By Ana Dauli

I will start my reflection on the Youth Exchange Summer Camp with the first two ideas that came to my mind. First of all, the extraordinary work that is being done in this university on behalf of the students. It is an example of hope and determination to be admired and followed. My congratulations to Zajel Program. The second point is about the importance of this summer camp in the rebuilding of my idea of Palestinians. They are enduring very difficult times with the occupation; the apartheid state we witnessed in the checkpoint areas shocked and saddened me mostly. It is hard to believe that such things may happen in our century. But, on the other hand, I could also see the light side of their faces. They shared their smiles and joy with us; they are now much closer to me and I’m really grateful.

In only fourteen days we visited a lot of wonderful places: Bethlehem, Galilea and the sunrise in the desert by the Dead Sea. Sabastia and Hebron were the most impressive experiences, because we could feel centuries of history, and how ancient and rich Palestinian people and culture are. However, there were everywhere the tracks of destruction left by the yet unsolved conflicts that affect this part of the world, always reminding us of the dark side of humanity.

Parallel to these visits, I’ve spent my time in the An-Najah University (Old Campus) supporting workshops and having informal conversations with the students. I realized how motivated and open minded they are, always asking questions, willing to learn more and more about the world abroad. On the other hand, they let us know how life is in Nablus, one of the cities where some freedom can be breathed, although the present situation in Palestine is always in people’s minds and actually affects their daily lives. In one of the lectures we attended we learned about the effects of this situation on people’s health.

After this experience in Palestine, we feel more human and compelled to give our best to help build a peaceful world where freedom is the key word.