Testimonials from our 22nd International Summer Camp for Solidarity and Committed Volunteering
Lajee Center would like to provide the opportunity for some of the participants of our 22nd Annual International Summer Camp to share their thoughts about their experiences visiting Palestine .
Emma, 26, Paris, France
“I had the immense privilege of attending Lajee's International Summer Camp this August, where I spent the most incredible two weeks with the Lajee team and the residents of Aida Camp.
The camp was everything I hoped it would be and much more - it was very intensely packed with a variety of activities, from exploring the various cities in Palestine (but always through the prism of the Palestinian cause and how the city has been impacted by colonization), visiting other refugee camps and meeting the local organizations on the ground there, to learning dabka, Arabic and doing volunteering activities with the kids and for the community.
Especially in the current context, I feel it is especially important to center Palestinian voices and organizations, therefore I am particularly grateful to have had the chance to meet so many Palestinian people from diverse backgrounds - former prisoners, journalists, medics, parents of freedom fighters, ...
There are a few things that especially struck me during the program - of course the realities of apartheid, occupation and colonization whose scale can be hard to fathom without having been to Palestine, and the realization that every single Palestinian has a very personal story with the occupation. Yet beyond that, what will stay with me is the beauty of the Palestinian people and of their culture. People have been so incredibly welcoming and warmhearted, have put their trust in us by sharing their experiences, and have taken the time to share about their culture - be it food, language, dabka... I am moved by the resistance and steadfastness of the Palestinian people in spite of all that they have endured for over 76 years, and the community spirit and unity in the struggle for liberation.
This experience also made me be more conscious of my privilege - being able to go to Palestine when so many exiled Palestinians face many hurdles just to visit, but also having more freedom of movement than Palestinians in their own land as a foreign passport holder, and being much less at risk of being physically assaulted by the colonial army or settler colonizers as a visibly white foreigner.
Some words by the director of a local organization in Balata camp as she was sharing the story of her fiancé’s martyrdom stuck with me: "We don't want your tears, we want action" - now back home, I will strive to use my privilege to contribute to Palestinian liberation in whatever way can be useful.”
Zoë, 22, Oxford, UK
"Visiting Palestine in August 2024 was a profound experience. Over two weeks, myself and eleven other participants were provided with opportunities to learn and collaborate in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
We learnt what life was like for the 7,000 residents of Aida Camp, the descendants of refugees who were expelled from their villages in 1948. Yet despite this, Aida Camp is tiny, less than 1 square kilometre. With access to open space so severely curtailed, the Lajee Center, with its football pitch, playground and hydroponic rooftop garden, plays a vital role in the lives of Palestinian refugees.
Our small group of international volunteers worked on cleaning the playground, improving the front entrance to the Lajee Center, organising activities for the children of Aida camp, and completing a mural project. In addition to volunteering, we had many educational opportunities to learn directly from Palestinian activists and professionals representing civil society organisations across Palestine, including the BADIL Resource Center, the Defence for Children International, Al-Haq, and the Yafa Cultural Center. I am grateful to have learnt from activists like Azhar Abu Sror, who recounted her activism to demand the return of her martyred son’s remains, as well as the journalist Moath Amarneh, who shared with us his experience of losing his eye to an Israeli sniper and being imprisoned for his journalism.
In addition to the time spent in Aida, we visited Dheisheh camp in Bethlehem, Balata camp in Nablus, and Tulkarm camp. During each of these visits, our group visited community centres to learn about how Palestinians are resisting the Israeli occupation through grassroots initiatives. I was privileged to speak with community volunteers and healthcare workers, who discussed with us the challenges of providing educational, leisure and healthcare facilities given the ongoing political situation.
Day trips to Ramallah, Al Quds and Hebron offered further exposure to Palestinian art, history and culture. We were met by local Palestinians who guided us through the historical, political and economic context of each city. The day trips included visits to museums, cultural centers, factories, and organisations working in the field of justice, human rights, and media.
We learnt about Palestinian cuisine and took Arabic and Dabke lessons, all in celebration of Palestinian culture. All the time, we were encouraged to interact and have conversations with the residents of Aida camp to gain better understanding of everyday life. We visited the Mar Saba Monastery and spent a night camping in the desert with the Lajee Center staff. With a barbecue and a beautiful sunset, we enjoyed the stunning nature around us.
During these two weeks, I witnessed what it means to grow up and live under Occupation and Apartheid: watchtowers and the Apartheid Wall surrounding the camp; drones conducting digital surveillance; and the threat of tear gas, raids, arrest, and snipers. Yet despite having experienced continual displacement, dispossession, and denationalisation for over seventy-five years, the Palestinian people remain steadfast. I come away from my time in Aida camp with a deep love and respect for Palestine and Palestinian culture. Visiting Palestine and learning about the work of the Lajee Center this August was the most incredible privilege. To anyone wanting to learn more about Palestine, I cannot recommend this experience enough."
