Current Student Haley Fletcher's Experience in the Minerva Jerusalem Program

One of the main reasons Haley Fletcher joined the Josef Korbel School of International Studies community was to participate in its Minerva Jerusalem Program. As a second year student, Haley is earning her MA in International Development with concentrations in Administration, Health and Development Issues and Human Rights. In the winter quarter of 2009, she was one of the students learning at the Minerva Center and interning in Jerusalem, Israel.

"I was actually seeing what I heard about and questioned before. Seeing Jerusalem with my own eyes, taking pictures with my own camera, and seeing what it is like on each of the Palestinian and Israeli sides changed my perspective. I wouldn?t have believed much of what I saw if I hadn?t actually experienced it. It is deeply complex."

For five days a week, Haley interned with Rabbis for Human Rights, an organization that is dedicated to the human rights of all and intervenes with human rights abuses in Israel. Haley interviewed Palestinian families whose homes underwent demolition, created a conversation group for Bedouin refugee women, and helped Rabbis for Human Rights create a social marketing campaign. She also wrote a grant to the European Union for legal funding for the organization.

"It was an absolutely phenomenal experience to have the chance to learn in Jerusalem where you?re thrown into the situation and can form your own opinions. I tried to take advantage of any opportunity. That?s what makes you really learn."

In the summer of 2009, Haley's next destination is Kiberia, Kenya, where she will be part of a team performing a needs-based assessment and training for a water and sanitation project run by Rotary International and the University of Denver.

During the ten-week Minerva Jerusalem Program, Haley kept a blog to share her experiences with family and friends. Visit the Where is Haley Blog to learn more.

Learn more about the Minerva Jerusalem Program.