Nablus - On Sunday, February 14^th, the Research Journalism Initiative (RJI) in cooperation with Zajel Youth Exchange Program facilitated a videoconference between An Najah National University and the Model United Nations (MUN) at Georgetown University in Washington DC. The exchange featured Mr. Saad Abdel Haqq, a representative of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and Beesan Ramadan, a local activist and student at An-Najah National University.

Mr. Abdel Haqq shared a PowerPoint presentation of maps detailing the conditions of the West Bank and Gaza. He started by explaining the situation in Gaza and explained there are only three crossings into the strip, all of which are controlled by Israel. He highlighted that Israel has not allowed the entry of raw materials, medical supplies or adequate food, which affected life in Gaza. The presentation was then followed by a question / answer session.

A student from the MUN asked if the distance between the West Bank and Gaza created emotional and national distance between the people. Beesan Ramadan answered that the geographical space did create an emotional and national distance between people, "but we're still one nation," she said. ".

The RJI’s program at An Najah National University in Nablus is designed to provide new opportunities for cooperation between Palestinian students and their counterparts across the world. RJI is a project of the Assistant to the President for International and Strategic Affairs at An Najah National University and is hosted as an independent global studies initiative at the Korean-Palestinian IT Institute for Excellence. For more information, please visit us at www.RJIPalestine.net.