The CBRL Travel Grant funded a 10-day research trip to Lebanon in October 2016. During the trip I conducted three interviews with former fighters in Palestinian militias, held one talk at the American University Beirut (AUB), conducted one research-based workshop for Palestinian youth at a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) vocational training centre in the south of Lebanon, and had three work-related meetings.
The talk at the AUB let me disseminate findings of my research and gain valuable feedback from colleagues working on similar and related issues. It was the first talk I had given in Lebanon, and I was particularly pleased that some of my interviewees were able to attend, in addition to some interpreters and gatekeepers. The talk was also attended by researchers and students, as well as civil society representatives, which stresses the relevance and importance of my research topic beyond the academic community.
Towards the end of my stay an opportunity arose, via a former interviewee, to conduct a workshop for a Palestinian youth group on the roles and experiences of women in war, at one of the UNRWA vocational training centres in the south of the country. The feedback from the workshop attendees (a group of 17–18 year old Palestinian refugees) was very positive.
I also attended three work-related meetings during my stay in Beirut, with academic and civil society stakeholders interested in my research.
I am approaching the end of my PhD, so being able to disseminate findings from my PhD, gaining feedback from fellow academics and conducting some more interviews was a fantastic opportunity for me that came just at the right time. I am incredibly thankful for this opportunity provided by the CBRL and its funders.