Anour Esa
Foreign Policy Intern







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My name is Anour Esa and I am a sophomore at The George Washington University. I am studying Peace Studies/Conflict Resolution as well as International Environmental Studies at the Elliott School of International Affairs within GWU. A Palestinian-German-American, I have traveled extensively to both Germany and Palestine as long as I can remember. I speak fluent German and am studying Arabic. I currently am a member of JStreetU and Students for Justice in Palestine at GWU, and have plans to establish an organization dedicated to creating a Palestinian-American voice for Peace in the university community. In 2012, I attended Seeds of Peace International Camp in Maine, where I spent three weeks living together with Palestinians, Israelis, Egyptians, Jordanians, and more. This experience has deeply moved me, and was a source of hope amidst the despair of this conflict, and most importantly sparked in me resolute passion for working towards ending the occupation and finding a sustainable solution to this conflict. In the spring of 2014, I spoke at TRANSFORM, an event in New York sponsored by Seeds of Peace YLC. I delivered an 8-minute speech about my experience at and after the camp to over 250 young professionals. 

 

I am delighted to be working with ATFP this Fall semester, as I believe the work that ATFP does is extremely vital to a sustainable solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A Palestinian-American voice for ending this conflict must be heard and advocated for if there is to be an equal dialogue in the United States on peace. This internship is one of the first steps I can take to make a difference in this conflict. The ideals of ATFP and their goals for Palestine align closely to my personal views. I believe a two-state solution is the only viable solution for both ending the occupation of Palestine, and living in peace with Israel. In order to make this possible, however, Palestinian Americans must stand and join the discussion on peace and making freedom for Palestine a reality. Without a Palestinian-American voice, the US conversation on the conflict is flawed and not true. I look forward to the many experiences my internship at the ATFP this semester will provide me, and once again am delighted to be a part of the team. 

 

Follow Anour on Twitter: @anouresa