Are you interested in learning about Palestine, but don’t know where to start? Do you have some knowledge about Palestine, but are looking to deepen your understanding? This seminar is a foundational primer on Palestine, covering major historical events, political and cultural geographies, and key concepts including refugeehood, steadfastness, and the right of return. Throughout the course, we will learn about Palestine and Palestinian identity through interactive field trips and engagement with Seattle-based organizations and community spaces. These will be active trips and class visits where we will connect the concepts and histories we are learning to Palestinian art forms, such as dance (dabke), embroidery (tatreez), music, and literature, along with practices around seed-saving and agriculture. Along with serving as a primer on Palestine, this course will be of interest to students looking for experience in the social sciences, along with those eager to connect with local community spaces and organizations in Seattle and UW.

This course is designed to be accessible for beginners, while containing concepts and information for students enrolling with some knowledge about Palestine, including Palestinian students. Palestine 101 welcomes students interested in the social sciences, in learning about the Middle East, and in getting to know local community organizations and institutions at the UW and around Seattle. This course will be of interest to students who are curious to learn about processes and concepts, such as displacement, refugeehood, and environmental injustice, through interactive field trips and guest visits.

Learn more about the instructor of this course: https://jsis.washington.edu/people/danya-al-saleh/