Zajel welcomes 45 priests of the Lutheran Church in Norway

10th, September 2008

In cooperation with the Alternative Tourism Group, the Zajel Youth Exchange Program of the Public Relations Department at An-Najah National University welcomed a Norwegian delegation on the 10^th September.

The 45 visitors were various priests of the diocese of the Lutheran Church in Borg (Norway), among them the Bishop Helga Haugland Byfuglien. The diocese in Borg is in partnership with the Lutheran Church in Betlehem, but apart from the religious purpose, the intention of their visit in Palestine was also to understand the culture, society and the daily life here.

First the group was welcomed by the Director of the Public Relations Department, Dr. Musaddaq Al-Masri, the Dean of the Law Faculty, Dr. Akram Daoud, and long term volunteer Maria York, who works in the Right to Education of the PR, and Ala' Abu Dheer, the Coordinator of the Zajel Youth Exchange Program.

Dr. Masri gave a short overview of the general structure and the social achievements of the university. Then Dr. Daoud addressed the audience, calling attention to the importance of the presence of international visitors in Nablus. He concentrated his speech on the daily life and the precarious situation of students in Palestine before Mr. Abu Dheer explained the different components of the Zajel Youth Exchange Program: its volunteer program, study visits, the summer camps and video conferences. Concluding the visit at An-Najah, Ms Maria York, the long-term volunteer from Norway, introduced the visitors to the Right to Education Campaign.

After a short tour of the campus, the group visited the Anglican Hospital St. Luke's, where Dr. Walid Kerry, the General Manager, guided the group around the hospital and showed them the procedures for emergency cases and briefed them on the infrastructure of the hospital.

Finally Mr. Abu Dheer showed the group around the old city of Nablus, which is one of the oldest continously inhabited cities in the region. Apart from appreaciating the remarkable architecture and the medieval atmosphere, the group especially enjoyed the opportunity to talk to the various volunteers of Zajel who accompanied them. Saying their goodbyes, the group sincerely expressed the wish to spend more time in Nablus.

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