Reem SAID
1- Tell us a little about yourself.
Hello! My name is Reem. I’m in my third-year double majoring in Political Science and World Islamic and Middle East Studies. While originally from Palestine, I grew up in Qatar and moved to Montreal for my education. I’m also a part of WIMESSA as VP Academic for the year 2019-2020.
2- What got you into doing an internship in Lebanon? How did you discover the place you went to do an internship in?
Lebanon has been a place that I wanted to discover for many years now. I had prior knowledge that there were many organizations that advocate for Palestininian human rights and the rights of refugees in Lebanon. I discovered VisualizingPalestine a couple years ago when I saw their work being shared on social media. Their work involved compiling various data relating to human rights violations in Palestine and using data visualization to create infographics. I admired their work and contacted them in the spring of 2019 for an internship opportunity in their office in Beirut, Lebanon.
3- What are some of the biggest misconceptions that people have about traveling in Lebanon?
People may think that Lebanon is unsafe, while some areas are just like in every city, it is mostly safe and people are very friendly.
4- What was your favourite experience there?
My favorite experience in Lebanon was attending the ‘Palestinian Oral History Archive’ conference at the American University of Beirut. My favorite non-work related experience was getting to hike in the beautiful northern parts of Lebanon with a group called ‘Vamos Todos’. Another favorite excursion was visiting the southern city of ‘Tyre’ or Sour in Arabic.
5- What do you feel was your biggest personal accomplishment?
Learning effective researching skills and organizing data using google sheets and MediaWiki.
6- Last but not least, what advice would you have for future McGill students seeking to do an internship in Lebanon?
Try to get involved with opportunities through the American University of Beirut such as the ‘Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs’ since they hold many conferences during the summer that host speakers from around the Middle East and the World. They also have internship opportunities! Also, try to explore the country and don’t just stick to Beirut. There are really beautiful scenes to explore outside the city!
Part II – Questions on the application procedure:
1- How did you apply to the internship? (Provide contacts if necessary)
I emailed the organization I was interested in working with and then sent my CV and cover letter.
2- How was the visa application process? What did you do to get it?
I’m a Canadian citizen therefore I was able to get a visa on arrival.
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