Remembering the student visit

The Palestine link up trip to the UK which I had the pleasure of attending was extremely useful and thought provoking for me. I feel that by spending some days in the lake district it gave the Palestinians a good chance to acclimatize. The relaxed environment contributed to becoming friends very quickly, by the first night we were all having a good time joking getting to know each other.

The organisation of events made sure we all bonded with each other, by splitting us into groups of mixed English and Palestinians and giving us team building exercises such as cooking together it made sure, no matter how shy we felt, we all communicated with each other and formed friendships quickly. It was interesting to me gaining a better understanding of their culture. I think it is important to understand other people culture not just for the benefit of creating lasting links but also for self growth, by seeing how other people do things it makes you question how and why you act in ways you take for granted.

Hearing the problems the Palestinians face was important and inspired me to do more humanitarian work. I already know a lot about the human rights violations inflicted on Palestinians daily, but by listening to a person you know recall accounts of their injustice in a close and personal manner, the message is made more emotive. I feel this is beneficial to me as it gives me a sense of duty, putting my small problems in perspective. It is also beneficial to the Palestinians because I will work harder to fight for their rights in the UK, which is extremely important as the UK contributes on a geo political basis to their suffering, and as a British citizen it is important we put pressure on the domestic forces contributing to Palestinian injustice.

Overall CADFA did a great job in connecting us all together. I am extremely thankful for those that organised it for the fun time I had and inspiring education I received. I feel this connection we have with the Palestinians is a virtuous tool in improving peoples lives in both countries.