Our First Impressions of Palestine

Travelling between Jerusalem and Ramallah in our first week, we experienced a checkpoint for the first time.. Despite it being a fairly straightforward process it is not something you would want to do on a daily basis. This became apparent the way back through as we sat tired and hungry in a queue of traffic at the checkpoint and wondered how Palestinians could put up with this every day

When we arrived in Ramallah, the first thing we saw was some bold graffiti on the Separation Wall just after Qalandiya checkpoint – poignantly stating the word “FREE”.

For the first two days of our placement we underwent training and met the in-country volunteers. We had some differences in perceptions. When asked to describe Palestine the majority of the UK volunteer’s responses were 'war zone, complicated, complex, dangerous' .The in-country volunteers were soon to correct us on this with their replies “beautiful, paradise, our homeland…”.  They were right. Despite it sometimes being bitterly cold, the sky is often very clear. No matter which way you look there is a stunning view. Especially as the sun sets.

And it’s not just the weather. Ramallah, particularly, is an amazing place. At a glance, parts of the town may look a bit shabby but really, it is full of character and has most things you would ever want. There is always a vibrant buzz about the town and lots of crazy cars. It’s quite cosmopolitan really.  Perhaps it is this cosmopolitan nature of the town that makes it the little bubble world it is. After only one week here it is very apparent that Ramallah is going to be very different to other parts of the country.

East Jerusalem is also very different to Ramallah, mainly because of the Israeli presence there – lots of street signs written in Hebrew, Arabic and English. We went to the Old City. It was quaint, beautiful, multi cultural and packed with religion.

There was a strikingly stark contrast between the East and West. West Jerusalem could easily be mistaken for somewhere like Barcelona, Italy or Southern France. It is developed and clean compared to the litter filled streets of East Jerusalem just around the corner.

During our time here we will be working at the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC), a Palestinian non-governmental organisation working for the promotion and protection of women’s rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.  Their work includes the provision of legal and social support to Palestinian women, as well as advocacy for legislative reform.  WCLAC pay particular attention to the ways in which the everyday experiences of Palestinian women are impacted by internal Palestinian society as well as the Israeli occupation.

Our first week has been spent familiarising ourselves with the organisation and its work. We will be working with the external relations team, responsible for handling publications in English as well as communicating with donors and funding bodies. A large part of WCLAC’s work involves building the capacity of its partner organisations at the grassroots level. To this end we have been working with members of the Tubas Charitable Society (TCS) to draft a fundraising proposal in English for a new sensory room at their kindergarten. TCS work with women and children living in Tubas in the northern West Bank, with the support of WCLAC they have been able to enhance the provision of childcare and educational facilities as well as social and legal support for female victims of violence.