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Gaza students meet the Elders

Graça Machel Mary Robinson Desmond Tutu Gro Brundtland Israel-Palestine Elders+Youngers Israel-Palestine Elders+Youngers Gro Brundtland Gro Brundtland
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After a lighthearted blast on the vuvuzela, Archbishop Tutu spoke to the students about their hopes and ambitions for their country. If they were grown-up, he asked, what would they choose for Palestine?
The students took the opportunity to ask the Elders for their advice on dealing with the problems they face in Gaza.
Mary Robinson asked the students about their experiences during Israel’s ‘Operation Cast Lead’ in December 2008-January 2009. One boy described how civilians had fled their homes during the bombing and sought refuge in a school.
As well as meeting with the Elders, the students visited several important sites from the struggle for freedom in South Africa. These included the Apartheid Museum and Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.
A week later ten female students, all around 14 years old, travelled to Norway and met Elder and former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Brundtland. That same day, they were given a guided tour around the Nobel Peace Institute and Nobel Peace Centre.
The visit gave an opportunity for the students, who all grew up in Gaza, to learn how human rights standards can be used as an alternative to violence. Throughout the 8-day trip, the students had the opportunity to meet human rights experts from several Norwegian institutes and international organisations.
The students weren’t in meetings all the time. They also spent time with the Palestinian community in Oslo and visited some of Norway’s finest tourist attractions, from Bergen Aquarium to the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo.

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