Small actions can have big impact on people. Even a smile can change people, make them happy. So, imagine what dialogue would do. Even greater than that living amongst different people, walk in their streets, and eat their food. That is why people like to travel to places like Paris, or Rome. But there are other people who pick different cities for different reasons. In the case of Dominique Schafer she chose the city of Nablus in Palestine.
Dominique is a South African student volunteering in the Public Relations Department at An-Najah University in Palestine. She is currently there and I had the opportunity to ask her about her experience there. She told me, “I wanted to have a completely different experience, and I have always been interested in this area. I decided to come to Palestine to find out what it’s really like over here.” In the Public Relations Department she works with students in the university. She edits English articles, writes reports, and proposals for the university’s website. She went on saying, “There are always loads of students coming into the office, so i get to meet really interesting people all day… I also I teach English conversation classes. I enjoy this because it allows me to interact with students on a personal level. I have made friends with many of my pupils and they sometimes invite me to their houses for supper. This is really great coz I get to experience Palestinian food (which is delicious) and they get to practice their English.”
view from the campus
with a new friend
At the University there is an “Ambassadors” program for the university students which is a workshop held every weekend to prepare students for the international sphere. She did a workshop on intercultural relations. She told me that “most students here have never left Nablus, never mind the country!… it was really interesting to hear their perspectives on the west. The point of the workshop was to try and remove the stigma associated with foreigners, and to make them realize that we all have to be accommodating of each other’s cultures.”
However, she said it is hard to be a foreigner in Nablus, since it tends to be isolated especially as a woman. “Many people have never left the city due to the Israeli Occupation. For this reason, Nablus is extremely conservative and deeply entrenched in Muslim traditions. Even though I dress very conservatively ( I don’t reveal my legs, my shoulders, my feet or my chest) I still get a lot of attention. I hate the way men stare and call out to me. But Ijust have to remind myself that it’s because they have no idea how to behave towards foreigners. The only thing information they have about the western world is what they see on MTV. Besides the negative attention I get in the streets, I love the old city of Nablus” she explained.
However, she does not only teach, but she also learned a lot. She went on to say:
“I have realized just how distorted the images we receive about Palestine are. The majority of Palestinians are NOT militant Hamas supporters. They are kind, gentle and hospitable people. Not all of them are Muslim, and not all of them hate Jews. The images we receive through the Western mainstream media are clearly heavily biased in favor of Israel. I think it is really unfortunate how we have constructed such distorted stereotypes of these people.
I don’t think it is possible to come here and not be changed. Every person I meet has a tragic story relating to the occupation.
Nothing could have prepared me for the sheer beauty of Palestine – the landscapes, the architecture, the culture and the people. I had barely had time to settle into my flat before people started inviting me to their homes for lunch, for dinner, to drink Arabic coffee, to smoke Shisha, to meet their families…. I have never been so overwhelmed by the hospitality and generosity of strangers.
At the local cafe smoking the Nargila
siting under an olive tree
At the same time, not even my years of growing up in South Africa could have prepared me for the tragedy that seeps every pore of every person, every building and every encounter. Stories of families separated because some members are sent to Gaza and others to the West Bank (since 2002 no travel has been allowed between the two Palestinian territories), or of brothers, fathers, husbands being held in prisons for no official reason, detained without trial. Stories of forced evictions, homes destroyed, parents killed, lives shattered, dreams of the future destroyed… The buildings are ancient and beautiful. Unfortunately many were bombed during the Intifada, and haven’t been repaired.
Every day thousands of students and staff at the An-Najah University in Nablus have to pass through the check points surrounding the city, just to attend their lectures. Sometimes they pass in 15 minutes, sometimes it takes 2 hours – it depends on the mood of the Israeli soldier. Sometimes they are publicly humiliated, forced to undress, and often they are turned back because “no men under 35 years of age” may pass through that day. Last year, on a day when men were not allowed to pass into Nablus, a group of students skirted the checkpoint and attempted to reach the University by walking over the nearby mountain. They were shot by a sniper watching from the arm base. Every night the Israeli army comes into the Nablus old city and to the nearby Balata refugee camp, supposedly looking for “wanted terrorists,” but at the same time, forcing the people – men, women and children- who live there to live their daily lives in constant fear of eviction, of being caught in random outbursts of gunfire, of being mistaken for a “terrorist.” Life has become valueless. Death has become a statistic.
Posters of the lost lives who once lived in the old city
bombed building
I especially love the markets. Nablus is famous for its soap (made of olive oil), falafels and sweets – so you can imagine the delicious smells wafting over the city. The most famous “sweet” is called Konafah. It’s hard to describe, but is basically like a big pizza with goats cheese base and crusty sugar on top, drizzled with syrup. Sounds gross I know, but its really delicious. You buy it by the slice. People eat Konafah all day every day, and the most famous Konafah maker, makes over 100 batches a day!.
The market
Konafah at the sweet shop
All over the city there are loads of fresh fruit and vegetables stalls, and vendors walking around selling nuts, dates, spices, and strawberries. Another important tradition is ‘Nargila’ (aka water pipe/ hubbly bubbly/ Shisha). There are many Nargila cafes all over town – some for men only. In the afternoon many people go to the cafes and sip Arabic coffee, smoke Nargila and play cards.”
Local vendor
Dominique will be leaving Nablus in May. As a volunteer she recommends that international youth should get the chance to go and see and experience what it is like to be in Palestine. She thinks “that by coming to a place like this, people are forced reevaluate their previously held beliefs and expectations. i.e. Where does our information come from? Who constructs the stereotypes we hold? And why? What agenda is driving the ‘free press?’ It is only by coming to these places that people can see the reality of the situation for them, and in this way, help to create meaningful and sustainable change in the world.”
But, you do not have to be a volunteer in the relations Department to do that. There are summer camps which work on projects to help those in need. The Zajel camp is held at An-Najah University in the summer which “promotes the positive sides of Palestinian life and culture, but at the same time cannot help but highlight the difficulties that Palestinians face on a daily basis. They allow international volunteers to come and experience Palestinian life first hand. In this way, people are able to formulate their own opinions regarding the occupation, and hopefully leave feeling inspired to make a difference.”
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