The life of a Palestinian Researcher- Part 3: Choosing to stay
Despite all the challenges and fears, people are striving to build a better future for themselves and those around them.
Hello, my good human. I am Lefteris and in this newsletter, I try to give a platform to academics who don’t get as many chances to showcase their work as I believe they should. I try to understand their lives, their work and what affects their everyday routine. If that sounds like something you'd be interested feel free to subscribe.
“I always wanted to be a scientist. I’m going to be a scientist.”
Leaving Greece in 2015 was probably one of the toughest decisions of my life. I had always dreamed of living abroad, but by 2015, the situation was so dire that I knew I wouldn't return. At least not to live there. I love my country. I love my friends and family living there, but every time I turn on the news… I am just filled with dread and any regrets I have about leaving are just evaporating. I still want to help my country ‘be better’ (whatever that means) but from afar. I have experienced less than half of what people are experiencing in the West Bank and yet these people are choosing to stay and help their community from up close. And with urgency.
During our discussion, Bayan told me: “Some people are afraid that after Gaza, it will be our turn”. This is a fear that would understandably make anyone want to find a better life for themselves. Every person I spoke to for this article expressed a desire to either stay in the country and build something for their community or return to share their experiences gained from studying or working abroad. This is something that I find extremely inspiring and admirable.
When I was discussing with Ali he told me that sometimes the expectations the society has of him are a bit too much. He doesn’t know if he wants to go outside the country and stay there, or go outside do a PhD and return. He isn’t sure if completing a PhD abroad and returning would delay his plans for settling down. His parents, however, hope that he can stay outside of the country. “Things haven’t been easy for them here, so they think it would be better somewhere outside with more opportunities.” But at the same time, they don’t want to lose him forever. They wish that he could settle in and grow there and then come back to be close to them.
When I ask him if he would like to come back after his PhD he answers. “I think my country isn't that bad of a place to live in, despite all the challenges. You would want to live here if you are financially stable. Some things are difficult here. There are some cultural standards rather than the law itself. You can’t travel, there are a lot of checkpoints. There is no airport. I think I would prefer to go somewhere more organized, more stable, with more freedom, but still, ideally, I would want to be back.”
From the beginning of our discussion with Ali, I noticed that he had an electric piano behind him. I couldn’t help myself, I had to ask. He bought it after the war started because he figured he was going to spend a lot of time indoors again. We bonded over music.
When I told him that I listen and write reviews about rock music I saw his eyes light up. Then I asked him what type of music does he listen to and play. He said, “Mostly progressive rock, I don’t know if you know Camel, King Crimson, Dire Straits..”. Oh boy, it was my turn to be excited. We spent 10 minutes discussing music. I don’t know what it is about music but every time I find someone excited to talk about music it seems like there is a barrier lifted. Things become far easier to discuss and understand.
I went ahead and asked him why would he suggest that someone do research in the West Bank. Why would someone who lives in the country go into academia? For him, the reason he chose the academic path was the ability to learn how to solve problems. There is always a satisfaction that comes with solving problems. “Our brain is fascinating - so I think if you have a passion for learning academia is a great choice”. He mentioned that academia in the West Bank needs new people. Fresh ideas. He understands that because life is not easy there, going to Israel to find a job is a good solution. But if they want Palestine to be stronger, economically and in knowledge. Going to academia is a great place to set the foundations.
He was afraid that his answer was selfish. But through the discussion, I understood his love for his country. He wants to learn and grow not only for himself but for his community as well. He said “I always thought that if I get a good degree, I would love to come back and be a teacher. I need to be mature enough as a researcher and go back to my university to teach - help the younger generations get the opportunities they deserve”.
Bayan is a little bit older than Ali, and she has had more experience volunteering as well. She has volunteered in the organisation of scientific conferences and initiatives for empowering women in Palestine. She mentioned that she does this because the happiness inside yourself depends on doing these things. I am constantly amazed by people who are surrounded by what are generally considered adverse conditions, and they still find the strength to talk about volunteering and the happiness inside themselves.
With Bayan, we talked a lot about the need for collaboration in order to complete research projects in the West Bank. Quite naively, I wanted to find out if there are projects that would involve universities from Israel as well. She told me that it’s hard for it to happen. Sometimes it does, but because of the critical situation, people don’t feel very comfortable sitting at the same table. She started laughing when she thought about collaboration happening during this time. She thinks that everything has stopped because the situation is “unbelievable”.
One thing that she wanted to make clear is that each situation is different. And the acts of an individual in Palestine depend a lot on the opportunities presented to them. If someone has to support their family, and their kids you can’t judge them for taking an opportunity to work with Israel. For her, she wants at some point to have her own company. She thinks that earning a salary and waiting for that at the end of every month won’t make you reach all of your goals. Sometimes you have to think outside the box.
She mentions that she knows that if someone from the West reads this story, or hears about Arabs, they will think that women are controlled and are just at home. But obviously, that’s not the case. She’s one example and I personally have also met many Arab families that weren’t like this. She has met many people from Europe, Asia, India, and Africa and she has identified many similarities between herself and them. She finds it normal that some people are conservative and religious. Some people are more conservative about their children and try to be extra careful. She makes clear to me that the idea of going abroad and coming back to Palestine isn’t universal, it differs from person to person and it depends on the opportunities. For example, she has a temporary contract with her university and after that, she knows that she might need to find something abroad until the correct opportunity presents itself for her and she can come back to the West Bank.
Her advice for anyone who goes to school: “Follow our passion”. She believes that there are three things that someone needs to succeed in life.
Social communication. You might be extremely smart, but you still need to communicate and participate with others.
Market yourself. Even if you’re in academia, you need to learn to speak about yourself.
Excellence and innovation. You don’t need a PhD or master's. Societies should help the children to find out their passion when they’re young.
We start to think seriously about our passions after we finish school. “Then you might spend a lot of time doing things you’re not passionate about just until you find what you like.”
She would suggest that people stay in Palestine if they can and help their community, but of course, every situation is different and as she said, opportunities are not always the same. If someone is single, it is not the same as someone who is married and has to provide for their family. And she adds that she doesn’t like it when people say “Palestinians should stay only in Palestine and help and do nothing else”. No, you have to make the world better. It doesn’t matter where you are. You’ll find good and bad people everywhere in the world. “Live the life you want and just don’t hurt anyone”. And she extends that quote to include words too. If you’re teaching and you say something to students, you might make them have a great mood or a bad mood.
“Just be kind and help people find their passion” - Bayan
And speaking about helping people find their passion, we arrive at Duha and The Researchist. As we mentioned in the previous article, Duha realised she wanted to do research and she was jumping at every and any opportunity she could find in order to learn more and do research. By doing that, she found out that other people were reaching out to her and asked for advice about how to do what she was doing. As she describes it “I was just volunteering in labs, helping maybe doing some technician work or supporting students in their graduation projects”.
Through this process, the idea for the Researchist came to her mind as something that can help guide and support students to at least start their research. So in 2019, the idea started taking shape and she had a team both in the West Bank and Gaza. Their first workshop was conducted in Gaza.
Duha realised that the infrastructure existing in Palestine isn’t really equipping people with the skills needed in research. She understood that because of the geopolitical situation, they would have limited resources and opportunities for networking but there are skills missing for researchers as well. For this reason, they started to do camps, workshops, and training days online and offline to help students learn more and grow. Even during COVID-19, they went online, used Zoom or Google Meet and started doing meetings with established professionals from all over the world who were willing to help this initiative that was started by students. She was one person starting this initiative, they ended up being more than 500 people and now decided that is a good time to be registered as an NGO. “Each one of us, we’re building our own careers, but at the same time, we don’t want The Researchist to vanish because we stopped being students”.
After the war started, they stopped almost everything and they focused on the safety of the people and the colleagues they have in Gaza. Ι had the call with her on March 8th which was International Women’s Day. They were supposed to have an event - the first in Palestine- celebrating women in science. Due to the situation, however, they couldn’t organise it. She told me also that they made efforts and organised one last year, but on the same day, the Israeli army entered Jenin and killed six people, so the Palestinian Authority called for a strike, so they couldn’t actually go through with the event.
She hopes that people will stay in the country and enter an academic discipline because “we have to build it together” by “it” meaning both the academic system and Palestine as a whole. Duha has travelled a lot, and I am sure that she would have many opportunities to settle somewhere else, but she’s passionate about helping her community, and in many cases, there were areas she couldn’t enter if she mentioned she’s Palestinian. But nevertheless, she always made it clear that she is.
I started with this project in January 2024 wanting to find out with what mentality can people who live in Palestine work and do research in an academic setting. All the people I had the luck to talk to are managing in one way or another to follow their dreams and passions. And - yes, some of them have bitterness and anger towards people who they see as trying to kick them out of their country. But all of them have committed to channel their focus and energy towards building something and trying to build something better for themselves, their loved ones, and the people who surround them. Yes, there are people who try to do the opposite. But this story isn’t about them. It’s about people who want to be part of something bigger. Duha said it best during our interview:
“I am a Palestinian and I have the right to live, to dream and to aspire anything for myself.”
So great to learn from those people so far in geography and so close in humanity. Ideas wich deserves to be shared. Thank you Lefteris from Marie Ovomaltine.