Diya Moushahwar /
Mada al Carmel Arab Center for Social Research /
Haifa, Palestine /
Having worked at Mada al Carmel Arabic Center for Social Research for the past several weeks remotely, it is rewarding to reflect on assignments I completed for the organization. Specifically, I supported the expansion of Mada’s network of collaborative relationships for research and funding. Additionally, translation work was especially meaningful: for part of the summer, I visited my parents, and my dad, Ghassan, and my cousin, Ramez, helped me with Arabic to English translation for different important documents for Mada. It was also an opportunity for me to connect with my family about recent events and the history of the region.
In the spring, I had hoped to work with grad students and assist them with their research. I met two researchers briefly but I believe I did not end up stepping into that role for multiple reasons, some of which include the difficulty of communicating remotely across time zones, the fact that my Arabic is not strong enough to communicate solely, in conversation and in academia, and this summer was especially tumultuous in Palestine. In my final week, I will ask my supervisor how much he thinks the forced displacement of Palestinians, the war on Gaza, and the resistance efforts impacted Mada’s work and community this summer.
Ultimately, I hope to maintain a relationship with Mada. I would love to work or volunteer with Mada, especially if possible in person. There is also a U.S.-based non-profit, Friends of Mada, that I encourage anyone interested in their work to support. International solidarity is essential.
I anticipated being prepared to work remotely for Mada – something I unfortunately had no choice in due to Israel’s travel restrictions. Since March 2020 I have worked remotely: tutoring college students (including one who moved home to Taiwan immediately after CUNY closed campuses) I completed administrative tasks, and I taught fifth, sixth, and seventh graders after school classes.
At my other jobs, I had worked with my colleagues and students before in person for one to four years. This was my first time working for Mada and I was completely new to human rights work. Being in person would have been a completely different experience – building a stronger connection locally – and part of me mourns that loss as well as the collective experience of barriers to connection globally due to the pandemic. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to support such invaluable work that contributes to a free Palestine.