Day 1

Today was the first day of Go Palestine 2017!  Campers were welcomed early in the day at the Ramallah Friends School and introductions soon began.  This year, there are 48 campers from all over the world - Ramallah, the UK, US, Denmark, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Australia, and Bahrain.  Together we went over the rules and regulations of camp and split up into five different groups, each led by one of our counselors.  The campers worked together to name themselves - some chose some Palestinian favorites, such as Shishbarak and Zeit w-Zaatar, while others decided to be *a little* out there going with The Black Sheep, Triangle, and The Panda’s Wife.

After hanging out at the school for the morning, we took a walk through Ramallah, ultimately ending up at Jasmine Cafe where we had a lively pizza lunch.  We walked back, passing by the Girl’s School and seeing some of the sites in downtown Ramallah.  The day ended with a lecture by psychologist Dr. Leila Atshan, who taught the campers about tolerance and acceptance in the face of diversity and difference.  Dr. Atshan talked about her experiences navigating the world as a person who is blind and the ways in which acceptance of diversity can only ever be a positive thing.  The campers were inspired and asked her a vast array of thought-provoking and insightful .

The camp is definitely off to a great start!