Lost scholarships and opportunities

Today I was interviewed by a reporter, student intern, from our local daily paper "The Intelligentcer" Kaitlyn, a student at Smith, listened intently, asked good questions and left telling me she'd learned so much during our afternoon together. My hope, and I believe its hers as well, is that her article will receive good coverage and as she said, she has other places to pitch the article...Smith, etc.

It was empowering and a relief to tell the story of my experience in Gaza, backed up with pictures (most of which were taken by others in our delegation). Sometimes I feel I'm living a a vacuum or another world; perhaps my world is divided between Gaza and the US.

During the interview, I told Kaitlyn about a group we'd met with, the Palestinian Youth Committee. college students or graduates in their twenties. They are extremely isolated due to the siege against Gaza and hopeful of establish contact with young people in other countries. They are building a website and hope to use the internet to "travel" and meet people. She's expressed interest in exploring this when she returns to Smith. It sounds encouraging.

It was painful listening to the students stories full of hopes and dreams that have little chance of being fulfilled given the current circumstances in Gaza. Imagine you are living in Gaza, are a bright student who has graduated from college and received a scholarship to study abroad, maybe at the University of Pennsylvania. It's an honor, the opportunity of a lifetime. You loose the scholarship! Why? Because Israeli restrictions and Egypt's cooperation force you to remain in Gaza. You may not leave! Dozens of students are faced with this disappointment. It makes no sense to me!













Employment opportunities in Gaza are dismal for these students with unemployment figures reported to be at forty to seventy five percent. Because of restrictions on goods coming into Gaza people are suffering on all levels. An architect cannot find work because buildings aren't being planned, because construction materials aren't available. These workers are unemployed at the same time thousands of people are in need of housing and hundreds of buildings need to be reconstructed. Gaza, no matter how hard it tries, cannot be rebuilt and recover from the bombings and destruction inflicted upon it with out basic construction materials. The siege intentionally cuts off Gaza's supply of these materials. If there is no cement there can be no building! This paralysis is the direct result of Israel's siege. I don't understand how they are able to get away with this. It is wrong! Maybe evil is a better word.