Right to Education Tour Returns to US in April

National Students for Justice in Palestine has partnered with Birzeit University’s Right to Education (R2E) campaign to bring ten students to U.S. campuses this spring to speak about life and education under the Israeli occupation.

The theme of this year’s tour is “The Impact of Colonialism on Education in Palestine.”

The tour that returns to the states in April has become a regular feature of National Students for Justice in Palestine’s programming.

“R2E tours have been going on for years now, but last year was the first in the United States. We’re excited to be organizing the second and continuing the tradition. It’s wonderful to see the initiative and enthusiasm from students both in the U.S. and Palestine, and that’s what guarantees a successful tour,” Amira Sakalla, R2E organizer, told Palestine in America.

The first-ever Right to Education tour was in 2014 in Ferguson, St. Louis, where students from Birzeit University met with local organizers in the movements for VonDerrit Myers, Jr. and Mike Brown.  The students participated in a vigil and a demonstration with community members. Together, they highlighted the intersectionalities between the Palestinian and Black liberation struggles.

“The tour was very successful and engaging, and the students did an excellent job conveying the struggles of obtaining an education under the occupation. The event really opened my eyes to how deliberate Israel is in limiting access to education in order to perpetuate the occupation, and it was so much more effective hearing about the personal experiences of students rather than reading an article online,” Areej Hamdan, a 2014 R2E host, told Palestine in America.

To support the tour, make a donation at www.nationalsjp.org/donate.