Last summer a group of students from EMU went to the Middle East on an Intercultural Trip. On Nov. 29, the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, this group of students decided to tell their stories. Greta Schrag, a senior, who went on the intercultural trip, said, “It’s the anniversary of the adoption of the Partition Plan (UN resolution 181), which was intended to divide Palestine and Israel into two separate states. It’s become a day of recognition that the plan and other efforts to make peace have fallen short, and the occupation of Palestine still persists.” The intercultural trip’s leader was Timothy Seidel, Associate Professor of Community and International Development, Director of the Center for Interfaith Engagement, and Program Director of Peacebuilding, Development, and Global Studies. On the trip, the group stayed in the West Bank, mainly in Bethlehem, and traveled to different regional locations.
Schrag, Seidel, sophomore Kristina Suslaev, junior Abby Greenleaf, and intercultural participant Savannah Smith helped to set up the event. Schrag introduced the event, and then Seidel briefly explained the history behind Israel and Palestine. After the context, some students who went on the intercultural trip told stories about their time there. Micaiah Landis, junior, shared about when some students were trying to find a field in which to play ultimate frisbee, but got lost. When Seidel tried to locate the group, he shared the situation with a friend, who said, “If you see a group of lost-looking Americans aimlessly wandering around, immediately inform Seidel.” To Landis, this story illustrates how tightly knit the community in the area was.
Jenna Weaver, junior, shared about a time when some of the students on the intercultural were walking through a market and saw oppression. When some of the EMU students started to cry, a vendor came up to them and said, “You don’t have to cry because we are strong here.”
The last student to share was Jessica Chisolm, a student at the Center for Justice and Peace. Chisolm shared that one main thing that the intercultural group heard from citizens in Palestine was they should go and tell their stories in America.
After the student’s stories, there was a picture slideshow accompanied by Palestinian music. After that, special guest MuAwia DaMes, whose parents emigrated to the United States from Palestine, spoke. Afterwards, intercultural trip participants answered audience questions as a panel, followed by falafel, pita, and hummus.
When asked about the purposes of the event, Schrag shared that, “We hope that this event could provide a deeper knowledge about Palestine and the oppression Palestinians face. There are so many stereotypes and so much misinformation, especially now that the situation in Palestine has become much more visible. We wanted to share the truth of both the harms Palestinians face and the positive experiences we had as an intercultural group with our community.”