Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Christina's Reflection


       It is still hard for me to put the whole experience of the trip into words but I will try my best to do so.  Br. Ray is 100% correct when he says that you do not come back the same person. Never in my life have I seen such beautiful places or met such incredible people. The entire trip was breathtaking; the sites, the food, the history. However, I would have to say that my favorite part of the trip was just getting to know the Palestinian people along with the Palestinian culture. Another aspect of the trip that I found life changing was learning about the political situation in Palestine. Before departing on our trip to the Holy Land, I knew some basic information about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but I found it incredibly confusing. While in the Holy Land, I gained so much perspective and knowledge on the political situation in both Israel and Palestine.  Our group was lucky enough to meet with Bethlehem University students, professors, political prisoners, refugees, and an incredibly welcoming Bedouin (nomadic) family.  Each person that I met buried a piece of themselves within my heart. These are people and stories that I will never forget. 
      When our Mu Sigma group visited the Political Prisoners' Society in Bethlehem, I was at a loss for words.  The director of the program was nice enough to share his own story with us.  He was imprisoned in an Israel jail for twelve years simply for stating the fact that as a Palestinian, he deserved his freedom.  That is twelve years of his life that he will never get back.  While he was explaining the situation to us, he stated that he would continue to state the fact that he deserved freedom, even if it meant spending another twelve years in prison.  I couldn't stop the tears that were beginning to well up within my eyes.  I have never met someone with such drive and passion.  When we think of prisoners, we think of hard, violent individuals.  This man, however, had compassion.  He was calm and optimistic while sharing his story. 
      All of the people that I met while I was in and around Bethlehem had two things in common.  These people were all extremely peaceful and positive.  I couldn't understand how a group of people that had been so oppressed and misunderstood for so long could remain so peaceful and optimistic. I couldn't imagine how Mohammed, a 22 year old Palestinian living within the walls of the Aida Refugee Camp didn't wake up every morning filled with animosity.  I couldn't understand how he didn't explode with anger because of the fact that his family never knew if they were going to have enough water for the day, week, or month.  This is because while most of the water that supplies Israel is found within the West Bank, the Israeli Government has control over it.  This means that the West Bank is only provided with THEIR water every few weeks.
        While hearing the Palestinian peoples’ stories, I found myself growing angry and hurt for them.  I noticed these feelings growing within me until I asked a student at Bethlehem University how he dealt with the situations and oppressions that surrounded him every single day.  The student responded by saying that he just had to accept certain things and hope for the best.  He said that it wouldn't be possible to be angry and upset every single day.  As Danny Vinyard from the movie American History X stated, "Hate is baggage.  Life is too short to be pissed off all the time".  The student's words really resonated with me.  All of the individuals that I met, the prisoners, the students, the families, the children; they all made me realize that the best way to help improve the current situation in Palestine is not by becoming angry.  We can make the biggest difference simply by sharing.  We can share the stories of the people that we met while we were in Palestine.  We can share by educating those around us, be it our families, friends, or students.  This trip has made me realize that our strongest weapons aren't tanks, machine guns, or missiles.  Our greatest weapons are our words.  We (as students) are lucky to live in this current time.  Our generation has more power than we even realize.  We have the ability to change the world through our words, through our experiences.  I have been so completely changed by this trip.  It is more than I could ever have asked for.  It has inspired me in numerous ways.  I hope to incorporate my experiences and the stories I heard while in Palestine into my involvement with the United Nations in some way.  I hope to teach my future students about the conflicts and different forms of oppression going on throughout the world.  I have fallen completely in love with the Middle East and I know that I will return there within the next few years.
       I urge you all to move outside of your comfort zones, to hear different sides of situations and conflicts, to keep an open mind, and to give your words the power that they deserve!
 I hope that I have not rambled on for too long!   I hope that you are all having an amazing summer and are enjoying yourselves and I am sure I will see most of you very soon.  Thank you for bearing with me!


Love, Christina

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