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Hope for Tomorrow – The
7th Annual International Voluntary Workcamp
Volunteers from
around the world came to Nablus to participate in the 7th Annual
International Voluntary Workcamp "Hope for Tomorrow",
organised as part of An-Najah National University's Zajel Youth
Exchange Program. Zajel, carrier pigeon in Arabic, resents both
communication and peace, symbolizing the objectives of the
program. The 60th Anniversary of the 'Nakba', or the
Catastrophe of 1948 which saw the devastation of the land,
culture, and people of Palestine, added significance to this
year's Workcamp. The sixteen-day summer program was attended by
volunteers representing over fourteen different nationalities,
including young people from Canada, Spain, Britain, Norway,
America, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Czech
Republic, Netherlands, Estonia, and South Africa. These
individuals came together with local Palestinians in order to gain
a better understanding and firsthand experience of life under
occupation, as well as to contribute to the livelihoods of the
children living in the New Askar Refugee Camp located in the city
of Nablus. They stayed in a remodelled palace called Qaser al-Qasem
belonging to the University, located near the new campus of An-Najah
National University in the village of Beit Wazan. The palace was
built in 1820 by Sheikh Qasim Al-Ahmad in a traditional
Palestinian style.
The Workcamp
provided an opportunity for internationals to hear about the
difficulties faced by the locals, whose narratives are rarely
heard in Western media, while simultaneously learning firsthand
about the beauty of the culture, language and people of Palestine.
Zajel also offered the local volunteers an opportunity to exchange
fascinating stories with other young people from very different
backgrounds. Each day the volunteers provided educational and
recreational services such as counselling, sports, art and drama
activities for the children of the New Askar Refugee Camp,
including some disabled children. During the evenings, many
activities and events were organized for the volunteers.
These included trips to a Turkish bathhouse and the homes of local
families, as well as an 'international night' which offered the
international volunteers the opportunity to describe the history,
culture, and traditions of their own countries.
The volunteers
were divided into groups based on their personal experiences and
interests to work at the Social Development Centre at Askar
Refugee Camp near Nablus. The Centre was established in 2000 in
cooperation with multiple Palestinian youth groups that provide
services to the local refugee communities. The counselling team
focused on promoting self-confidence and releasing tension that
has built up in the children from living in stressful conditions
through both group and individual sessions. Those working on art
projects provided a number of workshops encouraging the children
to express themselves by creating art out of common items such as
bottles, plastic, plants, and rocks. The sports team supervised
and participated in athletic activities with the children. Drama
and play productions provided yet another means of self expression
that also strengthened the children’s social skills. A mural
committee encouraged teamwork between the volunteers and children
while creating a long-lasting end product that brightens the city.
The
Zajel Summer Youth Workcamp “Hope for Tomorrow” offered a
memorable experience for the 34 internationals who took part in
the program, which ran from 14th to 30th
June 2008. In addition to their valuable work at Askar camp, the
group of international students and professionals had the
opportunity to meet and discuss the Middle East conflict, share
ideas, enhance their practical skills, foster relationships, give
assistance to members of the Palestinian community and benefit
from attending lectures and cultural events hosted by leading
academics.
Prof Rami Hamdallah, The
University President, met with the international students and said
that student exchange programs are an important bridge for
enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between peoples and
cultures as well as a major force in working towards world peace.
He added that An-Najah National University has a long history of
exchange projects with foreign universities and has built strong
links with many universities in Europe and Arab countries.
President Hamdallah called on international universities to have
more exchanges and cooperation with An-Najah, and welcomed more
international students to study at An-Najah.
The Director of the Public
Relations Department, Dr. Nabil Alawi, reinforced the importance
of the internationals as ambassadors of the country after having
experienced living alongside the Palestinians under occupation. He
also valued the attendance of the internationals as a symbol of
their solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Mr
Ala' Abu Dheer, Coordinator of An-Najah's Zajel Youth Exchange
Program, said that An-Najah will continue to expand communication
and cooperation with international universities and promote mutual
understanding and friendship between young people in Palestine and
other countries.
Mr
Amjad Refai`, Director of the Askar Development Centre said that
the international volunteers learnt a lot from their work in New
Askar Refugee Camp. He commented that the arrival of the Zajel
volunteers every year is an event eagerly awaited by the children
of the camp.
Cultural
activities and evening entertainment
The busy program of
cultural activities enabled the internationals to learn about the
unique culture of Palestine. A series of lectures and talks by
academics and other prominent figures was arranged to give the
internationals a better understanding of the historical context to
the conflict as well as up-to-date information about the situation
in Palestine today. Mr Sae’d Abu Hijleh gave a concise
presentation on the history of Palestine, using maps and other
images. Nameer Al-Khayat from the Chamber of Commerce talked about
economics in Palestine, unemployment, poverty and trade. The
international volunteers also heard from Prof Curtis Doebler, An
American lawyer teaching in the Faculty of Law at the University,
who spoke about the Palestinian Question in relation to United
Nations resolutions. Meanwhile, Ala Badarneh, a Palestinian
journalist, spoke about the experiences of local journalists who
cover the news in Palestine and the dangers that they constantly
face. Lucy Royal, Coordinator of the Right to Education Campaign
at the University, gave an informative talk about the importance
of education in Palestine. Ala' Abu Daher, who has published a
book of witnesses’ accounts of the Nakba, spoke about some of the
refugees’ terrible experiences and the broader significance of the
Nakba sixty years on.
One of the highlights of
the Workcamp was the visit to the Samaritans, where Priest Husni
Al-Samri spoke about the history of the community in Nablus. The
volunteers learnt about how the Samaritans have dealt with the
occupation and that they enjoy good relations with the other sects
in the Nablus area. During a visit to Balata refugee camp, Fayez
Arafat from the Jaffa Culture Centre spoke about the establishment
of the camp and an interview took place with an eyewitness of the
Nakba. This was an incredibly moving experience for everyone who
attended as they were left in tears after listening to an elderly
refugee recount his dreams of one day being able to return to his
home in what is now Israel. The cultural program also included
visits to local NGOs, historical sites, the Old City and an
industrial area, as well as trips to Bethlehem, Hebron and
Ramallah. Thus, even though the program is based in Nablus, it is
designed to give international participants a wider insight into
the current situation throughout the West Bank.
In addition to the
cultural events, regular visits to local coffee shops, and fun
trips to places like Al-Badan springs near Nablus, the
participants attended a traditional Palestinian Dabka show, and
visited the Turkish baths in the Old City. During the Workcamp
there was even a hip-hop party, a performance by a French band,
and a football match held in the stadium of the University between
the local and international volunteers.
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