Kathleen Wallace '23 is interning in the Outreach Department of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. Here, she writes about her experience through the Royal Experience Summer Internship Program.
This summer, I’m interning in the Outreach Department of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. CMEP’s mission is to educate American Christians on the current human rights issues in the Middle East (particularly in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories), elevate diverse Middle East voices and advocate for changing U.S. policies concerning the Middle East to work toward holistic peacebuilding. Through my internship, I am learning more about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and how to understand various perspectives while advocating for the human rights of all involved. I am inspired to grow in becoming an active peacemaker and compassionate advocate.
My Scranton experiences have led me to and prepared me for this internship. In January 2020, I studied abroad in Israel and Palestine with Father Azar in the Theology Department. While there, I began to learn about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and saw firsthand the human rights crisis and the need for lasting peace. I also met the CMEP Manager of Middle East Partnerships, who shared CMEP’s internship opportunities. The next semester, I took Professor Haw’s Peacemakers class, where I studied the importance of non-violent direct action in peacemaking and the crucial distinction between peacemaking and “peace”-keeping. These experiences sparked my interest in working for peace in Israel and Palestine.
As an outreach intern, I connect with current partners of CMEP and reach out to various American churches to encourage and plan travel to the Holy Land. Just as my pilgrimage and study abroad to Israel and Palestine opened my eyes about the occupation, CMEP hopes that trips to the region will illuminate the importance of peace in Israel and Palestine for the betterment of all.
While most CMEP employees work remotely from all across the globe, I work in our D.C. office. I take the train into Union Station, walk to our office across from the Supreme Court, and after work, I explore the city before heading home. It’s been fun to spend my summer in our nation’s capital!
I am a philosophy and theology double major with a peace and justice concentration, currently plan to attend law school, and my time at CMEP will certainly help me in my future career path as a lawyer. Advocating for those in need is something I hope to do as a lawyer. More specifically, this internship provides an opportunity for me to explore whether I would ever want to work for a nonprofit or even pursue a specific career in peacebuilding advocacy in the Middle East. On a practical level, I am gaining professional communication skills through my outreach work as well as organizational and planning skills through various cataloging tasks. I’m incredibly thankful for this amazing opportunity to be working in D.C. for CMEP!
To learn more about CMEP: cmep.org
To follow my summer internship and other students’ internships: sites.scranton.edu/careerservices/
