Location: Israel and the West Bank
Dates of Trip: May 10-24, 2009
Student Trip Leaders: Lauren Barr and Ryan DuBois
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Shoshanna Sumka
Approximate Cost: $2800-3000
Cost includes: airfare, lodging, food, transportation, guides, and all activities.

This AU Alternative Break trip to Israel and the West Bank will focus primarily on grassroots peace activism and its impact on civil society. We plan to examine the causes and characteristics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the failures of top-down attempts at negotiation, and the role of the ever-growing grassroots peace movement within that context. In order to obtain a well-rounded perspective, we will meet with various actors on both sides of the Green Line, including but not limited to: human rights groups, government officials, religious organizations, youth and volunteer organizations, peace and coexistence advocates, and many others. To further connect with people, we plan to have homestays with both Israeli and Palestinian families, have meetings with university students, and join in service activities with youth.

Approximately half our time will be spent in Israel with Jerusalem Peacemakers: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Nazareth – and the other half we will travel and stay in the Palestinian cities of Bethlehem, Hebron, and Ramallah in the West Bank, while partnering with the organization Holy Land Trust.