Palestinian Law, Human Rights, & Palestinian Refugees Internships

My name is Rachael. I am British/American but spent most of my childhood in France. I am
currently pursuing a master's degree in France and the UK in IR with a focus on diplomacy and the Middle East. I spent three months in Hebron participating in the Human Rights Program at the Excellence Center. As part of this program, I met with a multitude of grassroots organizations, local government authorities and international organizations (such as OCHA, the ICRC and UNRWA), all working on issues of human rights in Hebron and Palestine. In addition to weekly human rights visits, I gave English lessons in two villages close to Hebron with students ranging from ages 8 to 15.

I also received a few hours a week of Arabic classes. I had studied some modern standard Arabic before coming to Hebron, but these lessons really helped me learn how to speak the Ammiya dialect and communicate with people in Palestine.

The Excellence Center has a welcoming, easy-going and friendly environment. You will get to interact and develop friendships with the staff, the teachers, the students and the other international volunteers. The staff are always willing to take care of your concerns and adjust things as needed, so do not hesitate to voice your suggestions and recommendations as they arise. The staff and teachers are also always willing to answer your questions, about all topics. Depending on what time of the year you come there can be a wide range of how many volunteers are at the center (when I arrived in June there were roughly 20, in July we went up to 40 and in August it went down to 10-15). There is a great sense of community at the center, and it is wonderful to be able to bond with other like-minded international volunteers.

What is great about the Center is that you have two consecutive days off per week which gives you time to travel around the country. Transport is relatively easy to most places which means I was able to travel to Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Jaffo, Nablus and Jericho. I definitely recommend trying to visit as many places as you can!

As a woman I was able to live with host families which was a great experience. I stayed with two different families. The first family I stayed with for two months. They were absolutely lovely however I was living in a separate apartment from them, and I wanted to have a more immersive experience and practice my Arabic more. When I voiced this to the center they were very understanding and immediately put me in another host family. My second host family was so wonderful and welcoming, and I was really able to have a full immersive experience into the Hebron culture and language.

Regarding safety and security, I definitely felt safe in Hebron and Palestine at-large. Palestinians are some of the most welcoming and generous people you will ever meet and are always willing to help if you have any issues. However, as a woman, I did experience and witness a few uncomfortable situations with men, particularly young adult / teenage boys. This is not behavior that is ‘normalized’ by Hebronites at large and people were very upset and angry when we told them about the things we experienced. Unfortunately, these are things that happen all over the world and are therefore, unfortunately, to be expected everywhere (in my experience). Although Hebron is a very conservative society where men are very respectful to women, some men do not treat international women the same way they would treat Palestinian women. I am only writing about it here so that women that come in the future know to be aware of it and thus retain the same level of caution and wariness they would in any country. I want to emphasize that this would NEVER stop me from coming back to Hebron, or Palestine. I could not emphasis this enough!! This was not my first time in Palestine, and I will certainly be back.

I loved everything about my time in Palestine and would absolutely recommend that anyone who can, comes and sees Hebron with their own eyes at the Excellence Center. I have developed strong bonds with the incredible people that live here. Palestinians are unbelievably resilient and while I had presumed them to be skeptical of internationals, especially people from countries whose governments fund the occupation like mine do, they could not have been more kind, generous and welcoming. I will miss Palestine’s warmth, people, and food everyday but, inshallah, I will be back soon!

I participated in the volunteer and learn Arabic course for 1 week and then the intensive Arabic course for 2 weeks. In my first week I was able to help teach English to students who were all a joy to be around and so enthusiastic. The teachers in the classes were really supportive by telling me what level the students were at and explaining the lessons to me.
In the next two weeks I studied Arabic in the intensive Arabic programme.
I have definitely improved my Arabic whilst here and all the teachers are so friendly and helpful. I came with very basic knowledge of Modern Standard Arabic and the intensive Arabic programme has helped me become faster at reading and writing and understanding the language better.
My Arabic teacher was amazing and extremely helpful. All the other teachers at the centre were also very friendly and the students in the classes were all so sweet and eager to learn. The environment at the centre is really inviting and accepting of all different kinds of people from anywhere in the world. It’s great to meet people from all over with so many different reasons for coming to the centre.
During my time at the excellence centre I got involved with numerous activities including going to the old city and taking a tour, visiting the kafiyah factory and cooking local Palestinian food.

Whilst in Palestine I visited Jericho and the Dead Sea, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jerusalem and the old city. All of these places were really easy to get to via a shared taxi. I would go back to visit all of them again if I had the chance. Especially Jerusalem as there is so much to see.

Whilst in Hebron I stayed with a host family who were so kind and accommodating. They offered food and cooked for myself and my roommate on numerous occasions and took us to parties and made me feel like part of the family. Palestinian people are the friendliest people I’ve ever met and most people go out of their way to help you. You could come back to Palestine just for the people. Hebron is also a great place to stay as it has easy taxi services and access to all other places.

I felt extremely safe in Palestine and was not once worried for my safety. My favourite thing about Palestine is definitely the people, however, the food is also amazing and trying the local food is a must.

I have so many stories from my 3 weeks here but my favourite has to be being invited for food at our taxi drivers house. (12 of us) we went for makloubah and he and his family showed so much hospitality. This is a great example of how kind Palestinian people are.

I would Certainly visit Palestine again and the excellence centre. I even intend to continue my Arabic classes on line back in the uk. I have had 3 amazing weeks and will treasure my time here for life. I would recommend both volunteering at the centre or learning Arabic there.

Thanks so much excellence centre!

My name is Natasha, I am from Britain. I am currently doing an Accounting and Finance degree. I took part in the human rights project whilst here in Hebron.
Activities I did whilst at the Excellence Centre include taking Arabic lessons, visiting villages around Hebron on trips and visiting organisations
My Arabic lessons were really good, Anas is a great teacher. I think I have lacked the confidence to speak a lot of Arabic, but the next two weeks I spend travelling in Palestine I will really try and work on in (I have a lot of notes to work from). I think I can understand a bit, as when I’m with the host family they repeat a lot of things, so they’ve stuck.
The staff and the teachers are great and really welcoming. The teachers particularly are really friendly and ... The students here are lovely and are really open and friendly and want to engage with the volunteers. The other volunteers are great too, and we all get on really well and often go out for lunch or in the evenings for food, and at the weekends too. This really helps as it makes the experience much easier when there’s a feeling of belonging with the other volunteers.
The site visits I took part in include meeting the manager from the Commission Detainees Affairs, going to the Hebron Chamber of Commerce, a visit to talk to the artist Rani, visiting a school near the centre to talk about how education is affected particularly in H2, a visit to the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, trip to Masafer Yata and a visit to a couple of other villages nearby. I also took part in a political and human right tour one day with an activist from outside the organisation, but who was introduced to us by the Excellence Centre.¬¬¬
The other places I’ve visited in Palestine are Ramallah and Jericho, though I have a bit of time after this to explore more places.
I have definitely felt very safe being in Palestine. Palestinian people are so lovely and welcoming, and I felt very safe.
What I like most about Palestine, well I love the people here, everyone is so hospitable. Everyone is so friendly, everywhere we have been, people have offered us coffee and often some food, even just fruit. The food too is amazing here, and I love the mint tea too.
One of my favourite experiences was when we went to Jericho and the bus driver from Hebron offered to give us a full tour of Jericho, for an extra 30 shekels each which was a great deal. We had a great day with him, went to the dead sea and all the main places in Jericho and he dropped us all off at our houses on the way back, and invited us around to his for dinner the next evening, which was delicious and a great example of Palestinian Hospitality.
The lasting impression I’m going to have when I leave is how great the people are, particularly my host family who have been amazing.
I’ve had a very good experience and will definitely recommend to other people.

My name is Nate Long and I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from the State University of New York at Geneseo. Currently, I am earning a Master of International Affairs degree from the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University.

During my two-month stay in Hebron, I participated in the Excellence Center’s Human Rights Program. This program allowed me to participate in weekly visits to government ministries and international and local non-governmental organizations. I also had the opportunity to visit with local artists and with Palestinians affected by the occupation. I visited many different organizations and offices, including the United Nation’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Halhul, the Governor of Hebron, the Office of International Affairs of the Hebron Municipality, the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, and the Human Rights Defenders group in Hebron.

In addition to weekly human rights visits, I also taught English to children in Al Fawwar refugee camp and in a few other communities in the Hebron governorate. I also had the chance to learn Arabic through weekly classes at the Excellence Center. I came to the Excellence Center with no knowledge of Arabic and I came to learn the alphabet and gained the ability to engage in small conversations by the end of my two months here. I feel like I have a solid foundation to build off of now thanks to the Arabic classes that I was able to participate in. This will greatly benefit my career aspirations in international relations and my desire to study the politics of the Middle East more in-depth.

The Excellence Center staff were some of the kindest people I have ever met. The center staff is very welcoming and eager to assist volunteers as they get accustomed to living in Hebron. The international volunteers were all very friendly and I made many good friends here from all over the world. My students in the villages where I taught were great and they were very eager to learn English. During my time in Palestine, I lived in an apartment with two other volunteers. The apartment was owned by a family that we had limited interactions with, but they were very nice and welcoming. My living accommodations were good. The only thing I wish I had more of was cooking equipment so that I could have cooked some more food on my own. Other than that, I had a great living experience in Hebron. The people of Hebron are some of the nicest I have ever met while traveling. They are eager to show foreigners their shops and the inviting nature of Palestinian culture. I was invited over to multiple dinners during my time in Hebron where we enjoyed classic Palestinian dishes such as Makluba and Mansaf.

I also traveled extensively throughout the West Bank and the 1948 lands during my two-month stay in Palestine. I traveled to Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jericho, Jerusalem, Jaffa, and Tel Aviv. I managed to visit most of the religious, political, and natural sites in Palestine, including the Dead Sea, the Mount of Temptation, the Church of the Nativity, Al Aqsa mosque, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Mount of Olives, and the beaches of Jaffa. My favorite experience while traveling was going to Jerusalem during Eid and watching the sunset over the Old City from the Mount of Olives with my friends.

I would definitely recommend the Excellence Center to others. I had a great time and learned a lot about the situation here, especially how the occupation affects the daily lives of Palestinians in Hebron and the greater West Bank. My lasting impression of Palestine is the resiliency of its people and the kindness of those I met throughout my time here. I have never felt more welcomed and wanted somewhere in all my life. I truly think Palestinians are some of the kindest people you will ever meet.

Hello, my name is Alexia Malaj, I’m 23 years old and I’m form Italy. I have a bachelor’s degree in international Cooperation and Conflict Management and right now I just finished my first year of Master in Human Rights and Multi-Level Governance.
Here at the Excellence Center I participated in the Human Rights Program for 1 month.

The program is very broad and i did a lot of activities. First of all, many stimulating visits to human rights organizations and associations, meetings with activists to talk about the occupation in Palestine and meetings with people and families in refugee camps and occupied territories who have told us their stories. In addition, at the center I also had the opportunity to study Arabic, 3 hours a week, and to teach English to the children in the surrounding villages.

After a month in Palestine I certainly learned some Arabic. I didn't know anything Arabic before arriving here but thanks to the lessons of the excellence center I can have a basic conversation with the Palestinians (introduce myself, explain what i study and what i do, ask directions, studied a lot of verbs to use while communicating).

The staff at the center is very welcoming and kind. They will help you a lot! Also the teachers are amazing. The environment is really nice, it’s a big family where you can have the opportunity to make new Palestinian friends but also international friends who share your same interests!

While staying here I had the opportunity to visit many places! From the old city of Al Khalil to the desert of Masafer Yatta. I also visited Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Nablus and the Dead Sea. Palestine is beautiful and it’s absolutely worthy to come here. The people are so nice and they will welcome you and make you feel part of their families, tell you their stories, invite you to parties and family gatherings. Families here treat you as you were part of them and act like they’ve known you forever! The feeling is amazing.

During my stay in Palestine I felt very safe. The people are lovely and they help you a lot. There is no danger, everyone is nice to you. I personally had no safety problems.

In Palestine I loved everything, from the food to the people to the culture. But one of the things that impressed me more is the hospitality.

I loved Palestine and i’m willing to come again. I really had an amazing experience and I recommend this to anyone.

I am Rizwan from the UK. I study International Relations at University and just finished my first year. I participated for 1 month in the Human Rights program, During this time I visited and met many organisations and individuals involved in contemporary palestinian human rights issues. Including the UN, Red Cross and a number of other reputable organisations.

During this time, I also had the privilege of improving my Arabic through the 2 lessons a week provided by the centre, and I saw a considerable improvement during my time here. The staff are incredibly friendly and helpful people. And being at the centre gives you the chance to meet likeminded participants. For example, I visited Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Jordan with other people I met at the centre.

Living in Hebron was a great experience, the people are very hospitable and kind. I felt very safe in the day to day life at the centre. My favourite experience in Palestine was meeting so many great people who taught me so much. My lasting impression of Palestine is almost wholly positive and I would highly recommend this program to anyone interested.

My name is Sofia Hollowell, and I am 21 years old. I am from the United States however I am currently studying at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. I participated in the Excellence Centre’s Internship in Palestine program for 2 months this summer.

During my time at the Excellence Centre, I participated in a wide variety of visits. These trips included meetings at the Mayor and Governor’s office; a visit to a Bedouin village, tours of the Hebron Old Town; visits to the Department of Education and a local Kaffiya factory. These trips allowed me to further educate myself of the current political situation as well as gain a greater appreciation for Palestinian history and culture.

During my time at the Centre, I was fortunate enough to have two different Arabic teachers. Both of my teachers were incredibly encouraging and supportive. I also really benefited from the small class sizes which enabled my teachers to tailor the class to fit my needs and allowed us to have productive conversations to improve my speaking skills.

I really enjoyed the environment at the Excellence Centre. The staff are all incredibly friendly and welcoming and instantly make you feel part of the community. They are also highly educated and informed individuals, who were very interesting to speak with to learn more about the culture and politics in Hebron. I was also able to make strong friendships with many of the other volunteers due to our shared interests in Palestine and the unique experiences we had living and traveling together.

Living in Hebron City and with a host family and Palestinian people.
Living with a host family was a special experience. My host family was very warm and welcoming. They were particularly eager to include me in all their family holidays and traditions, including several birthdays and celebrating Eid. I feel very grateful to have lived with a host family because it gave me a first-hand experience participating in Palestinian daily life and holidays.

Palestine is a very safe country. While undeniably there is a very tense and volatile political situation, the people are very friendly and helpful. This meant that throughout my time living in Hebron I felt safe and comfortable asking strangers on the street for help. I was also able to travel easily between different cities such as Bethlehem, Ramallah, Jericho and Nablus, without having to worry about my security.

After your volunteering or studying period, what is your lasting impression about Palestine and its people? What did you like most about Palestine?
My favourite and most striking thing about Palestinian people are their kindness and generosity. Having been fortunate enough to have travelled to many countries in the past, I can honestly say Palestinians are some of the friendliest people I have ever met. On top of this, I was constantly impressed by their happiness and optimism despite the difficult situation many people live in. This is something I found incredibly aspirational.

I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to volunteer with the Excellence Centre. The experiences I had learning about Palestinian culture, politics, and history as well as teaching English in various villages around the country were incredibly valuable. I am very thankful for the staff of the Excellence Centre for the way they welcomed me into their homes and community and for giving me such a memorable experience here in Palestine.

My name is Linnea, I am from Germany and I am working as a marketing manager.

I came to Palestine for participating in the human rights program and study Arabic. I spent in total six weeks in Hebron.

The human rights program mainly consists of various visits to different organizations, institutions and meeting people who live under occupation in Hebron. I really enjoyed the human rights program because it helps to get a better understanding of the political and societal situation in the West Bank and especially in Hebron. At some point, it is also very challenging to process all the information and especially when it comes to meeting people living under occupation and hearing about their daily life in Hebron.

What I liked the most about Palestine are the people! This is one of the most hospitable society I’ve ever been to. Everywhere you go people invite you for coffee or lunch and make you instantly feel like part of their family. Although adapting to a new surrounding is very challenging in the beginning, Palestinians make it easy for you to feel at home. This also applied to my host family: from the first moment I was part of the family and they were giving me space but also invited for lunch or diner and kept their door always open for me.
And also I felt that especially the kids are amazing in Palestine: so energetic, open, interested, kind and warm-hearted. I really enjoyed being part of this society!

During my time in Palestine I also had Arabic classes. My teacher was amazing because it was a great mixture of being challenged but still feeling very comfortable during the course. Every time I felt like I was learning something new and the classes were also a lot of fun and great memories!

Besides the program the center also organizes other activities such as having dinner together at the center or visit other places in the West Bank. It’s perfect for a change and to get to know the staff and other volunteers/internationals.

Regarding safety - I felt quite safe in Hebron. You can easily walk alone in the main areas during the day time and most of the people are very helpful and supportive. If you keep in mind several things such as not walking alone at night in quite areas or when alone, sitting in the back of a taxi then everything is fine. These are precautions you mostly take in any other city in the world.

I’d definitely recommend the human rights program if you’re interested in learning more about the situation of Palestinians. Although after some time it also becomes tough to mentally process everything you see, hear and experience.

For me it was a life changing experience as I could experience and learn about a completely different life and circumstances which really made me value and appreciate the freedom and equality I have back home!

Thank you for this great experience and keep on bringing people together 😊!