When I heard that a Palestinian alumni was coming to give a talk at Pearson, I became instantly excited. It is always nice to have Pearsonites back. It gives us a sense of continuity, of timelessness.
From the very beginning of his presentation, Mujahid Sarsur (PC 33) captured our attention. His start was so personal that you could not help but connect to it. He was telling us how his Pearson experience affected his personality and changed him forever. Before coming to Pearson, his national committee asked him a simple yet profound question: Number the following adjectives according to your preference; Human, Muslim, Palestinian and Arab. The way he numbered it back then was: Muslim, Palestinian, Arab then Human. After spending two years at Pearson, human became number one.
He reminded all of us, in a sweet nostalgic tone, how unique Pearson is. Pearson is a place where when you need to understand a cultural concept that seems so alien to you, all you need to do is walk into the room next to you. He reminded us that after those two precious years are over, we will not remember the IB nor will we remember our grades, but rather the amazing and profound conversations that we have had with people from all over the world. He went further and started explaining the difficulties that faced him upon arriving here. Coming from a conservative country, I found myself instantly understanding every word he was saying. These were not just words; these were feelings and ideas that a lot of us deal with on a daily basis. His words were an eye-opener for a lot of people who never considered the difficulties that those of us coming from conservative countries, had to go through.
As the presentation went on, its message became louder and clearer. We live in a world where politicians argue and strive to find a solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; like a group of loud radios, which individually play mellifluous music, but which together, create an ineffable distortion. Mujahid’s idea, I thought, was both effective and simple; let’s unite and build the Palestinian civil society.
This is the main aim of Bard Palestinian Youth Initiative, the organization that Mujahid co-founded. We watched a video about it in which Bard University students went to Mas-ha and built a playground for the children. The joy of the American students was almost as that of the children who now have a new playground, their haven from all that’s happening around them.
This program does not only focus on rebuilding the infrastructure for the Palestinian people but it also builds bridges of understanding by having lectures which are attended by students from Bard university and from the local village. In those lectures, controversial topics are brought up and each side tries to understand what the other has to say.
When Mujahid started taking questions and comments, Laura (Israel PC38) raised up her hand. I tensed in my chair and a thousand thoughts were racing past in my brain, trying to anticipate what she was about to say. “Thank you” was what she said. She told our community how in our countries we are brought up to hate instead of to love. Her words were so emotive that I dare not try to echo them. Warm tears found their ways unto the cheeks of most of the audience as they listened to Laura and to others from MESA (Middle East and South Asia) region. When it was over, everyone clapped, hugged and stood up – a seemingly normal ending to an international affairs session, but it was one that would stay on in our minds forever.
