For the first time since the inception of the global network Uniservitate four years ago, the universities from the Central and Eastern Europe and Middle East hub gathered on-site. They exchanged experiences and envisioned shared initiatives with those who have been developing service-learning proposals in Palestine for decades. These inaugural exchanges occurred during the international conference held on May 25th and 26th, in Bethlehem. The conference centered on the theme: “Current Status and Future Prospects of Service-Learning.”
Organized by Bethlehem University, the only Christian university in the Holy Land, the event was considered unique in the region. Even though the university has amassed half a century of experience in service-learning, it was unprecedented to have two comprehensive sessions and workshops such as those experienced last May.
The opening and closure were hosted by the rector, Brother Peter Bray who emphasized that their aim was not to convert the 99% of the non-Catholic Palestinian population but to ensure “something more important: … to have life in abundance.”
After listening to the presentation of María Rosa Tapia, Higher Education Coordinator, Rector Bray expressed his heartfelt gratitude. Drawing inspiration from Margaret Wheatley, an influential intellectual who inspires his collaborative proposals between the university and the community organizations, Bray stated that Uniservitate creates “islands of sanity” and “beacons of hope”. He further noted that their protagonists are genuine “warriors of the human spirit”, committed to providing high-quality education.
María Rosa Tapia appreciated the feedback, adding that their aim is not only “to reflect and listen to experiences from the theoretical or conceptual point of view but also to generate a community that demonstrates that it is possible to relate to us in another way inside the universities, among universities, and between universities and the community, in order to offer an integral education and a social environment in which we could feel free, in peace and with hope.”
The conference saw participation from representatives of Bethlehem University and other members of the Hub for Central and Eastern Europe and Middle East: the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin and Ukrainian Catholic University. The conference took place under the auspices of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, with the presence of public officials who supported the event’s organization.
The Minister, Mahmoud Abu Mowais, participated via Zoom. He announced that the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research is promoting the service-learning methodology and highlighted initiatives such accrediting service-learning activities, creating a handbook on the topic, integrating the media into the process, and assessing its impact on unemployment, among others.
María Rosa Tapia observed that the minister’s participation highlighted his profound understanding of the topic, a sentiment shared by other attendees. It also demonstrated a fruitful relationship between Bethlehem University and the community. Notably, unlike other conferences that merely introduce service-learning projects, the presentations during this conference were dedicated to strengthening and replicating existing service-learning initiatives on a larger scale.
She also noted the presence of community partners who are integral to Bethlehem University’s service-learning projects, stressing the importance of joint research, understanding real needs, and maintaining dialogue on developing possible solutions.
Half a Century of Experience
Bethlehem University, founded by the Lasallian brothers in 1973, has consistently included community engagement and field practices in its curricula. Students are expected to complete 250 hours of fieldwork. A centralized office coordinates projects across various schools, encouraging fundraising for the community organizations with whom they work and promoting their activities.
Various projects have been developed in the historic Al-Dheish Refugee Camp, which was toured by the Uniservitate delegation two days prior to the conference, guided by Nabila Daqqaq. Daqqaq, a professor from the Social Sciences Department, also showcased these experiences at the conference. In the refugee camp, there is a concentrated effort towards fostering artistic, academic, and sports-based activities.
A significant achievement from these student-led projects was the establishment of a gym and a shared area for the female residents. This space, whose ceiling is adorned with the names of cities and regions they were compelled to abandon before taking temporary refuge in Al-Dheish, serves as a reminder of their roots . The creation of this space was made possible by Social Work students who recognized the need for physical activities among the women in the camp and secured the necessary equipment.
In addition, the Al-Dheish Refugee Camp runs a pre-kindergarten and a kindergarten for 150 children, featuring a playground and a playroom located below ground. This underground location was chosen due to the absence of available outdoor spaces.
Furthermore, the camp offers training in sewing and embroidery, particularly for widows or women whose husbands are incarcerated. This initiative aims to empower these women to start their own businesses and foster independence.
Service-learning initiatives from Bethlehem University extend beyond the campus, touching various parts of the city. For instance, the Language Department spearheads initiatives where, as part of their English practice, students design campaigns to disseminate community organization activities. Similarly, the Nursery and Occupational Therapy departments make noteworthy contributions.
To mention just one notable example, nursing students have created a multi-positional chair for individuals with physical disabilities. This invention, boasting a high level of technological sophistication, even surprised officials from the Education Ministry who attended the conference. The Occupational Therapy department requires its graduating students to design a service tailored to social organizations that lack such support, taking into account the unique circumstances and realities of these institutions.
The Uniservitate delegation also visited a bedouin community, the Al Rashaideh, which Bethlehem University supports through service-learning initiatives. Situated nearly an hour away from Bethlehem city, this rural population is involved in a project promoting tourism in the area. Visitors get to explore the Dead Sea and partake in a traditional lunch cooked in a ground hole, reminiscent of the “curanto patagónico”, a millennial cooking technique from the Chiloe archipelago in South America. The tourism project, backed by the Sociology for Development course, aims to provide development alternatives in this complex context. Other student-led initiatives include installing water tanks in homes or providing school support for children who attend a school twelve kilometers away from the village. “Actually, they are not my projects but the students’”, Professor Bilal Salameh of the Social Sciences Department said, underscoring the pivotal role of the students.
At Bethlehem University, they also utilize an innovative digital platform. It provides comprehensive information about each organization where students can undertake mandatory fieldwork for their degree curricula. Students subscribe to this platform, which tracks and assesses their individual participation. University professors highlighted that the autonomy given to students to select their preferred organization fosters a greater sense of commitment once they complete their degrees.
Learning and serving during war
The presentations by three Ukrainian professors about the Ukrainian Catholic University’s (Lviv) response to the ongoing war conflict, were particularly poignant. These dire circumstances tested their ability to identify problems and develop humanitarian responses within the academic realm. Consequently, the Legal Department collected evidence of war crimes, while the Business Department designed a broad support program for 140 entrepreneurs. This program helped the entrepreneurs find commercial opportunities for their products, build resilience, and create new strategies and international alliances. Institutionally, the university integrated service-learning into its educational approach for the development and reconstruction of Ukraine.
A Regional Perspective
A day before the International Conference, teams from the four universities that participate in the Central and Eastern Europe and Middle East hub shared their progress in institutionalizing service-learning in their respective educational institutions. Christiane Hoth de Olano, the hub’s representative, presented the monitoring and evaluation results from the previous year. To everyone’s surprise and delight, these records did not “do justice” to the current situation. Candelaria Ferrara, Uniservitate’s regional hubs coordinator, emphasized, “In recent months, we’ve made strides that have favorably changed the landscape.”
The conference also identified some needs, such as promoting a regional perspective that extends beyond the work of each institution. Several proposals included a global celebration of the solidarity student day; continuing to disseminate stories that highlight ongoing efforts; sharing handbooks and other resources to enhance practices; and encouraging both teachers and students to recognize service-learning experiences from universities in other countries.
The Uniservitate delegation had the opportunity to visit the most emblematic sites of the three religions that coexist in the region and share moments of prayer in six different languages. Additionally, just hours before returning home, the delegation participated in praying the Rosary near the wall that separates spaces between religions. This act of solidarity is repeated weekly by a group of Christians as a way to support peace processes in the Holy Land.
“Fue una semana muy intensa, en el sentido de que trabajamos mucho, pero un éxito total desde mi punto de vista”, dijo Christiane Hoth de Olano, de KU. Algunos días después de esa semana de encuentros en Belén, Nieves Tapia, directora de Uniservitate, comentó: “Desde el principio sabíamos que ese nodo sería muy especial, por la unión de Europa del Este y Medio Oriente, aunque no podíamos prever la guerra en Ucrania. El hecho de que, a pesar de todas las dificultades, se haya generado una verdadera comunidad, habla del espíritu de cada uno de los participantes en el Nodo y también del liderazgo que han tenido Christiane y la Universidad de KU, que han logrado esta unidad en la diversidad tan diversa”.
“It was a very intense week of hard work but it was also a total success from my point of view”, said Christiane Hoth de Olano, from KU. A few days after that week of encounters in Bethlehem, Nieves Tapia, Uniservitate Director, declared: “ from the beginning we knew that this would be a very special hub, because of the union between Eastern Europe and the Middle East, even though we could not foresee the war in Ukraine. The fact that, despite of all the difficulties, it was possible to generate a genuine community speaks about the spirit of each one of the members of the hub and, also, the leadership from Christiane and KU, whom achieved this unity in diverse diversity”
