The College Historical Society (Hist) held a debate yesterday night which included an appeal to attendees to consider donating to a fund intended to support Trinity Researcher Ezzeldeen Alswerky’s stay in Egypt.
Alswerky, a Palestinian man who was accepted to do research at Trinity in the Biochemistry and Immunology department in June, has been unable to take up his position due to the outbreak of the war and the closure of the border in Rafah.
Though he has received approval for his Irish visa, he will need to travel to Egypt to collect it. Having lost a family business to the war, he fears being unable to afford the cost of his stay and of replacing all his lost possessions, which he estimates could amount to €730.
The Hist debate included speeches from eight speakers evaluating the merits and drawbacks of a two state solution. Committee members handed attendees a slip of paper upon entry with a QR code leading to their donation page. As of 12 am of November 7th, the fund has raised €450.
Part of the struggle in fundraising for Palestinians still in Gaza is the process of ensuring they receive all the money raised. In an email to The University Times, Alswerky expressed anxiety over recievimg funds through a third-party organisation, rather than directly, stating: “due to circumstances, people who will receive the money will take a transfer commission up to 20% or maybe more”.
Some of the popular fundraising organisations like GoFundMe are not operational in Gaza, and require a friend or family member to collect the donations in another country.
The funds raised from the debate will be deposited into the Hist bank account, and wired to Alswerky once he arrives in Egypt.
