Human Rights Program Review

Marhaba my name is Angela and I’m from the United States. I recently graduated with a degree in political science and the program I participated in at the Excellence Center was the Israel and Palestine in Context Internship. I stayed at the Excellence Center for one month and did various activities everyday. There were frequent visits to offices around Hebron that dealt with different aspects of society. They ranged from governmental offices to local artist studios. Throughout each of these visits, we were able to inquire about their work and how the unique situation of Palestine affects their work. The Excellence Center also provides Arabic lessons so that everyone is able to master basic communication that is vital for moving around Hebron and Palestine as a whole. Because of this I hope to continue my lessons in Arabic back home. The staff and teachers at the Excellence Center are passionate about their work and are especially helpful to the international volunteers. They are eager to teach us Arabic and about the complexity of their daily lives. The students at the Excellence Center are sweet and enthusiastic about learning English and practicing with the internationals. Since the location of Hebron is ideal within the West Bank, I was able to travel every weekend to Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Nablus. The Excellence Center also provided great information about traveling to these areas and the types of activities we can do. However, I greatly enjoyed my time spent in Hebron due to the hospitality and generosity from the host family. This was one of the best parts of my time in Palestine because I was able to fully immerse myself within the beautiful Palestinian culture and even practice my Arabic. Not only did my host family make me feel protected but Hebron as a whole is a very safe city. Internationals do typically stick out but it is not a bad thing since many Palestinians are eager to speak with us and invite us over for coffee. I am grateful to the Excellence Center for providing such an amazing experience to me and all the internationals