After a late night arrival on Wednesday to our hotel in Amman and a few hours of sleep, we started our first full day in Amman at 9 a.m. with a visit to the University of Jordan. This campus of 35,000 students consists of beautiful rolling hills and cedar/pine trees. Before our first lecture, we made a quick, unscheduled stop at the university's library where we observed their construction expansion. The librarians warmly welcomed us with cardamom tea and conversation. We then met with Dr. Rola Qawa, a professor of languages and women's studies, and a leader with the women's movement in Jordan. A powerful and engaged speaker, she shared her thoughts about various women's rights and human rights issues in Jordan today. We then visited the Centre for Strategic Studies at the university, a research centre focusing on survey/polling data that enhances the knowledge of military, economic and social issues in the country. Afterwards, we enjoyed lunch at a university cafeteria where we were able to observe student life for a few minutes.

We then left campus to visit the Jordanian Women's Union, a NGO dedicated to the abolition of gender discrimination and the promotion of human rights. In addition to learning about the mission of the Union, I particularly enjoyed a visit to their women's shelter, where we observed many of the services they provide, including a medical clinic, legal assistance, job training program and a safe shelter. Our next stop was the SIT (School of International Training) Office (our host for our visit) and a lecture on peace and conflict issues between Jordan, Israel and Palestine. We had an engaging discussion with Dr. Ibrahim Badran and many of his comments prompted dinner conversations among ourselves afterwards. We ended our very full, but rewarding day, with a delicious Jordanian dinner (hummus was wonderful!) at Umsiaat Amman Restaurant in downtown Amman.