By: Greta Giovani

I spent two weeks at An-Najah National University in Nablus, talking with students and ‎taking part in a cultural exchange. Zajel organised trips all around Palestine including ‎Bethlehem, Ramallah, Qalqilya, Rawabi, Hebron, and many other villages. I appreciated ‎the existence of several learning levels: cultural, political, historical, social and human. We ‎were also shown traditional dresses and dances, we tasted Arabic coffee and food, and ‎we discussed economic and political problems. For example, the lack of human rights, the ‎troubles in water management, and the freedom of movement.

Most of the time I lived in cheerful harmony, making new friends and overcoming ‎stereotypes and cultural differences. I also had to face harsh situations such as passing ‎through checkpoints and observing the difficult lives people have in the refugee camps. ‎One of the most significant experiences was the apartheid wall, which is a symbol of ‎control, repression, and division. Despite this, many artists try to make the wall talk ‎through the universal language of street art.

The volunteers in Zajel and the people of Palestine always say “welcome home”: you ‎will travel in the Middle East, in a conflict zone, with people in an incessant struggle…but ‎you will always feel at home.