Career Prospects
Dwin Capstick, UK
Jihan (name changed for anonymity) from Bethlehem is a young Palestinian woman in her early thirties she has spent longer than average pursuing her education and now with her PHD thesis completed she is poised to embark on a career. Or is she?
Jihan is a member of a Palestinian Christian family and the Christian population of Palestine has been dropping quickly for many years. Since the occupation of the West Bank by Israel in 1967, Christians have slowly been drifting to other parts of the world. Perhaps it is a mixture of pull and push; greater opportunities for a career abroad being an attraction, the growing deterioration in social and economic circumstances caused by the occupation driving people away.
Jihan was educated at Saint Joseph School in Bethlehem. Most private schools run under the auspices of the Church provide a high quality education and the Christian population has traditionally had a good educational achievement. This is “one of the background factors of a Middle Class community which is characteristic of the Christian Palestinian community.”(1)
Jihan went to Al-Yarmouk University in Irbid, Jordan where for her Arts degree she majored in political science. The following year she spent a short period in the USA at the Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Virginia where she spent time studying conflict resolution and the fundamentals of international peacemaking.
Her interests were not just academic. In 1997, she worked with Wi’am Palestinian Conflict Resolution Centre as Women’s Co-ordinator. During her three years of study for a Masters in International Studies at Birzeit University, she continued in a variety of roles that provided valuable experience in project management, fund raising, and relationships with European and other international partners.
In 2001, she began her PhD in Political Science from Cairo University, Egypt. While studying she worked for almost two years with a poverty alleviation and employment generation programme in Cairo.
In 2005 to 2006 she lectured in the department of politics at Al-Quds University (Jerusalem) while at the same time was the programme manager for a peace building project with the Holy Land Trust in Bethlehem.
With a PHD in political science and extensive practical experience across a wide range of groups and institutions Jihan is all set for a promising career. Or is she?
Over twenty job applications have hardly yielded a reply. Could this be another young Palestinian pushed out by rapidly shrinking opportunities and pulled by other doors that are open overseas?
(1) Palestinian Christians: Historical Demographic Developments, Current Developments, Current Politics and Attitudes Towards Church, Society and Human Rights: The Sabeel Survey on Palestinian Christians in the West Bank and Israel. Dr. Bernard Sabella, Feb. 2007 p.10
