We welcome Sara Zajicova, a graduate of EMIS and a relations coordinator between EMIS the Center, back to the Green Village.
Tell us your name, age, nationality, and a fun fact about you.
My name is Sara Zajicova, I’m 19 years old and I come from the Czech Republic, which is located in Central Europe. A fun fact about me: I love languages! I actually speak several and am constantly learning more. I grew up bilingual (I speak Czech and English fluently) but my repertoire also includes German, French, Mandarin, some Korean, and a bit of Hebrew. I’m hoping to improve that last one this year!
How did you discover the Charney Resolution Center? What made you want to be a part of the team?
I discovered the Charney Resolution Center during my studies at EMIS, thanks to the different initiatives and projects the center brought to the student body. The most impactful of these was definitely the Peace Simulation. In my first year at EMIS, I was a participant in the simulation. Even though I had taken part in many other activities and discussions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at EMIS, the Peace Simulation was different. Through it, I saw and understood the complexities of the whole issue, as well as the many challenges that lay ahead on the road to peace, but I saw reasons to have hope.
Having had such an intense and eye-opening experience myself, I wanted to make sure future EMIS students would have the same opportunity, so I applied to the Peace Simulation Committee and was chosen as one of the organizers. Together, we took the simulation in a new direction, expanding it and experimenting with it - and it seems to have been a success. It was what came after the event, the feedback I got from students about how much the Peace Simulation had meant to them and how glad they were to have experienced it, that really motivated me to become a part of the CRC team. I have felt firsthand, in many different ways, how worthwhile the center’s work can be and I decided that I wanted to be a part of that.
Do you have any plans for your new role as “CRC and EMIS Relations Coordinator”? Can you tell us a bit about them?
I think if I could choose the most exciting year to be the CRC and EMIS Relations Coordinator, it would be this one. EMIS and the CRC are seeking to integrate the center’s work more directly into the school’s mission infrastructure, so that they can complement and strengthen each other. I am in a unique position to help make this happen, as I am not only an intern at the CRC but also a volunteer in charge of all mission activities at EMIS. Thus, I am able to negotiate and shape this relationship from both sides, understanding its needs and complexities.
For instance, I will be further advancing the idea of “prep days”. Prep days are days during which students get introduced to the main historical narratives and key issues within the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or are taught skills like mediation and non-violent communication. They were introduced to EMIS students last year, in preparation for the Peace Simulation. However, this year, the prep days will also serve as a tool to prepare students for other mission activities at EMIS, such as Mission Week.
What is the most exciting thing about being an intern at CRC?
I think the most exciting thing about being an intern at the CRC is to be able to work on a cause I care about, in a way that is meaningful and fulfilling. If I had to pick a more specific aspect, I love the idea of being able to work with students and impact their lives in ways that will stay with them long after they have left school.
What is one thing you think you will gain from this experience, and one thing you will work hard to achieve throughout your time at CRC?
I believe that this experience will undoubtedly teach me a lot about the non-profit and non-governmental sector, as well as about the role this sector plays in conflict negotiation and peacebuilding, which are areas that I am interested in pursuing in the future as well. Moreover, I think I will be able to learn a great deal from all the people who are a part of work with the CRC and be inspired by them to create change in other parts of the world.
In my time at the center, I would like to expand the CRC’s range of projects and its collaborations with other organizations or initiatives. However, primarily, I will work hard to make sure the work is relevant and useful to the people and communities we hope to impact, whether they be students or not.
What connections do you see between EMIS and the CRC?
The most direct connection between the CRC and EMIS is, of course, their joint commitment to bringing this region closer to peace. However, I see other similarities, as well. I believe there is a shared approach in promoting personal connections between people on different (and sometimes opposing) sides as a way towards achieving peace. Often, the awareness of a different experience to one’s own and the knowledge of another human being on the “other side” is enough to de-escalate the way negotiations take place. Personal connections can help create empathy and kindness, rather than continuous escalation. In this sense, I think the CRC and EMIS share a similar philosophy, which drives all the things they do.
How do you feel about combining work at EMIS and at the CRC?
I expect that the combining work between the two entities will pose a variety of challenges, but I am ready to overcome them and learn from them. I think that my position allows me to assist and improve both the CRC and EMIS in ways that others working at either one or the other might not be able to do. I am excited to use this opportunity to become a bridge for further cooperation between two organizations I care so deeply about.