Palestinian Law, Human Rights, & Palestinian Refugees Internships

Activities
My main activity was teaching English to Palestinians of ages between 4 and 33. I did this in the Fawwar refugee camp as well as at the Excellence Center in Hebron. In both places this was very rewarding, as my students were basically already happy that I was just there, and even more when we had interesting conversations that encouraged them to further practice their English skills. It became apparent that in many cases, the interaction with me was the first opportunity to practice especially their spoken skills outside of a classroom. Often this motivated them to continue learning and improving their abilities to have a conversation in English.

Arabic Lessons
The Arabic lessons with Marwa were not only helpful and practical, but moreover set in a motivating learning atmosphere=) As I was in a host family that spoke mainly Arabic, at the beginning of my stay of course I barely could understand anything if my host mom wouldn't translate it for me. As time went by and I continued learning Arabic with Marwa, I was so happy to realize that my Arabic skills were improving quite fast. On the one hand, this was because I was in an environment in which I was highly exposed to written and spoken Arabic, but on the other hand it also had to do with the fact that Marwa focussed on teaching me very helpful vocabulary and grammar that I could use immediately. A big *thank you* to Marwa for the interesting and very useful lessons, and the relaxed atmosphere that enhanced my learning curve!

Center's Environment
I feel so lucky while I am writing this, because literally everyone was nice, welcoming and eager to make me belong! I enjoyed hanging around with the staff and the international fellows so much that I would find myself long after the classes have ended still sitting at the Center and having interesting (and funny!) conversations, e.g. about Palestinian culture and everyday life, about funny aspects of the English and Arabic language, about life in Hebron and many topics more. Now that my stay is coming to an end, I am full of gratitude (and sadness...) as it feels as if I have an extended family in Hebron now - it includes all those who beautified my time at the Excellence Center.

Visits
The Excellence Center made possible many visits that were tailored to my interests and wishes - I am very grateful that so many doors were opened to enhance my knowledge and experience of Palestinian life in the West Bank. These included tours through the Old City of Hebron and the Ibrahimi Mosque as well as a kindergarden and community center in the Old City; an excursion to Ramallah; a tour through a women-only kitchen that supplies food to families and school canteens; experiencing the graduation party at a school for blind children; visiting the only Kufiyyah factory in the whole of Palestine; going on a hike to see Palestine's beautiful nature; giving a class at the Tanweer Center in Beit Ummar; and incredibly insightful excursions to the Law faculty at Hebron University and to the Chamber of Commerce in Hebron.
All of these visits enhanced my understanding of Palestinian life in the West Bank significantly and the open exchanges were incredibly insight- and fruitful!

Living with a host family
Eventhough I lived a bit outside of Hebron in a town close-by (about 20 minutes by car away), very early on I came to see it as a privilege: Firstly, I had more nature surrounding me and the commute to Hebron made for a nice division between "work time" and "leisure time." Secondly, I had a more nuanced experience of town-life and city-life, as there are slight differences between the two. In a nutshell, I got to see another layer of Palestinian life that would have otherwise been hidden. Most importantly, my host family was incredibly welcoming. From day one, I was part of the family, and this weren't empty words, but lived everyday experience. At the beginning, I had to adjust to the fact that being part of the family means also not having as much me-time as I was used to in Europe, yet I communicated that openly, as well as my vegetarianism. At first this was slightly frowned upon due to its unusual nature: "Me-time instead of us-time? And no meat? You are weird..." But as time progressed, so did the acceptance of my host family, and at visits to other family members they would even advocate for me and explain why I wouldn't eat meat. So I highly recommend being aware of your boundaries, setting them straight at the beginning and bringing along a notch of patience - sooner than later you'll enjoy your time as a family member and you won't want to leave.

Safety and Security in Palestine
As a lone woman in a foreign country you're always faced with the question of how safe it is being in the streets on your own. I have to say, here in Hebron there wasn't one incident in which I felt unsafe or menaced. Quite on the contrary people here are very courteous and eager to ensure you have a pleasant time. For unseasoned female travellers: As a woman that is noticeably from a different country, you will get looked at (briefly, but noticeably) when you walk on the streets. But this is due to the fact that tourists here are rare, and thus it is unusual to see foreigners. A male fellow international told us that he got looked at because he wore shorts, which is again a highly unusual thing here lol. I can say from my own experience that even these incidents are short, and of a friendly kind. Thus I wouldn't hesitate to recommend coming here and seeing for yourself how welcoming, kind the people here are - they're curious and grateful to get to know you.

What I liked most about Palestine
What I liked most about Palestine was definitely the people. The resilience and joy of the people I have met here is impressive and heartwarming at the same time. The sense of gratitude that I got from so many acquaintances about me being here and wanting to know more about Palestinian life was so overwhelming. Often I felt unreasonably special, but I quickly learned that this stems from a culture in which hospitality is a high, if not the highest virtue and I felt this every day I spent here. I am very grateful to having gained so many new, interesting, and honest friendships and already look forward to - insha'Allah - coming soon again!

My favorite experience in Palestine
There were so many nice incidents during my time here! One of the funniest was when my fellow international friend Sheila and I gave our last class in the Fawwar refugee camp. We thought of having a nice game of musical chairs and every time someone would lose a round, they had to make a sentence in English with a given noun, verb, and adjective. Everyone took each round so serious and truly wanted to get a seat, it was hilarious and we had so much fun while actually learning English!

Recommendation
My time here is unforgettable, so many doors to places and people's hearts were opened thanks to the Excellence Center. If you are interested in more than just a superficial tourist-y glimpse, I highly recommend coming here and taking part in Palestinian everyday life according to your interests and wishes. Not only will you be warmly welcomed, but moreover contribute to lasting learning experiences - the local's, the internationals', and your own.

Having started my experience with the Excellence Centre (EC) with the Refugee Programme, I spoke with Osama and Marwa to change my programme on to the Human Rights Programme. Having enjoyed my experience in Al Fawar Refugee camp, and having watched another two volunteers join the Human Rights Programme, I was curious to see what I could learn from it.

The format of the programme consisted of attending meetings, tours and Q&A sessions with a variety of professionals and groups. Ranging from social issues to political ones, I was fortunate enough to sit in on meetings with, and learn from, human rights activists, women's rights activists, lawyers, local charities and NGO's, radio personalities and journalists, whilst also doing tours of contested areas.

Each day was different on this programme and what you learnt would all depend on who you met. There were highly enlightening discussions we took part in, such as the political talk we had with The Human Rights Defenders Group. Every meeting we had was different in nature, and on some occasions we would have discussions with individuals whose core principals were very different to my own, though I found this added more value to the programme as the possibility to have an in-depth conversation with someone with an opposing point of view, about a sensitive topic, is not an opportunity which comes by often.

Every so often the programme would spring up a day which you would not expect. Like the day we were taken to the Hebron Blind Charity Association. A fantastic experience in which we met a group of people who put their heart and souls into empowering the blind children of the city. In an occupied land, where restrictions are placed on almost every aspect of life, it was inspirational to see an organisation such as this thriving.

Each individual room was purposefully and thoughtfully crafted, the equipment of the highest quality and the structure well thought out to not just give the blind children a safe and loving place to grow, but also where they are prepared to enter the real world without letting their lack of vision holding them back. Having the privilege to witness this charity, I found another form of resistance, one which succeeds under any circumstances.

The Human Rights Programme is one in which you will have both memorable and forgettable days, but the options will always be given to you. You will get great insight from a variety of perspectives about what life is like in Palestine, and one of its key strengths, as with any programme you choose with the Excellence Centre, is that if you are open and communicative with Marwa and Osama about what it is you want, they will go above and beyond to get it for you.

Being in Palestine is an experience that everyone should really have. As an American Jewish person, I felt compelled to come to the West Bank, to see for myself what the situation is, and to be amongst a community that could share with me a perspective we don't get in America. While I was initially trepidatious to out myself, after a week everyone knew- and no one cared. On the contrary people were supportive, thoughtful, and wanted to engage in meaningful conversation - overall people seemed to just want to laugh, and not live under occupation.

The Excellence Center itself is staffed with warm hearts, willing to help, willing to share, and wanting to learn. Most everyone speaks English well, and being an educator myself, can say that the educators there are quite good.

The communication could be a little clearer overall, and the programming more clearly laid out. As well, one can expect the living accommodations to not meet Western standards.

All in all, I'd give the Excellence Center high marks, in creating a welcoming community, that is oriented toward learning and cross pollination.

My name is Ann Marie and I am from Ireland. I took part in the Human Rights programme at the Excellence Center in order to meet with prominent Civil Society Organisations in Hebron to get a sense of how the Israeli occupation impacts the lives of people in Palestinian, and to get some ideas on topics I could research for my final masters thesis.

I met with human rights organisations, women’s groups, environmental groups, legal professionals as well as activists, to get an all round sense of the situation on the ground, and the challenges these organisations face in advocating for people’s freedoms and rights.

I took Arabic lessons 3 times a week and my overall experience of learning at the center was really professional and interesting. The Excellence Center lived up to my expectations and more.

As well as the professional learning experience from the staff at the centre, there is also the added experience of learning from the ever present and transient international visiting group as well as the added experience of getting to live with a host Palestinian family. I was hosted by a lady called Sada who has become a friend for life, who showed me true Palestinian hospitality. The center also organised fun days out to experience other areas of Palestine and to keep the experience interactive and light. I would encourage anyone to come to Palestine. In light of current world events, the situation in Palestine needs to remain in the minds of all of us in the International community in order to provide solidarity and advocacy for the people of Palestine.

The experience in Palestine is unique and cannot be found anywhere else. The Excellence Center provides as an amazing host in Hebron. From the moment I arrived in Palestine they constantly made sure I was happy and feeling safe. With Arabic lessons, visiting cultural sites, teaching English courses; there is endless information and experience to gain. The host families are warm and welcoming, there is never a moment that you do not feel safe in Hebron. Today there is a lot of negative media about Hebron but once you are here it is not even noticeable.

The Excellence Center is not only a great educational program, it is a great community leader and facilitator of civic relationships. It provides a thorough introduction to the culture and people of Hebron and the West Bank. The people of Hebron themselves are warm and welcoming, and there is no shortage of community activity and sharing. The introduction to historic sites and landmarks is compelling and the EC team is committed to providing all visitors with a thorough understanding, of Hebron and its history.

I came to Palestine after studying abroad in England for one year in the field of peace Studies program. Here at the Excellence Center, I joined two-month internship programs that consist of some short trips, two-week intensive Arabic lessons, and teaching English program.

As for the Arabic course, I really enjoyed every class for two weeks and I can now make simple sentences in Arabic, although I had not studied the language before. Apart from the classes, my Palestinian friends at the center, such as the teachers, stuff, and volunteers, were willing to teach me Arabic when they had time. Thanks to everyone here, I came to love this language. I would like to continue studying Arabic after I go back home.

In addition to that, teaching English to the local students was great, although it was hard at the same time. Students here listened to me very attentively, which helped me a lot. Due to the language barrier, certainly there were times when I struggled over how to communicate with them, but they were full of curiosity about different cultures and tried speaking eagerly to me in English. They always motivated me to do my best for them. I will miss my students I got to work with this summer in Palestine!

Most importantly, what made my stay in Palestine wonderful and unforgettable were the people themselves. Hebron is often said to be the most conservative city in Palestine, but it doesn’t necessarily mean exclusive. People in this city are very friendly and I received a warm welcome from them. The warm and welcoming atmosphere especially at the Excellence Center made me feel like part of the family. I hope I can come back to this place! You don’t need to worry about coming to Palestine alone. I am sure you will have lots of fond memories here.

I spent two months in Hebron, Palestine with the Excellence Center, and honestly, it was probably one of the best life choices I’ve ever made. I don’t think I can describe how much this internship helped me to develop as a person and as an Arabic speaker. Through the host family experience and the Arabic courses, I went from someone who could speak some Arabic, but was extremely timid and never did so, to someone who is comfortable having conversations in Arabic, even if I’m not 100% positive on how to say certain things. The Arabic I learned in the classes here is called Khalili- which is the local dialect in Hebron (Khalil in Arabic). Learning this dialect has helped to connect me to the local population, my host family, and helped me to be able to ask questions on the street in a dialect that is familiar to everyone here. However, one can also study Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) if that is what they want to do.

When I first arrived at the Center I was a nervous wreck, I’ve recently arrived in a foreign country, didn’t know what to expect, and didn’t know anyone here beyond exchanging emails. However, I was welcomed here with open arms, by both the staff and the amazing manager and the other volunteers. I was instantly relieved and was greeted by my host family shortly after. After my intensive Arabic courses were over I had different political tours of Hebron filled with information and many different people’s perspectives of the occupation and life in Palestine. From visiting the governorate to seeing the near ghost town of H2, every visit was educational, interesting, and important for my time in Hebron.

For the last section of my time in Hebron, I was teaching English. I mainly had my own classes but did assist other teachers when needed. This section changed my life. I came into this internship wanting to work for my government and left wanting to continue teaching English as a second language in an Arab country (hopefully Palestine). The kids in my classes were mainly interested, at least half the class wanted to be there and paid attention when I was teaching, as a student of foreign languages this is truly a rarity. These students have made me laugh, challenged me, and turned me into a more patient and kinder person. They have shown me that students can be interested in foreign languages and that with the right students teaching is less of a job than a past time. I highly recommend anyone who is thinking about coming to Hebron to teach, learn Arabic, volunteer, intern, etc. to do it. This is a life-changing experience that is not available elsewhere, as in nowhere else is there the welcoming, loving, family environment that the Excellence Center in Palestine provides.