action palestine

There are a vast amount of clubs (called 'societies') here at Manchester, as there are at any university, I'm sure. I've joined a few so far: we went to the Sci-Fi society's first meeting, I signed up for the Fine Arts one and the Arab Society and Amnesty International, but the one I've taken most interest in and put in the most effort is Action Palestine.  

It was the first society I signed up for and while Aamna was roaming the stalls at Fresher's Fair, she signed herself up too (and me, again). Before there was even a first meeting, AP hosted a small event with a speaker who talked about his experience during a visit to Gaza. After he ended his speech, someone stood up and invited us all to hang around and socialize with our neighbors. So we did. We met some pretty awesome people, including Tom who is equivalent to Jesus in our world -- every word that comes out of his mouth oozes wisdom and profundity -- and this sweet 4th year pharmacist who did a year placement in Oxford (!!!!!) and is as obsessed with it as I am. And through her, we met a bunch of other super cool people and then we all went out for dessert together! And the 4th year became our buddy and now she takes us on occasional dates. 

Then we started going regularly to the meetings and taking part in the discussions and volunteering for things. Now it looks to become a nice chunk of my time at uni and I absolutely love it. And so far it's been a ton of fun. I stood out for a couple hours in the rain handing out flyers and manning the display table. I took part in a silent protest for the Palestinian right to education. I've made sure to go to each of the events they host and most of the meetings. I spent an entire week dedicated to the Right to Education Week, which included a banner drop:

The best parts are all the people I've met. They're not just people in the same club; they've become my good friends. It's so amazing to be around people who are so dedicated and passionate about something, no matter what it is. They're just so inspired. 

I love feeling like that too. I love having something to look forward to and to work for and to support. And to have that something be something I really care about makes it all the more worth it.