Nablus is the most welcoming city I have visited /Palestine

Mark Corfield/UK

I have enjoyed the work camp very much. During my three weeks in Palestine, I have gained a much better understanding of the conflict, but also of the daily lives of the Palestinians, their culture, music and above all, their hospitality.

I can honestly say that Nablus is the most welcoming city I have visited in all my travels and this is perhaps the best thing about the work camp. In the Western media, Palestinians are routinely presented as either “terrorists” or victims. It never shows weddings, funerals, discussions over an Argileh, or ten men in a turkish bath dancing around and playing a tabla.

So, the strength of the work camp includes, foremost, the Palestinians we have met, as well as the internationals we otherwise may never have been in contact with. The opportunity to help clean the park has also been very rewarding, with the highlight of course, being the children's party.

I thought the study side of the program was very varied and gave us a lot of insight. The tour of the Old City helped us to understand the reality of the situation. The visit to the refugee camp had an even greater impact on all who were there. The talks we had with the lecturers, mayor of Nablus and the Catholic priest were also very good.

I have also greatly enjoyed the Arabic language lessons. I believe that trying to learn the language shows a respect for the people, which is essential. We have had an excellent teacher as well, who has shown a lot of patience with us.

My final suggestion would be a follow up meeting, after the volunteers have completed their activities for the day and are returning home. A meeting to discuss how we can best pressure our governments, as well as the Israeli government and how we can best support the Palestinian cause, would be very useful.

I do not have any regrets. The highlight of my visit was visiting the refugee camp. Visiting the camp made me understand “the Palestinian Question” much better. I knew that the right to return was one of the most important issues to the Palestinians and now I begin to see why. Meeting people who have kept the deeds to their homes and lands for 55 years, is very moving. Hearing their stories of deportation and the re-occupation is deeply emotional.

The longing to return can be heard in their voices when they speak and seen in their eyes. Even though I don’t speak Arabic, it is evident how they feel. What makes it worse for the people in the camp now, is the squalor in which they have to live. Having eleven family members in two small rooms, with no toilet, no functioning kitchen, no privacy and sometimes having sewage water running through the streets, must serve to heighten feelings of resentment and bitterness. One lady told us that she could not now afford books for her children’s schooling, despite working at any job she could find. If this is the outlook for the future, then you would accept to find little but dispair in this place.

Visiting the camp makes you feel a whole range of emotions, perhaps the strongest feeling is the desire to improve things. I hope that one day, Israelis may come here to feel and hear what the volunteers have experienced. Maybe then, more pressure will be exerted in the government of Israel to recognize the Palestinian’s right of return. A right to which it currently subscribes every Jew in the world, but not for the Palestinians who live so close to their homes, who cling on every bright hope and to their contracts.

One of the striking things about the people here is that despite the odds and the situations they face, they have kept their dignity. One lady would not allow us sit on the floor as it is not the correct way to welcome guests into your home, instead she brought in extra chairs for us to sit on.

I have had an excellent time in Nablus and have truly enjoyed being part of the exchange. I have developed a very good awareness and respect for the nation of Palestine.

On the whole this has been three of the best weeks of my life and I have met many exceptional people. The work camp exceeded all of my expectations and I hope to return to Nablus soon, Inshallah.