Meeting the Others by Shimaa Mahaina, Palestine/Italy

Growing up as a second-class citizen has always been one of the biggest obstacles in my life. Always fighting for my basic rights and fighting against discrimination and racism has been incredibly overwhelming. As a Palestinian citizen of Israel, I’ve grown up without having the chance to connect myself with other “Arabs” around the MENA region because of my passport limitations. One of the most amazing highlights in my life was when I had the chance to meet 21 people abroad from the MENA region and to spend quite a good amount of time with them and realize that we have a great connection. I never thought I would have the chance to meet Iraqi, Yemeni, Moroccans, Algerians, Tunisians, Lebanese, Bahraini, Gazans, Saudis, Syrians.. etc! It has affected my life ever since. I also felt the huge responsibility of raising awareness about the situation in the Holy Land. And I did my best!