 
met the challenges they confront, what discourages and 
inspires them, and how to stay connected to the other Seeds, 
to the organization and to each other. 
 
¶4.  Marlowe and Lazarus reported that social pressures have 
made it difficult for some Palestinian Seeds to continue 
their coexistence activities.  Those in Gaza were not able 
to talk with the Palestinian community at all about their 
activities in the SOP, while others in Ramallah and Nablus 
were less restricted.  Nevertheless, Palestinians showed 
commitment to the program, attending town hall meetings and 
expressing their willingness to continue working with the 
values and culture of Seeds of Peace.  Lazarus said that the 
SOP values become part of the Seeds' identity. 
 
¶5.  In order to compensate for the difficult circumstances, 
Seeds of Peace also went beyond its traditional approach of 
meetings between the Seeds themselves by holding unilateral 
and joint Israeli-Palestinian meetings for the Seeds parents 
and families.  Seeds held joint Hanukah and Ramadan 
celebrations, gathering 150 Seeds and their families for an 
evening of `oud music and food, forging trusting connections 
between the parents.  Seeds of Peace also held a seminar on 
community activism in Jericho, where Palestinian Seeds heard 
from panels of their peers and professionals about 
meaningful ways to contribute to their community that are 
consistent with the values of Seeds of Peace.  The seminar 
was followed by a voluntary project at a school in the Ein 
el-Sultan refugee camp, where the Seeds painted a new UNRWA 
school building.  60 Seeds from Gaza and the West Bank as 
well Palestinians studying in Jordan participated in that 
event. 
 
¶6.  According to Lazarus and Marlowe, Seeds of Peace intends 
to apply for another PRM grant to send 10 refugee children 
to its 2003 summer camp in Maine.  Seeds would like to give 
priority to refugees from the Palestinian camps in the West 
Bank and Gaza, but continued travel restrictions could make 
this difficult.  SOP management is therefore considering 
expanding its program to Palestinian residents of refugee 
camps in Jordan. 
¶7.  ConGen Jerusalem cleared this cable. 
 
GNEHM