Between the 14
th and the
24
th of March, I took part in CADFA's women's visit to London,
together with other 11 young women living in London and 12 Palestinian women
from the West Bank. I was delighted to meet so many friendly faces and helpful
people and it was a pleasure to work with them. As a buddy and a host, I was
involved every day in a range of different activities: from participating in
presentations at universities, women's groups and human rights associations, to
making an animated film which was eventually presented to the public on
Saturday.
The
visit started with a three-day residential in East Grinstead where everybody
got to meet one another and share stories about our lives, as well as doing a
series of creative activities, cooking, going for walks, and taking lots of
pictures. The activities were divided into a British and a Palestinian day,
which included typical food and personal objects representing each one of our
lives. To start the week on Monday, the group went on a trip to Brighton and to
Sussex University where the girls had their first presentations in front of a
surprisingly large audience. At night, everybody went to their hosts in London
and I brought Zainab to my flat in South London.
On
Tuesday we showed some highlights of the city to the girls who were excited and
bewildered by the immensity of London. In the afternoon we started our animated
film project: working in groups, we collaborated to produce a sequence of
different stories that fit into a single 2-minutes film. Although at first we
were not sure about the quality of the work that we were creating, by the end
of the week we realised that the film was short but powerful and we were very
pleased with the result. On Wednesday my group had their first event at
Goldsmiths University. Although not many people took part, the presentations
were very successful and conveyed deep emotions, between shock, incredulity,
and sadness, to the listeners. The same response was given by the audience at
Roehampton University, which we visited later in the afternoon. I think that
the interest and curiosity of the listeners towards the Palestinian cause made
the girls feel satisfied by their presentations and positive about achieving
the aims of the visit.
On
Thursday my group went to speak at Nafsiat
, an intercultural psychotherapy
centre where we met with three psychotherapists who were very keen on hearing
the girls' personal stories. Not only they asked endless questions, but they
were enthusiastic about spreading the Palestinians' words to a larger public
and asked us to keep in touch and share the presentations' notes and pictures.
We also learnt a lot from their own work, which was of extreme interest to all
of us. On Friday we finally edited and finished our animated film and in the
evening everybody took part in an event of music and dance celebrating
Palestinian women. On Saturday, after showcasing our film, we all went to the
Central Mosque, where we met with the director, were introduced to the centre's
activities and had a lecture/presentation in front of part of the Muslim
community. In the evening we were sad but also excited to celebrate our final
event. Music and delicious Palestinian food made the atmosphere even more
unique and comfortable and, at the end of the night, some tears were shed for
the separation that awaited us the next day. Sunday was the day of departure of
our friends and of evaluation of the whole week.
Taking
part in the project has been a unique experience, which has increased my
awareness of the human rights abuses in Palestine as well as of the reality and
everyday struggles on the ground. I have also gained marvellous friends and
interesting contacts across London and in Palestine. The exchange has benefited
me on a personal level as well, by teaching me a life lesson on strength, the
importance of determination and cooperation in achieving one's aims and on the
possibilities that are created by establishing connections between people
across the world.
Between the 14th and the
24th of March, I took part in CADFA's women's visit to London,
together with other 11 young women living in London and 12 Palestinian women
from the West Bank. I was delighted to meet so many friendly faces and helpful
people and it was a pleasure to work with them. As a buddy and a host, I was
involved every day in a range of different activities: from participating in
presentations at universities, women's groups and human rights associations, to
making an animated film which was eventually presented to the public on
Saturday.
On
Tuesday we showed some highlights of the city to the girls who were excited and
bewildered by the immensity of London. In the afternoon we started our animated
film project: working in groups, we collaborated to produce a sequence of
different stories that fit into a single 2-minutes film. Although at first we
were not sure about the quality of the work that we were creating, by the end
of the week we realised that the film was short but powerful and we were very
pleased with the result. On Wednesday my group had their first event at
Goldsmiths University. Although not many people took part, the presentations
were very successful and conveyed deep emotions, between shock, incredulity,
and sadness, to the listeners. The same response was given by the audience at
Roehampton University, which we visited later in the afternoon. I think that
the interest and curiosity of the listeners towards the Palestinian cause made
the girls feel satisfied by their presentations and positive about achieving
the aims of the visit.
On
Thursday my group went to speak at Nafsiat, an intercultural psychotherapy
centre where we met with three psychotherapists who were very keen on hearing
the girls' personal stories. Not only they asked endless questions, but they
were enthusiastic about spreading the Palestinians' words to a larger public
and asked us to keep in touch and share the presentations' notes and pictures.
We also learnt a lot from their own work, which was of extreme interest to all
of us. On Friday we finally edited and finished our animated film and in the
evening everybody took part in an event of music and dance celebrating
Palestinian women. On Saturday, after showcasing our film, we all went to the
Central Mosque, where we met with the director, were introduced to the centre's
activities and had a lecture/presentation in front of part of the Muslim
community. In the evening we were sad but also excited to celebrate our final
event. Music and delicious Palestinian food made the atmosphere even more
unique and comfortable and, at the end of the night, some tears were shed for
the separation that awaited us the next day. Sunday was the day of departure of
our friends and of evaluation of the whole week.
Taking
part in the project has been a unique experience, which has increased my
awareness of the human rights abuses in Palestine as well as of the reality and
everyday struggles on the ground. I have also gained marvellous friends and
interesting contacts across London and in Palestine. The exchange has benefited
me on a personal level as well, by teaching me a life lesson on strength, the
importance of determination and cooperation in achieving one's aims and on the
possibilities that are created by establishing connections between people
across the world.
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