Internship In Palestine (Human Rights, Palestinian Refugees, Law)

My name is Virginia and I am from the United States. I have a Bachelor's in International Studies with an emphasis on the Middle East and Africa. I am finishing a Master's in Conflict Anaylsis and Resolution and have wanted to come here for many years. I have has an amazing experience here in Palestine. I have gotten to meet so many people and hear various experiences, which has provided more insight on the situation. I have felt so welcomed and safe here The Staff at the center was incredible helpful and I am already planning my next trip. Over all it has been an incredible experience . I would love to come back again.

My name is Ashley, I have a Masters in International Relations and Middles Eastern Studies. I participated in the Human Rights program at the Excellence Center in Hebron and I thought the program provided me with an amazing and indepth experience. During my time with the center I was able to visit the surrounding Refugee Camps and meet the residence. I got to hear first hand the challanges that they face on a day to day basis. I also was fortunate enought to take in person Arabic courses through the center, the methods that they use to teacher were very successful and after just one week I was able to have basic conversations with the people I met in the city. Most importantly I was afforded the opprotunity to meet and bond with some of the most hospitable and resilent people I have ever met. The Staff at the center was incredible helpful and I am already planning my next trip. Over all it has been an incredible experience.

The frist thing i will like to share is that love eally make us see different, feel different, and grow different. During my time in Hebron with th Excellence Center I found love in so many ways... Every member of the staff support me in every moment, my host familly made me feel like in my home and I want to highlight the resilience that I noticed from every palestinian i met. It was a experience that changed my live.

I love my arabic lessons, the teachers and all the staff were very helpful and encoraged me to keep learning all the time.

I spent three weeks at the Excellent Center in Hebron, Palestine, and i took part in the Women's Right program. In the first week, I attended several arabic classes for beginner: my teacher was welcoming and patient, and helped me to learn basic conversation tools that were useful for the entire project. In the following two weeks, I met several people and organizations who deal with human and women's right in Palestine, and I also had the occasion to organize a few workshop about women's right and gender-based violence for adolescents, together with other volunteers.
With respect to security and safety issue, I think it is important to share that in Hebron and in Palestine overall I totally felt safe, even when travelling alone as a solo woman.
I learnt a lot and would recommend the experience!

I am from the United States and I participated in the excellence center for two amazing months. As I am a political science major, I was so excited when I found that the excellence center offered a human rights internship. At the center I participated in a variety activities. We visited the municipality, Palestinian activists, the human rights organization, art galleries, factories, education centers, medical centers, villages, the old city and refugee camps. The most eye opening experience was when we visited various activists houses in the H2 area because we were able to see the real impact of the occupation in Palestine. At the excellence center I had the opportunity to help teach English classes, because of this I got to meet the most amazing people. All the students I had were a joy to be around and they really helped me understand Palestinian culture and engage in the culture. The first two weeks at the excellence center I participated in Arabic lessons every morning. These Arabic lessons were very helpful, because the Arabic that I studied at a University in the United States was not the dialect that is spoken in everyday life. So I found these lessons extremely helpful when getting around Palestine. Additionally, all the Arabic teachers are amazing and super friendly. I was able to have two different teachers and each one I loved. They made it fun to learn Arabic and they taught at challenging yet sustainable pace. The environment at the excellence center is like a family. Everyone is extremely welcoming when you first get to the center especially the staff. Marwa and Osama really care about the volunteers and if any concerns are raised, they quickly do anything they can to solve the problem. All the other volunteers are extremely friendly, and make you feel at home. Because of the amount of people from different countries at the center you also get to learn a lot about many other places and cultures not just Palestine, which was a really eye-opening experience. I met some people that I really enjoyed being with. The students taking English at the excellence center are so friendly and very sweet. They love starting conversations and practicing English with you and they are also a good source of practice when you want to practice the Arabic that you learned through your Arabic lessons at the Excellence center. Through my friendships with other volunteers I was able to visit many cities in the area I visited Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jericho, the and the Dead Sea. It was such a cool experience to be able to be so close to a variety of places with so much historical and religious significance. Living with a host family is different than what I expected, especially having been living on my own before I came here. It was definitely adjustment. But by living with host family you get to really see the culture and sometimes they will invite you to graduation parties or weddings, or to hang out with the family. I found Hebron to be very safe, walking home at night alone was not an issue, there was never any time here that I felt like I was in danger. In Hebron’s community, everyone acts as family and so it is a very trustworthy and friendly society.
> What I like most about Palestine is the people, everyone is so willing to get to know you and to help you if you ever need. Due to this I was able to make so many friends, and have so many connections in the area. I also really loved the food, especially when the excellence would have dinners and we would be able to experience traditional Palestinian dishes. After my time in Palestine, I can 100% say that every single person I met here was so genuine and so kind. I would recommend the excellence center to anyone who is thinking about it. People who take initiative and get very involved will be able to have an extreme amount of opportunities here. If you engage in the culture you will be able to have experiences that you will not be able to have anywhere else. It is a life changing experience.

My name is Alice and I’m from Switzerland. I participated in the Human Rights Internship
for six weeks. Before I travelled to Palestine, my family and I were concerned about security and safety on the ground. When I arrived here, I immediately realised how different the situation is from what is reported in the media. The only people I could be afraid of would be Israeli soldiers patrolling and demonstrating their power. Palestinians on the other hand, are the most welcoming people I have ever met. The Center provided useful information, for example how to travel from one place to another. I was travelling every weekend to different places all over the Westbank such as Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah, Jericho, the Dead Sea, Nablus and even Jordan. The proximity of all the cities in the Westbank and the ease of public transport makes travelling very easy. I usually travelled with some friends I met at the Center, but because Palestinians are so helpful, you can easily travel on your own.
Being a tourist in Palestine is different from volunteering at the Center. As a volunteer, you
can not only travel, but also experience everyday life in Palestine, meet people, get to know the culture, and participate in events. You will be able to live with a host family, and thus participate in their daily routine and you will eventually be invited to weddings or other events. You will experience mainly cultural differences but if you meet them with openness, you will enjoy your stay. The Center was like a second home where I spent a lot of time during the day. The environment at the Center is very welcoming, nice and pleasant. During the day it can become very busy, especially during summer. The staff and teachers are caring and helpful and you will engage with students from different backgrounds. In the morning the Center prepares breakfast and, depending on your program, your schedule for the day is either very regular or rather spontaneous. The Excellence Center also organises some events independent from your program such as hikes, dinners, or concerts. In my first week, I attended intensive Arabic classes which taught me the basics and were very helpful for daily life in Hebron. For the rest of my stay, I took part in the Human Rights Program which included visits in the city of Hebron and the surrounding area on the topic of human rights, but also cultural tours. I went to refugee camps where we were able to talk to social workers and camp residents and spend some time with children. You will experience first-hand what life is like in a refugee camp and the difficulties they face. A resident of a refugee camp in Hebron told us about his two-year-old daughter who was injured and could not be rescued because medical care in the camp was inadequate and Israeli Defense Forces prevented the ambulance from entering and then leaving the camp. Her father feels he cannot protect his family, and he is one of many Palestinians who share a similar story of loss. Everywhere I went, all people I met, there was a story waiting to be told. The Human Rights program included a visit to an art exhibition related to the importance of history, the appropriation of historical sites by Israel and the justification of Israel’s colonization through
history. During tours in the old city of Hebron I learned about the exceptional case of Hebron. I learnt about the impact of Israeli settlements inside the city and the complexity of the division between H1 and H2 in addition to the zones A, B and C. I visited Palestinian families living in H2 area (Israeli controlled). I was at the Polytechnic University in Hebron as well as at the Ministry of Education, and a Blind School. This allowed me to look at the issue from different angles and to hear from different people with different perspectives. The Center organized a lecture held by a university professor, lawyer, and advocate for Palestinian rights as well as history lessons by a teacher working at the Center. I went to the keffiyeh factory, learning about the culture and the handicraft. I was also able to go to the largest settlement in the Westbank and see with my own eyes how two different worlds meet. The Center arranged a tour at a hospital as well as a tour with a Human Rights activist in Hebron city. For me personally, the most impressive and lasting encounter in Palestine was the visit to Masafer Yatta, a territory in the south of Hebron, situated in zone C and therefore under Israeli control. I met some of the remaining Palestinian residents who keep resisting Israeli occupation. They
live under the harshest conditions. Confiscation of their land and frequent demolition of their houses leave them with nothing more than tents. Electricity and water supply is controlled by Israel and healthcare is restricted. Although they face daily attacks from settlers and Israeli Defense Forces, their determination to non-violent resistance is strong.
There is one lasting impression about Palestine and its people I would like to share with you. After I was told so many stories, it is hard to imagine how Palestinians can keep living under this system of apartheid and colonization. But they are not given a choice. I admire the resilience of the people. I admire their strength and the determination to live peacefully. I admire their joy no matter what burden they carry. I admire their belief in a better future. And I admire their love for their country, that they never give up fighting for it.
Even though you won’t have a direct impact when volunteering in Palestine, you will
contribute by telling their stories and by convincing people about the reality on site. Whilst
living in Palestine, the feeling of being unable to help can sometimes turn into anger.
Nevertheless, you will have an indirect impact. The more people know about Israeli’s system of apartheid and their colonization project, the more likely they will be forced to make a change. The Excellence Center enables exchange with Palestinians and makes it possible to get to know the reality. I’m very grateful that I was able to volunteer here.

I’m 23 years old and from the Netherlands. I have a bachelor's degree in law and a pre master degree in Middle Eastern Studies. Currently I am in university to obtain my Master of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies. For the completion I had to do an internship and coming to Palestine felt like a perfect opportunity. Since I am also very interested in law, international law in particular, I chose to do the human rights internship for nine weeks. The Excellence Center provided an interesting, safe and nice atmosphere to learn about human rights and the situation in Palestine.

My program consisted of three parts. First I took two weeks of Arabic classes. During this time I regained some knowledge from university and this gave me the chance to practice by myself in the weeks that followed. Throughout the weeks I learned the most by just listening to people and hearing the language all the time. Moreover, it is nice that lots of the staff at the Excellence Center will communicate in basic Arabic to make sure you keep practicing.

The next two weeks, I went on many trips regarding the human rights situation in Palestine and specifically in Hebron. These trips can include visiting human rights organizations and governmental institutions. We for example visited Human Rights Defenders, a Hebron based organization whose goal is to document the reality of the occupation. I was even able to arrange an extra meeting with one of their founders to elaborate on the organization and their work even further. That is a huge benefit of staying for a longer time, you are able to build up relationships and undertake the activities and meetings you are personally interested in.
Another visit was to the ministry of Education. Here we met one of the supervisors who mainly explained about the issues of teachers and students whose schools and/or houses are in the H2 area which is under Israeli military control.

The last month of my stay I taught English in Kharas, a nearby village. The students were about 9-15 years old and followed a summer programme to improve their English skills. It was exciting to experience such motivated students. Thereby, I got to learn more about the culture, for example during the food day when the kids shared Palestinian sweets and dishes.

Generally my time in Palestine has been very enriching and enjoyable. The people I met are all so generous and hospitable which made my stay so pleasant.
Moreover, it made me feel very welcome in the city and the country as a whole. As a woman I personally felt very safe in all of Palestine. At some times the reality of the occupation is quite visible in Hebron, for example when the Israeli army clashes with Palestinians near the old city. But even at those times I did not feel unsafe. The same goes for other Palestinian cities and I very much enjoyed traveling throughout the country; to Nablus, Ramallah, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Jericho.

I was a bit nervous because of what I heard about Palestine and the fact that I had never traveled anywhere in the middle east before. But I learned and experienced so much that I would've never been able to anywhere else. It was also extremely safe and my host family was very helpful throughout my stay.
During my first week in Palestine, I understood how important community is and how it holds everything together. In the West, we’re much more individualistic and focused on the self; here, it is the opposite. One of my first visits was to a Human Rights NGO in the Old City. The man we spoke to was a non-violent activist who provided English lessons, first aid classes for women, and much more. He told us that for Sahoor they took community members to a local Palestinian village to learn about Palestinian agricultural practices and their history. This is just one example of how vital these resources are.

Overall, this experience was very impactful, and it was necessary to experience life here first-hand. I’ve made unique connections with people in the center and Palestinians all throughout Palestine. I won’t forget the time I spent here, and I plan on taking everything I learned and immersed myself in while I was here, with me when I go.