Palestinian Law, Human Rights, & Palestinian Refugees Internships

It was a very unique expierence because we got to see a totally different country than we would have as tourists. We spend a lot of time talking with Palestinians which was really interesting to hear the stories from the people themselves in stead of in the media. I enjoyed the Arabic lessons so we are able to make smalltalk with other people our age in this country.
The Excellence Center gave us a totally different picture of Palestine than I am used to see in the media. They also gave us a lot of chances to see a lot of the country which was really great.
I met a lot of very nice international people here and I hope to come back soon to Palestine.

This was my first experience in both Palestine as a whole and the first city to visit in Al Khalil. I joined the law and human rights programme with the Excellence Centre for a week and it was truly eye opening and insightful. What we see in the media is only a small glimpse of the reality here on the ground. I was able to talk to legal professionals and their lives here in Hebron and I was able to talk to locals and understand their struggles living under occupation and segregation. I feel more inspired to do more to promote human rights now and can't wait to be back in Al Khalil again!

Hebron is also quite safe, even walking at night, there are many women and even when we travelled to Bethlehem, the locals made sure to help us get an affordable ride back to Hebron.

I came to Palestine eager to learn more about the country, culture and people and to also lend a helping hand in whatever way i could and I have been extremely satisfied by my experience here at the excellence center. I was staying with an amazing host family that provided me with a great home to rest and relax and enjoy with them. I have also been able to volunteer with the refugees and learn more about them and their livelihoods and it was an amazing experience.

My biggest takeaway would be the people in palestine. They are some of the, if not, best people ive met on my travels. Eveyrone has been so kind and helpful and I have never felt safer anywhere else. Safety, in general, was a concern of mine when coming but it soon became something I neve thought about because of how safe and welcomed I felt. I never expereinced anything that felt like it would put me in danger or any situations where I felt unsafe and that was really awesome and relieving. I absolutely will be back and am excited to return here.

Thank you so much Excellence Center and my brilliant host family for giving me an amazing trip to remember and god bless everyone here in this amazing city (Hebron) and country!

My name is Mami, I am from Japan, currently I undertake a postgraduate study in migration and development. I participated in “Volunteering for Palestinian Refugees” program between 8th January to 21st January 2023.

Homestay
During my 2 weeks, I was at a homestay with a family in Hebron, with another Dutch girl also volunteering for the excellence centre. My host family was absolutely amazing, one of the warmest people in the world with a lovely sense of humour. They have experience hosting over 11 years, to more than 40 people from all around the world. In their apartment, myself and another Dutch girl shared a bedroom separate from the family’s house and provided us with a private shower and toilet for us to share. We were often invited to eat with them and have a chat in the evening around their fireplace, and the living room was always filled with laughter.
Spending time with this lovely family, I started to think a lot about what it means to be happy, what we should seek in our life. It was so nice to see many people visiting every day, and relatives having tight knit communities. They also mentioned how children are raised by the whole family and relatives, which is very different from what mothers experience in Japan or in the West. I deeply appreciate all the kindness they have given me through the homestay and thank also the excellence centre to introduce this family to me.

Safety in Hebron
Although the situations for Palestinians are complicated, I felt very safe in the city as a foreigner. There was not one moment when I felt in danger. In my opinion, this is the most welcoming place I have ever been as a foreigner, with people saying hi, welcome to you everyday on the street with smiles, and I never experienced any racism nor those pushing to make you buy something / trying to rip you off. 3G network works well in most places, although you need to get a SIM card from here (the one from Tel-Aviv didn’t work in Hebron).

To the Excellence Centre
Thank you so much for everything. It has been a wonderful 2 weeks here in Hebron.
I don’t know how I can give back all the kindness you and people I have met here have offered to me, but I would like to share the stories I have heard during my stay and encourage others to also come to Palestine to experience for themselves.

Just one tip for travelling – Don’t come on Friday night / Saturday morning. There is no public transportation and private taxis could be very expensive. All other days, you can travel by affordable trains from airport to Jerusalem and then shared taxi from Jerusalem Damascus gate to Hebron.

I spent three weeks at the center and I came in not knowing what to expect. It was the first big/ long trip I have taken on my own, and I could not have asked for a better experience. The center is full of kind and welcoming people, who took me throughout to city to learn more about Palestine and the struggles of the people who live here. My time here was so informative and such a wonderful overall experience. Additionally, I stayed with the most wonderful family who took me in and treated me like a daughter. I hope I have the opportunity to come back soon!

I am Amelia, age 31, I spent a week going the Women's Rights programme. Every day was an incredible chance to be immersed in the culture, politics, people, joy, laughter and sadness that the amazing city of Hebron has to offer. The staff were some of kindest, most passionate people I've met, I felt fully supported. I felt completely safe as solo female traveller, the locals couldn't do enough to help you. My hosts became family to me. This is a life changing trip -I can't recommend your visit enough!

I came to Hebron for 1 week to understand the Human Rights issues between the Israeli and Palestinenian people. The week was an eye opener and I got to visit many places including the refugee camps as well as womens centre and spoke to Palestinian families in the H2 area of Hebron.
The Excellence Centre are a fantastic programme who raise awareness through international students/volunteers and show the issues that the people are dealing with. Marwa and Osama are great people! I have really enjoyed my time here and hope to come back again soon!
It is very safe in Hebron and at no point did I feel i could not travel alone or in a group. I came across no issues and would absoloutly recommend this program.

I was able to join the program only for 2 weeks, and was afraid it would not be long enough to learn much. It was certainly not long enough, but it was still very rich experience, and I feel I learned a lot through the stay. I was very warmly welcomed by the staff at the center as well as the host family, and the team tried to make my stay comfortable and meaningful. I was able to visit various organizations, sites, and had some time to do tourist visits as well, and the whole time I felt very safe. I am really glad I came, even if it was only for two weeks.