Press Releases

2007 REFLECTIONS OF HOPE AWARD HONOREES ANNOUNCED

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 25, 2007

Contact: Nancy Coggins, APR
405.235.3313 or 405.760.9053 nc@oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org

2007 REFLECTIONS OF HOPE AWARD HONORS
GROUP FOR EFFORTS AT BUILDING LASTING PEACE THROUGH EMERGING YOUNG LEADERS

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum will honor Seeds of Peace, an organization whose mission is to develop and empower young leaders from regions of conflict to work towards peace through coexistence and conflict resolution, as the recipient of the 2007 Reflections of Hope Award. The award, established in 2005 as part of the 10^th anniversary commemoration of the Oklahoma City bombing, honors a living person or group whose extraordinary work has significantly impacted a community, state or nation. It also exemplifies that hope not only survives but also thrives in the wake of political violence. Seeds of Peace will be honored at a reception and dinner on April 19, 2007, at the Hilton Skirvin grand ballroom in downtown Oklahoma City. This prestigious international award also includes a $25,000 honorarium, which Seeds of Peace will use for student leaders from around the world to the Seeds of Peace International Summer Camp. The camp is a three-week session which creates a community where teens from conflict regions around the world live together in cabins, share meals and participate in numerous camp activities, including daily dialogue sessions run by professional Seeds facilitators. Three students, representing Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities, will be in Oklahoma City to accept the award, along with Seeds of Peace President Janet Wallach.
“Seeds of Peace is an internationally recognized model for creating a generation of people who are not marked by cultural bias and hatred,” said Kari Watkins, Oklahoma City National Memorial Executive Director. “By putting teens from conflicting countries into a neutral environment, they help to educate them to develop the empathy, respect and confidence, as well as the communication skills needed to sow the seeds of peace among the next generation of leaders.”Founded in 1993, Seeds of Peace first brought together 46 Israeli, Palestinian and Egyptian teenagers in an effort to change their perceptions of each other before fear, mistrust and prejudice blinded them from seeing the human face of their enemy. The program goes beyond international agreements and treaties. It reverses the legacy of hatred by nurturing lasting friendships that become the basis for mutual understanding and respect. By training these young leaders in conflict resolution skills, Seeds of Peace helps them become the seeds from which an enduring peace will grow. The program has grown so that this year, more than 300 outstanding Egyptian, Israeli, Jordanian, Palestinian, Pakistani, Indian and American teenagers will be chosen from more than 2000 applicants to participate in the program. Thirty American delegates will participate in the summer camp as well. Since its inception, Seeds of Peace has increased its leadership network to encompass more than 3000 young people from several conflict regions around the world.The Reflections of Hope Award was created by the Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation to recognize those who find and, by their actions, exemplify hope in the midst of tragedy, respond selflessly and give of themselves to improve the lives of others. The 2007 selection committee included the following:

Kim Henry, First Lady of Oklahoma, Honorary Chair
Linda P. Lambert, Chair, Former Chair, Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum
Prudence Bushnell, Vice Chair, former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Kenya
Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor, Associate Justice, United States Supreme Court, retired
Barbara K. Bodine, Executive Director, The Middle East Governance Initiative, former U.S. Ambassador to Yemen
Oscar Castaneda, Area Program Director, Latin American Caribbean Program, Heifer International
Judge Robert Henry, United State Court of Appeals, 10^th Circuit
Dr. N. Scott Momaday, poet, author, artist
George Moose, United States Ambassador, retired
Polly Nichols, Survivor, Former Chair, Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation
Edwards J. Perkins, Executive Director, International Programs, University of Oklahoma, former U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, South Africa, Australia, United Nations
Anthony Shadid, Islamic Affairs Correspondent, Washington Post, author
Kari Watkins, Executive Director, Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum

Tickets to the dinner are $168 per person, and can be reserved by calling Toni Clopton at 405.235.3313. The Reflections of Hope Award is made possible through the generous support of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum was created to honor “those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever” by the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The Memorial and Museum are dedicated to educating visitors about the impact of violence, informing about events surrounding the bombing, and inspiring hope and healing through lessons learned by those affected.For more information on the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, call 888.542.HOPE or visit www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org.To schedule an interview with Janet Wallach, President, Seeds of Peace, or the students during the time they are in Oklahoma City in April, contact Nancy Coggins at 405.235.3313.

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