From Rawan

This was a new experience and the first experience for me, there were so many new things in it, specially leaving Palestine. The communication with people was very helpful in improving my English language, the new links that we made with people are going to be useful in the future because we will be able to exchange experiences and we will be able to talk together about activities in Palestine and things they will do here. I have got to know people and new friends who are really lovely.

The places we went to, each had a different character. But the one I liked best was Exeter and specially Dawlish where we went to the sea. I want to talk about the fish and chips - really tasty - but also the atmosphere was new to us.

We got to know someone called Pablo and he is very interested in our place and can speak Arabic He came to two of our meetings and said he was very interested in what we had to say.

I also liked the meeting at SOAS: the atmosphere was very good Lots of students, the room was very crowded They showed a video about children in schools in Palestine. After we finished the meeting, students asked many questions - more than in the other meetings. There were Zionist students among them among them asking about Gilad Shalit. They said that Palestinian prisoners can have their families visit them but no one knows about Gilad Shalit for a year and a half. In fact he is the only Israeli prisoner held by Palestinians, and the families of Palestinian prisoners very often can’t see their children, and if their families can see them, they are held up for ages at gates and checkpoints first. Also this is an unequal comparison between one Israeli and all the Palestinian prisoner (about eleven thousand) and it isn’t fair.

Another thing about the SOAS meeting it was very special because there was Palestinian food and Palestinian dancing, which is dabke, and we got to know Palestinian students studying in the university and we danced together.

The meetings in general are fruitful because there were things we said about our lives and situation that they didn’t know We felt proud because we could do something for Palestine. At the same time there was a good reaction from the other side.