Our People
The PeaceCamp Initiative is run by Co-directors Robert Kent and Jamie Leno Zimron, with the cooperation and support of Danny Hakim and the staff of his organization Budo for Peace. PCI is a program operated under the auspices of Aiki Extensions, a US 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. Short biographies of the principals appear below.
Robert Kent founded the PeaceCamp Initiative as a natural outgrowth of his work with conflict resolution and teen counseling - understanding that his training, and the extraordinary experiences available at Camp Susquehannock each summer represented a chance to create the opportunity for the Israeli and Palestinian leaders of the future to learn to trust each other in the present.
Robert has been on staff at Camp Susquehannock since 1980, serving as a counselor and coach for many years. For 18 years, he helped run the Youth Program at Aikido West in Redwood City, CA, under the direction of Frank Doran Shihan, 7th dan. Rob is also an adjunct instructor at Williams College, where he teaches a month-long course each January exploring how to conduct politics in a manner consistent with Aikido principles.
- BA (Religion & Philosophy - Williams College)
- MA (Ethics - Claremont Graduate School)
- Yon Dan (4th Degree Black Belt - Aikido)
- Winner, Ben & Jerry's 2008 "Peace Pioneer" Prize
- Small Business Council of America Humanitarian of the Year - 2016
- President, Aiki Extensions
Jamie Leno Zimron began her Aikido training at Stanford University (where she studied Social Sciences and Psychology). She established The Aikido Arts Center of San Francisco in 1980, and ran the Aikido program at the University of California - Santa Cruz (1991-1993) and Hebrew University in Jerusalem (1994-1996). Jamie holds a Masters Degree in Psychology and is a licensed Marriage, Family & Child Counselor (MFCC).
Since the 1980's Jamie has taught Aikido and Mind-Body healing work in the ex-Soviet Union, Israel, and throughout the United States and Canada. She sits on the Advisory Board of the Middle East Citizen's Diplomacy Project; is a longtime Trainer for the National Women's Martial Arts Federation; and is a founding Board Member and the National Rank Coordinator for the Association of Women Martial Arts Instructors.
Currently Jamie lives in Truckee, CA where she has developed KiAi Golf and The KiAi Way, Inc. - holistic instruction blending ancient Eastern wisdom and modern Western disciplines with golf, sports and life.
- Board of Directors, Aiki Extensions
- LPGA Teaching Professional
- Aikido 5th Degree Black Belt
- Stanford Phi Beta Kappa
- Masters in Clinical Psychology
- Marriage Family & Child Counselor (MFCC)
- Certified Sports Counselor (CSC)
- Certified Massage Therapist/Master Body worker
- Advisory Board, Middle East Citizen's Diplomacy Project
- Founding Board, Association of Women Martial Arts Instructors
Danny Hakim anchors the PeaceCamp Initiative candidate selection process in Israel and Palestine. His organization, Budo for Peace, links karate, judo, and aikido dojos in Jewish and Arab neighborhoods together, so that each dojo's members have chances to train with the other, in the spirit of better understanding and mutual efforts to improve the often challenging atmosphere. Danny directs ten Budo for Peace Centers sponsored by the Japanese Government.
- BS (University of New South Wales, Australia)
- MA (Entrepreneurship, Israeli School of Enterprise Management)
- Nana Dan (7th Degree Black Belt - Karate)
- International Karate Champion
- National Israeli Karate Coach
- Founder, Budo for Peace
- Author : Budo’s Potential for Peace: Breaking Down Barriers in the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict
- Producer : Shadya - Best Israeli Documentary of the Year, 2006 - the story of a young Israeli Arab woman pursuing her dream of becoming a Karate Champion
Danny Hakim (center), Founder of Budo for Peace