By Syed Shahzaib Ali Sajid, Alumnus Seeds of Peace 2007, 2014 & 2015
“Do whatever you can, with whatever you have, wherever you are.” Will Smith
This was the most important lesson I learned while I was miles away, in a country that was unknown to me, with people who were from different cultural and religious backgrounds. Without realizing that it’s happening, our minds are ingrained with stereotypes and perceptions that shape our behaviors from a very young age. I was 14 years old when I had this first interaction with people of a different nationality, culture, and religion. From the color of our skin to our language, the type and taste of food to our love for sports and the connection with arts, music and history, we were different in many ways, but deep inside we were all the same.
The Seeds of Peace camp 2007 was where I found the common denominator that binds us, despite the multitude of differences: humanity. I made connections with people from around the world. We discussed everything from history to politics to music and movies. The camp instilled in us not only the confidence to speak up but also the courage to listen and respect differing views. It was an experience that cherished diversity and differences. Now that I look back, I can see how far along I have come as a peace ambassador and as a person. I realized that as humans, our connection with one another transcends all peripheral factors and this connection is what binds us together despite all cultural differences. The team-building exercises and the camp environment where we learned the importance of sharing – not just the space, but sharing the highs and lows. But most importantly, the camp equipped us with the most important tool to become a ‘Seed of Peace’ and that is, empathy.
It has been nearly nine years since I became a ‘Seed of Peace’, but my work as a peace ambassador has not ended with that camp. I have continued to build on the friendships, the people to people ties that I had created while in the U.S. Last year alone, I was a part of the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network Peace Week celebrations in which we promoted religious harmony and tolerance by exploring the power of art with different religious communities. I have also recently started by own initiative called ‘Daes’. This I have done with the vision to further my role as a seed of peace and promote harmony and tolerance for the creation of a society that supports diversity and versatility in every way possible.
