“ In the end , I made quite a controversial decision , actually , to go to Tel Aviv University , in Israel , to do a Master ’ s in International Conflict Resolution and Mediation .”
Far from being repelled by the polarising nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict , those very complex dynamics and perspectives were the drawcards .
“ It was the fact that all the Abrahamic religions were centred in Israel : Christianity , Judaism and Islam , which is what I ’ ve studied … and I was interested in the inter-faith dialogues and peace-building between religions .”
One of the abiding role models that peace and understanding was possible in one of the world ’ s most conflict-torn regions came from the Rotarians who took her under their wing – members of the Rotary Club of Jaffa , and her Rotary ‘ mum ’, president Rogette Hinawi .
“ She was so kind to me – Rogette was actually Israeli-Arab … she was Palestinian , and Christian , so that ’ s unusual and in the minority ,” Robbie says .
“ Rotary was fantastic . My host club was one of the only ones at the time which had Israelis , Arab Israelis , Christians and Jews . They were just lovely . There were business people – very successful people – within Israel and had ties all around the place .”
Expansive views
For Robbie , then 21 , the 2010-11 academic year proved ‘ incredible ’, her class a melting pot of professions , backgrounds , ideas and perspectives .
“ I was the youngest in my class by far . In my year , people had come from all different faculties , all types of disciplines . I was studying with doctors , lawyers , city planners , and I had a dancer in my class – all there to bring what they knew to the table and learn about peace building .”
... I could choose to listen to the divisive opinions on the conflict , or I could choose to remember , and reflect on , the people I ’ d met – like the Rotarians who were co-existing in harmony , who were peacebuilding , doing it every day .”
Robbie Francis , Dunedin NRG
Even as a Kiwi from a world away , though , she was not immune to the rawness of the conflict .
“ For me , I was able to travel freely between the West Bank and Israel , and half my friends were from Palestine , and half of my friends were from Israel ,” she says .
“ Don ’ t get me wrong – it was challenging . I often felt under pressure to take a side , whereas , I am prohumanity . I am very much into : I ’ m human and you ’ re human , and we ’ re , actually , both just human .
“ I was confronted with a lot of ethical questions like racism , peace building , conflict , religion , and , sometimes , it did hurt and I did question my faith in humanity at certain points .”
In fact , so intense was the experience , she took a year to decompress on graduating , au pairing in France .
“ I needed to clear my head … conflict and peace building is hard , and this was particularly hard , especially for a 21-year-old mind .
“ There is always going to be conflict in the world ; there is always going to be work to be done , and I had to really make a choice – was this something I wanted to continue , or did I want to pursue something else ?
“ What I decided on , and what I had thought about in my time in Paris , was that I could choose to listen to the divisive opinions on the conflict , or I could choose to remember , and reflect on , the people I ’ d met – like the Rotarians who were co-existing in harmony , who were peace-building , doing it every day .
Israeli Rotarian Rogette Hinawi and Robbie at her graduation from Tel Aviv University .
“ And , it was only then , when I started thinking about them , that hope returned .”
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