PAYCE Stories

Try it: You will find yourself. In this episode, PAYCE Fellow Aya Anwr explores what started development worker Youssef Qahwaji on his path. When he was thirteen, he had the chance to participate in a Jordanian UNICEF workshop that expanded his horizons. Seeing things from a different perspective, this was a change point towards his career. Aya describes how she can identify with Youssef’s story and the insight she draws from his advice.

PAYCE Fellow Hannah Curran brings us more of the story of artist Lina Abojaradeh. Reaching thousands through online posts of her art, Lina overcame self-doubt and fear to become an artist’s voice in exile. She defines success as a willingness to become unconventional. Lina wants to move people to change their awareness and do something for the Palestinian cause. Song credit to bensound.com, “Memories.”

The feminist media project created by PAYCE Fellow Zeina Melhem was featured in season two episode “One minute of norms.” Here, she shares the story of how Ruba Ahmad advocates as a hijabi woman to effect change. Ruba describes her ability to break down the public/private dichotomy as a way to “crack the walls.” Her work with refugee women is discussed as helping others “use their power” as Ruba admires their capacity to face challenges.

PAYCE Fellow Genesis Guzman begins her podcast episode with a dramatization of negative messages girls receive before turning to Ala’ Hamamreh’s story. Ala’ is one of the founders of Shaghaf Foundation. Experiencing the limitations placed on girls as a child, Ala’ noticed these limits and challenged them. The Shaghaf Foundation holds panels and activities to inspire women for change. Ala’ notes that women in both Palestine and America face challenges because of the stronghold of patriarchy. She believes that economic independence for women is the first step, which is a primary goal of Shaghaf Foundation. Genesis finds hope through Ala’s story.

Youth is sometimes seen as a problem that society has to “deal with.” PAYCE Fellow Abdullah Hamdan created this episode to refute this mistaken framework. He explores the story of Jordanian young adult advocate Youssef Qahwaji. They discuss the summer 2018 peaceful protests in Amman and the personal story of Youssef overcoming failure. Failure brings positive growth and enables you to value success in life. The podcast ends with Abdullah’s vision for youth in the future in his community.

PAYCE Fellow Hanan Zahran talks to Omar Husseini about his perspective on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and how he moved from the U.S. to Palestine. Hanan describes Omar’s work in “unconventional politics” through his job as a liaison to international visitors and his workplace. He describes why he chooses his form of advocacy given the context for Jerusalemites. Omar expresses his hope for Palestine and his hope for the future. Hanan asks listeners: What can you do? This podcast contains audio footage of violence that may be unsuitable for some listeners.

Lama Amr takes what she calls “weird paths” to find a way forward for a better world. Working with colleagues, she is a social entrepreneur who has founded organizations BirHakaya and Build Palestine. Her innovations include reorienting her thinking about Israeli checkpoints and choosing an unexpected college major. PAYCE Fellow Darrien Alexander Fordham explores a series of choices that have lead Amr to educate and create change in Palestine and beyond. Music from bensound.com “When in the West” by Blue Dot Sessions.

Ala’ Hamamreh is one of the founders of Shaghaf Foundation, a Palestinian NGO dedicated to projects in digital media and social entrepreneurship that create empowerment for young women. In this episode, PAYCE Fellow Fadi Abushanab profiles Ala’s work. ‘Shaghaf’ means passion in Arabic. Ala’ explains the work the organization has done and the changes it has brought her personally. Ala’ and Fadi challenge the conventional definitions of politics by talking about both the desire to end Israeli occupation and to change Palestinian society with a shift of consciousness. Ala’ Hamamreh served as a peer facilitator in Amman 2018 and was in the first cohort of PAYCE Fellows in Des Moines. Music by ShareAlike creative commons music, Jahzzar, “Traveler’s guide”.

Youssef Qahwaji’s parents wanted him to be a doctor or engineer. They were disappointed at first when he began to pursue a career in development and planning on projects related to youth empowerment. As PAYCE Fellow Olivia Graham notes, it’s up to the individual to decide when they will follow someone else’s request, and when they will follow their own intuition. Music credit by Bensound.com, “cute” and “when in the West.”

PAYCE Fellow Maddie Bjork explores the issue of women’s empowerment through the story of Ruba Ahmad. Ruba uses her anger and passion to create change and bring into sharp focus what she sees as imperatives for women and refugees. Ruba and Maddie discuss Ruba's work as a policy assistant at the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, wearing the hijab, and the need to elevate the voices of women refugees

PAYCE Fellow Renad Manasra profiles 20 year old Jordanian-based artist Lina Abojaradeh. Moving to Jordan from the United States was a significant change, but she found her voice through art. A Palestinian born in the United States, Lina has never visited Palestine. She can’t. However, she uses her talent to represent her “homeland political issue.” Lina found inspiration from other Palestinian artists and began to see art as a tool to advocate for causes important to her. She seeks to make Palestinians more relatable and human to inspire action. Learn more about Lina in episode 307 created by PAYCE Fellow Hannah Curran.

Omar Husseini bought a one-way ticket to Jerusalem, Palestine. He never went back. Instead of returning to California, he stayed in his father’s birthplace. He advocates for Palestine through his work as a public relations representative in a university. In response to the limited opportunities faced by Palestinians, Omar, age 28, explains to PAYCE Fellow Bri Dressel that he educates foreigners who come to visit so they can see the circumstances first hand. His weekend cultivation of the family farm is another form of activism with tangible results. Advocacy takes many forms within an individual’s sphere of influence. Music credit to bensound.com “better days” and “creative minds.”

Raneem's profile of social entrepreneur Lama Amr reveals a common frustration the two share. PAYCE Fellow Raneem Garhreeb begins her podcast with the sound of an Israeli checkpoint, then pivots to humor through the voice of an American PAYCE colleague. She does this to show a common experience of Palestinians abroad: Meeting people who confuse their home with Pakistan or who know nothing about the Palestinian situation. In this light, Raneem considers how her podcast’s subject, young adult Lama Amr, uses her voice to inform the world. A social entrepreneur, Lama has launched projects to support innovation and crowdfunding in Palestine, including BirHakaya and Build Palestine. Connecting with youth all over the world, she works to make things happen. Her successes do not make her immune from the daily problem of checkpoints and occupation, but she believe these setbacks making her more creative. Raneem connects Lama’s efforts to disseminate diverse stories about Palestine, seeing her as a model to follow to create change.

Mini bonus episode! PAYCE Logistics Coordinator Omar Husseini. Summer 2018 Amman participants will know Omar’s logistical brilliance. His story of civic engagement will appear in two of the episodes in season 3. In this pre-season mini-episode, hear why Omar is proud to play a crucial role in the PAYCE program. Music by bensound.com, "cute".

Can't wait for the stories from Amman? Neither can we - they're coming soon! Here's a shoutout from producer Darcie Vandegrift.

Huda and Lara from Al-Quds Bard interview storytelling activist Yasmeen Mjalli. A Palestinian raised in the United States, Yasmeen moved to Ramallah after college. To challenge the harmful effects of gender harassment, she performed an art project called Not Your Habibti to draw attention to the problem of how women are seen as possessions rather than subjects in control of their bodies and stories. Yasmeen challenges the idea that women’s rights cannot be talked about under Occupation. Related but different from #metoo, she invites women to tell her their stories in more personal, intimate ways. Many women were hesitant, but Yasmeen collected intimate stories which she turned into an art exhibit that has toured globally.

Myqueal Lewis (Florida A&M U) presents this moving radio essay about his aspirations to become a teacher. He thought of many pros and cons of pursuing this profession. But recent gun violence has raised new questions. This thought-provoking podcast combines personal reflection and interview with a high school gun control activist. High schoolers are standing up to demand change to protect their lives. Having adults who support young activists is a big motivator. Myqueal concludes that a high school student he interviewed, Makaela, gives him an important perspective on activism.

Hassan Essa ran for office as a young adult. In this episode, PAYCE Fellow Hannah Curran of UNH Manchester interviews Essa about his earlier political activism, his campaign, the connection between poverty and politics, and his political activism as a young adult Coming from a low-income district, neighbors took him seriously as a candidate and appreciated the fresh perspective. Essa describes how poor people are harmed when politicians leave them out of policy agendas. Though he didn’t win, he shifted the talking points within the city to focus more on poor people’s issues.

Salina from Al Quds-Bard interviews the founder of a campus club, Unheard Palestinian Stories. She and her classmates describe how often it is difficult to tell one’s story. Founder Baha’ Ebdeir created organization to create beauty out of pain through giving space to tell stories. However, he and the club ran into a challenge. There were plenty participants who wanted to speak, but fewer attendees wanted to listen. Why don’t attendees feel curious to hear what others have to say? Club members think that this is because of the current social context of living in an oppressive society where screaming feels like the only option. But how do you create a space for listening? “Listening is not a privilege. It is a responsibility.”

Is social media an alternative to political apathy? PAYCE Fellow Taylor Zitkus worked with a University of Hartford class to explore student apathy and also new forms of political expression on social media. Taylor argues that social media counts as political engagement because it is a way to become educated, connect with others, and express important views.

In this audio essay, PAYCE Fellow Noura (An-Najah National University) talks about many issues related to economic struggle and poverty. The Israeli Occupation overshadows all conversations about poverty and can never be ignored. She outlines the economic challenges faced by college students and their families as students search for a career. Islamic charity reduces public manifestations of poverty.

Gun violence in American creates trauma through school shootings, police killing of Black men, and gun homicides. This episode was made right after the Parkland School Shooting and legislative advocacy to address the issue. This conversation reflects the raw urgency. Dekywan Debose (Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University) presents a radio essay in which he reflects on an interview with Floridian teacher Miss Leon. In their conversation, they reflect on what goes through a teacher’s mind, arming teachers, school shooter motives, and parent’s role. Tags:

Ten percent of New Hampshire residents are food insecure. Abby Sprackland is a young adult working as an Americorp Member at a food bank to combat hunger. UNH-Manchester Student William Duval interviews Sprackland about her work and the nuts and bolts of the New Hampshire Foodbank. This podcast shares her story of the path to this career and answers the question: How does a food bank work?

Kenia Calderon is an activist and recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) living in Des Moines, Iowa. Drake University student Genesis Buckhalton profiles Calderon for this episode of PAYCE stories. Being at the heart of the Presidential campaign process, she could ask questions important to the undocumented community. She was galvanized to mobilize her community and build relationships to fight anti-immigrant legislation. Her love of her community drives her to put herself at the forefront of activism.

Raneem describes the negative stereotypes about young adult Palestinians. But what is dreams and goals truly characterize this generation? She and her team profile one of the artists, Zeina, who created an art project designed to challenge gender inequality through a film project called One Minutes of Norms. The project films a statement written on a sign put on a public space and responses to the sign in order to capture attention. The controversial statement calls out gender oppression in Palestine. People were hesitant to engage with the statement, and a small error in the writing created confusion. It was an experiment that, although imperfect, presented feminist commentary and challenged norms. Art opens dialogues necessary to create a change. Zeina and Afnan, the artists, are also PAYCE Fellows whose stories are found in the series.

Harhash is an Al-Quds Bard student who is disabled. Storytellers Shadi and Yousef interview Harhash, who is the head of the Disabled Committee at AQB. His goals for the Committee is to improve accessibility for disabled people at Bard. Painstakingly, Harhash advocated for railings and other facilities. He fought to have an elevator placed on the campus so that he could have access to classes. However, the University does not always take the problem seriously. Harhash believes that the barriers are because of a broader disregard for disability rights in Palestine. As a Jerusalemite, Harhash sees that Israeli efforts to accommodate disabled people should be extended to Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza. Occupation affects the circumstances of disabled Palestinians. Shadi and Yousef end the podcast by talking about the inspiration and insight they take from Harhash’s story.

From a young age, Pheobe Clark pushed for gender justice. How has that shaped her life and perspective? In this podcast episode, Reeda Alji (Al-Quds Bard) considers Phoebe's story in tandem with her own efforts to end gender segregation through a summer music program in the West Bank, Palestine.

When he learned there was an opening in his rural school district, Josh Hughes stepped up. A passionate advocate for public education, his service to the board brought a student’s perspective rarely heard in managing school districts. In this audio story, PAYCE Fellow Kelanie Crosswait (Drake University) shares the interview between Josh, her and PAYCE Fellow Fatima Hashem (An-Najah University). Josh shares advice for young adults getting involved in politics – how to keep going when things get tough and to remember the values that motivated public service. He believes it’s important to advocate for good causes no matter what the outcome.

Noura Abu Ghosh (An-Najah National University) reflects on her interview with Latinx advocate Marlu Abarca.

Join PAYCE Fellow Jeffrey Simmons (Florida A&M University) as he profiles Abshir Omar Mahamed, a 26-year-old Somali refugee and Muslim, who made the bold decision to run for the Des Moines City Council. Although Abshir did not win the council seat, the change that he was able to make in the Des Moines is far from over. Abshir’s story is one that relates to us all. We all have diverse backgrounds, and we all face hardship, but that does not mean that we can’t make a difference in our communities.

PAYCE Fellow Taylor Zitkus (University of Hartford) tells the story of how feminist activist Ash Bruxvoort. Since a kid on a farm, she has challenged patriarchy and capitalism. What does it mean to be a feminist organizer? It means applying your best skills to a political goal. For Ash, it's organizing events for women to tell their stories and create trust in relationships. Music credits: “Inspirational Indie” and “Acoustic Inspiring” by Nazar Rybak

Marlu Abarca is a Los Angeles native who moved to Iowa for college in 2010. After moving to Des Moines in 2014, she has gotten involved in civic engagement through local non-profits, like Al Éxito!, volunteering at Iowa Commission of Latino Affairs, and a full-time job at the Des Moines Public Library. PAYCE Fellow Genesis Buckhalton (Drake University) describes how Marlu focuses on local change to bring cultural awareness and to represent the Latino community in Iowa. Song credit: "Flauta" from Miente, miente, que algo queda by los tu.l.a. At Free Music Archive.

Sitting down with Phoebe Clark, PAYCE Fellow Meredith Howe (University of New Hampshire) spoke to her about activism in her life. Clark, a senior at Drake University, spoke about the time she and friends disrupted a Republican event, her views on “diversity of tactics,” labels, and how she began to look positively at activism after disillusionment. Songs credits: Greg Atkinson “Crick’s Unnecessary Children,” Parvus Decree “Into Oblivion (Partially Recomposed),” Broke for Free “Night Owl,” Transpanda “Thunder Panda,” Lonely Punk “Easter Island” – all music from FreeMusicArchive.org

When so many powerful interests hold sway in the legislative process, children fall through the cracks. While nobody will oppose the motto “Every Child Matters,” few work actively for these causes. Jill Applegate works for one non-profit in which she speaks up for kids in a tough political environment. PAYCE Fellow Juli Dajci (University of Hartford) expresses admiration for Jill when compared with peers who are politically apathetic and officials who prioritize differently. He tells how she perseveres while giving young adults a new perspective on being politically active through nonprofit advocacy.

How does racism shape the realities of public education in the United States?  PAYCE Fellow Ala’ Hamamreh (Al-Quds American Studies) talks to Des Moines Public School Board member Dionna Langford about her efforts to address race and class inequalities in her district.  They talk frankly about the problem of white progressives needing to examine their own racism for the District to serve all children.

PAYCE Fellow Hala Jaffal (Al Quds-American Studies) profiles Abshir Omar Mahamed, a 2017 Des Moines City Council candidate.  She highlights Mohammed’s inspiration for civic engagement from a young age.  He describes the anti-Muslim racism he faced and the important ways his campaign changed the conversation about the city’s priorities.

Peter McLaughlin serves as the Director of Elections and Candidate Research at Project Vote Smart in Des Moines, Iowa. Based on his interview with Peter and PAYCE colleague Rana Rishawi, PAYCE Fellow Justen Norcott (University of New Hampshire) shares Peter’s political upbringing and why Peter is committed to non-partisan research. The story concludes with Justen asking Peter for advice about crafting a career in politics. A passion for research shapes Peter's  current work, his enrollment in Drake University’s MPA program, and future plans.

Project Vote Smart is a Des Moines, Iowa based organization that uses volunteer power to create a database of transparent information about candidates and politicians all across the United States. Peter McLaughlin, Vote Smart’s Director of Elections and Candidates Research, explains why nonpartisan research is his passion and vital to American democracy. His story is told by PAYCE Fellow Rana Rishmawi (Al-Quds American Studies) who warns that voting, unlike shopping, requires research in order to avoid a bitter outcome.

Fatima Hashem (An Najah National University) connects the lines in the story of Drake University student and school board member Josh Hughes. He does the hard work of serving on the school board because of his "original motivator." His identity as a gay teen and his commitment to fighting for public education moved him to action. He advises young people to do self-care because their voices are needed. "Find out why you want to get involved ." There will be times when it's hard to keep going, but that motivator will be what makes it all "make sense." Fatima challenges each listener to decide: "When will you make that journey into yourself?" Music credits: "Epic Flight" from PremiumBeat by Immersive Music.

PAYCE Fellow Afnan Abbasi (Al-Quds Bard) profiles Des Moines children’s rights advocate Jill Appelgate.  Jill is motivated to fight for children who are vulnerable because they lack a voice in the political process. Afnan reflects on Jill’s story with a commentary on children’s human rights and the ways that we fall short in our obligation to future generations.

Ash Bruxvoort is a young adult active in a local Democratic Socialists of America party and the Iowa Women, Food, and Agriculture Network. PAYCE Fellow Majd Aburrub (Al Quds-Bard) considers what we can learn for ourselves by following Ash’s example of solidarity and helping others.  Ash’s superpower is her concern for the question: “How can I help bring out what makes that person special and draw their attention to it?”

In a world full of opportunities, women are told how to present and carry themselves. PAYCE Fellow Alexis Jones’ podcast delves into Dionna Langford’s personal stories of what motivated her to run for School Board. The youngest African-American woman to serve in Des Moines, Dionna offers an enthralling narrative of real-life obstacles she faced when deciding to run, and how they have helped to shape her perception of what changes need to occur to repair and rebuild Des Moines. Jones is a recent MA recipient from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University. She writes that Langford’s story gives her hope.