Human Rights Program Review

My name is Cormac and I’m from Ireland. I have a master’s degree in political science and volunteered in the human rights program at the Excellence Centre. Overall, it was a fantastic experience. Each day we met different political actors and learned a lot about the quotidian aspects of Palestinian culture and life in Hebron. The randomness of each day allowed us to immerse ourselves within the centre which gave me an understanding of the country I don’t think I could have gotten back home.
The site visits varied greatly from industries to commerce and also a number of human rights organisations. We also were taught by teachers in the centre about apartheid here in Palestine and I had the opportunity to learn Arabic as well. These lessons were taught by Marwa who took great care and was very encouraging throughout each class. The centre’s other teachers were also very accommodating and helpful.
As each weekend approached, I visited Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Ramallah, places I never thought I’d get the chance to go to.
My overall experience was one I will never forget and I will definitely be visiting again.