Human Rights Program Review

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.