By: Ashar Johnston

I do not have the literary skill to convey my admiration for all of the wonderful people ‎that I have met on this programme. From the incredibly inspirational lecturers, to the ‎supportive and welcoming local volunteers, to the committed and intelligent students, to ‎the patient and intriguing communities that we visited. Everyone we talked to had stories ‎to share and generosity and warmth in abundance, nothing I have experienced has come ‎close to leaving me with a greater sense of perspective and sense of gratitude for people ‎that are compassionate, resilient and kind.‎

The International Youth Exchange Programme (Zajel) of the Public Relations Department ‎at An-Najah concluded the activities of its 3rd international voluntary camp that included ‎‎13 international volunteers who worked on developing students’ practical and lingual ‎skills and competencies in English through a series of workshops on successful public ‎speaking and effective conversation skills.‎

There are many informative visits that framed the historical context of the occupation and ‎we learned about a variety of solutions and challenges. This allowed us to form our own ‎understanding and we were encouraged to ask questions to clarify personal areas of ‎interest. As an international I felt safe and secure, although some trips were quite tense ‎due to the intimidations of the Israeli army. Hearing firsthand accounts of people who ‎have had their houses demolished, been arrested, and who were living in refugee camps ‎was emotionally exhausting at points. But witnessing the resolve and perseverance of the ‎Palestinians was a powerful example of how hope can manifest in extremely difficult ‎situations.    ‎