Internship in Palestine - Refugees, Law & Human Rights 2025

I spent 1 week with the Excellence Center as part of their Human Rights program. I had some idea of what to expect before coming here, but had never been to the region before, so still had many questions. During my time in Hebron, the staff at the Excellence Center were incredibly welcoming, helpful, and provided me with an experience I will never forget. Throughout the week, I had the chance to study Arabic, engage with the local community, and volunteer as a protective presence for villagers in the Masafar Yatta region, all while gaining a better understanding of the situation in the West Bank. I had the opportunity to experience Palestinian culture and truly felt welcomed by the local community. I always felt safe and would recommend this program to anyone considering it!

Marhaba! My name is Sierra, and I am 24 years old. I am from Alberta, Canada. I have a degree in Psychology from King’s University, and I spent two weeks participating in the Human Rights Internship program here at the Excellence Center in Hebron, Palestine. I chose to intern in Palestine because I was very interested in the complex regional history and its impact on mental health outcomes and communal well-being. Having studied the effects of trauma and having travelled to regions experiencing conflict in the past, I have a keen interest in visiting places where resilience, hope, and empathy flourish amidst adversity. Palestine, with its ongoing challenges and rich culture, presented an amazing opportunity to contribute positively to meaningful change and gain invaluable life experiences that have transformed my understanding of the world. I specifically chose to intern with the Excellence Center because of its stellar reputation for providing international visitors with an authentic experience of Palestinian life. The Human Rights internship seemed like a good opportunity to gain hands-on experience in humanitarian aid, diplomacy, and international law. My experience in Palestine has been extremely positive. I have been so touched by how genuinely friendly and welcoming everyone in Hebron has been during my stay. The staff at the Excellence Center were so welcoming to me and made sure I felt as comfortable as possible. The Hebron locals have also gone above and beyond to make me feel as welcomed, respected, and happy as possible. I have made friends at every coffee shop, shawarma place, and grocery store that I’ve been to. I want to give a special shout to Sara’s Cafe, kiddy corner to the Excellence Center, and all the lovely baristas there that have given me a lot of laughs and lattes. During my time at the Excellence Center, I learned about Palestinian culture, visited various historical sites, interacted with various journalists and human rights advocates, spoke with local people about their lives under the occupation, visited Palestinians living in refugee camps, and taught English to locals, and enjoyed several lovely evenings by the fire, singing, eating, and smoking shisha. I also took Arabic lessons with my lovely teacher Jomana, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I even managed to have some very basic conversations with locals! I understand why one might have reservations about travelling to Palestine during this challenging time. However, I felt entirely safe and comfortable during my stay. Hebron is just as safe—if not safer—than most major cities, and one should not have any issues if one takes normal safety precautions and follows the guidance of locals who know the situation here well. Regarding my accommodation, I shared a modest apartment with my other female colleagues close to the center, equipped with a kitchen, nice bathrooms, a balcony, and comfortable beds. If you are coming in the winter, it does get cold, and I highly recommend bringing warm clothes! There are also plenty of lively cafes and shops that make it an enjoyable and pleasant area to reside. I know I will be returning to the center in the future and highly encourage anyone who is curious about experiencing Palestine to join the Excellence Center family. I will cherish these memories forever. Shukran and beshufko, inshallah

My name is Sara, I am 25 years old, and I volunteered at the Excellence Center for three weeks. At home I am a welder, but I have a love for journalism and have been wanting to do work in journalism and human rights. I decided to choose the journalism program to build up some experience and expand my portfolio, while getting to learn about Palestine and see and experience it in person. I also have always wanted to visit the Middle East in general, and learn Arabic, so to me it was a perfect opportunity that ended up being an amazing experience. Your time in the center is based largely on what you set out to do when you come here, with room for change and flexibility. I came to get experience in my chosen field and to learn Arabic, so my days would start off with Arabic lessons, and then afterwards either a trip to a site, a meeting with a journalist/human rights center/local activist, or touring local areas. The center will set up things in regards to your program, however they are open if you have specific things you want to achieve, and will work that into your program. The staff here, and the teachers, are fantastic. I had Arabic lessons with Duha, and just with three weeks at 1-2 hours a day, I am now able to have (fairly simple) conversation in Arabic with Palestinians here in Hebron. In the West Bank there are so many wonderful places to visit. There are site tours with the center in places like Old City Hebron and Al Fawwar Refugee Camp, where you meet and learn from the locals who live in these places about their history, their struggle under Israeli occupation, and their day-to-day life. There are also days off on the weekend to spend as you please, which I spent visiting places such as Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Dead Sea, Jericho, and a small village called Battir. The people you meet and talk to in these places are all so friendly and happy to have you as a guest, and to tell you their story and their experience as a Palestinian over a nice cup of coffee or tea. With the friendliness and hospitality of the people, the beauty of the land, the unique and ancient culture, I can say that I well and truly love it here and have enjoyed my time living in Hebron. Speaking of living here, there comes the question of safety. As an American, I have been inundated for years with nothing but images of war, hatred, and suffering in the Middle East. My family was terrified for me, because they thought I would be in grave danger just by being here. However, the reality is very different. Hebron is an incredibly safe and friendly city, and Palestine in general is very safe as an international coming to the country. There has never been a time where I felt like I was actually in danger, and the people here do everything they can to make you feel at home and welcome. From being invited into random shops and places for coffee and conversation, talking with strangers on the street as we practiced each others language on each other, there is a culture of hospitality here in Palestine and I have never felt as strong a strong sense of community as I have here. Overall, I have had a truly special time here in Hebron, and in Palestine as a whole. Whether it was packing five of us into a car and driving down to the Dead Sea, meeting a man in Bethlehem who took me to see the mountainside village of Battir, or getting to meet people who do incredible work in activism and journalism, I have made some truly unforgettable memories. I have met so many amazing people and made some great friends, who I will cherish for a long time. I also feel that I have gained a great experience in the program I chose, getting to interview people here, learning about the struggle under Israeli apartheid and documenting the reality of the situation on the ground in real-time, as well as making connections with great journalists who are more than happy to work with and help someone bring their story back home to America. If you want to come to Palestine and experience life here while learning about everything I mentioned, I would highly recommend the Excellence Center in Hebron. I would happily do it again in the future.