Educators from England Accompanied by Father Paul Maddison

On Monday, 30 May, Father Paul Maddison visited the university once again. Father Paul is among our "regular visitors" whom we warmly welcome. He led Ms. Helen Edgar, Ms. Marian Rutland, Ms. Bernadette Higgins and Ms. Anna Mansfield, a group of four educators from England, to various parts of the Holy Land – including Bethlehem University. Before visiting the University, Father Paul and the educators spent a few days visiting schools in Aboud, Ein Arik and nearby villages with which they are involved in various supportive relationships. At the University, they toured the campus and observed the on-going construction of the Israeli Separation Wall and the Israeli Settlements surrounding Bethlehem from the verandas of the University. The educators engaged Brother Joe in conversation about the University, its students and academic programs – exploring the various negative impacts of the on-going occupation on the well-being of the University and its educational mission. The campus tour also featured views of Bethlehem and nearby Beit Jala and Beit Sahur as well as visits to the University's Chapel of the Divine Child and a multimedia presentation about the University in Cardinal Furno Hall. After the presentation, two students from the Hotel Management program, Ms. Rana El Hussein (BU '07) and soon-to-graduate Samar Al-Tareh (BU '05), and Father Jamal Khader, Chair of the Religious Studies Department, responded to questions about the University, their hopes and dreams as well as about the problems students face daily in reaching the University as well as the financial difficulties for families caused by the severe unemployment in the West Bank.