How Do I Volunteer In Palestine?

By Volunteer In Palestine / January 17, 2024

How Do I Volunteer In Palestine? Have you ever thought about extending a helping hand in the West Bank or Gaza? If you’re feeling a bit confused and overwhelmed about finding the perfect volunteer role and navigating the program, don’t worry!

Volunteer in Palestine, based in the city of Hebron in the West Bank, is here to help. We can guide you through the process, offering various volunteer and internship programs along with tips and information about opportunities in the West Bank and Gaza. Let’s make your volunteering journey a meaningful and fulfilling experience!

Finding The Right Volunteer Program In Palestine

It is imperative that you do your research before setting off to volunteer in Palestine. Volunteering can be a big investment of your time and money, so it is vital that you do your due diligence – it would be unfortunate to arrive in Palestine just to find that your organization is not particularly professional or that the program has the wrong focus for you.

The only way to avoid these mistakes is through thorough research and, crucially, check the reviews from former volunteers for any potential program – their satisfaction (or lack thereof) will generally be a good indicator for quality.

Winter Intensive Arabic Programs In Palestine

Volunteering and Interning in Gaza, Palestine

Our Volunteer And Internship Programs

Volunteer in Palestine offers volunteer and internship programs which mainly focus on the topics of human rights, Palestinian children, women’s rights, Journalism, teaching English, sport, medicine, Palestinian refugees, Palestinian culture and politics, Palestinian laws and legal system, and the political history and present situation of Palestine and Israel. Our volunteer programs in Palestine are especially ideal for students and people who are looking for volunteer and internship programs in the summer time located in the area of the West Bank, Palestine, Israel, or the Middle East.

Our volunteer and internship programs were developed for graduate and undergraduate students of Middle Eastern studies, Arabic studies or political sciences, as well as professionals, employees of human rights organizations, scholars conducting case studies on Palestine and Israel, human aid workers, social workers, teachers, English native speakers, non-native speakers and anyone interested in engaging in Palestinian culture and daily life.

Volunteering Opportunities In the West Bank 2024/2025

Explore diverse volunteer and internship programs for 2024/2025 with Volunteer in Palestine. Our Volunteering and Internship Opportunities in Palestine focus on human rights, Palestinian children, women’s rights, journalism, teaching English, sports, medicine, Palestinian refugees, culture, politics, laws, and the historical context of Palestine and Israel. Ideal for students and individuals seeking summer opportunities in the West Bank, Palestine, Israel, or the Middle East.

Summer Volunteer Programs In Palestine

Looking for volunteer or internship opportunities in the West Bank, Gaza Palestine or Israel during the summer months? Volunteer in Palestine offers excellent options for individuals seeking to make a difference from May to September. These programs are ideal for students, native English speakers, and anyone with a summer break or an extended visit to Palestine.

Our summer volunteer programs in Palestine are designed to provide a comprehensive Arabic language learning experience combined with immersion in Palestinian culture, politics and history. Participants will have the opportunity to visit Bedouin areas such as Susiya, Palestinian refugee camps, local villages and community centers, enabling them to fully engage with the local community.

The Profile

If you want to volunteer in Palestine, you should be a motivated individual with an internationalist outlook. If you have the right profile you’re halfway there! It’s vital that you’re open to new experiences and to helping others. This is so important because you will be working in the community, interacting with fellow international volunteers and local Palestinian staff.

If you are eager, enthusiastic and keen to learn you will doubtless have a fantastic time. Adapting to new situations is a great skill to develop, and while many ‘Western’ volunteers sometimes experience something of a culture shock when they first come to Palestine, they always end up absolutely loving it when they look back on their time.

Preparing To Volunteer In Palestine

Palestine is a fascinating place with a rich cultural history. However, there are certain things of which you need to be wary when coming to Palestine. Firstly, the country is under Israeli Occupation which places restrictions on freedom of movement, including checkpoints and visa restrictions. You should really do your research about the entry process, as individuals perceived as suspect can be subject to additional scrutiny and questioning when arriving at Ben Gurion airport or when arriving via any of the land borders with Jordan.

Volunteering In Palestine

Having said all that, Palestine is a great place to volunteer. There are many people who need help, whether they have been affected by the Occupation and are refugees or if they simply lack basic provision of public services. There is a great opportunity therefore to create a real impact in the community where you volunteer.

To ensure that is the case, you have to do your research properly regarding which organisation to volunteer with: if you’re looking for an NGO or a Palestinian community development organisation, you want to find a well-established one, which has positive reviews from previous volunteers and links with its local community so that you can see the impact you are creating for local people. There are some less than scrupulous organisations out there so do your due diligence to ensure you have a worthwhile time volunteering.

Volunteering In The West Bank

Volunteer in Palestine is based in Hebron, in the West Bank. It runs a wide range of volunteer programmes for things as diverse as human rights and teaching English. The programme lengths depend entirely on your schedule and give you the opportunity to help the local population in a city that is on the front line of Occupation.

Hebron or Al Khalil as the locals call it, is a large city with over 400,000 residents, but it maintains that small town feel due to the close links maintained within the community. If you want to volunteer in Palestine then this is the place to do it!

About Hebron, Palestine

The city consists of two parts: H1 – the area which is reserved exclusively for the Palestinian population, around 80% of the city and H2 – the area where Israeli settlers live alongside the Arab population. The Old City is a particular point of contention with settlers causing trouble for local Palestinians, even for the kids as they go to school.

However, the deprivations occur outside the city too, whether it’s the Fawwar refugee camp or the Bedouin village of sousia being slowly demolished or the villages in the countryside denied access to water and electricity. It’s therefore vital to provide voluntary services for these affected areas, through the help of internationals working in conjunction with local staff.

Best Volunteer Programs in the West Bank

Short-Term Volunteering and Internships in the West Bank

Volunteer And Internship Programs In Gaza

Gaza Strip offers a variety of volunteer and internship programs. They cover important topics like human rights, teaching English, women’s rights in Palestine, supporting Palestinian refugees and children, journalism, Palestinian culture and politics.

The volunteer and internship opportunities in Gaza, Palestine are for a wide range of people, including students who study the Middle East and Arabic, people interested in politics, professionals, employees of human rights organizations, researchers studying Palestine and Israel, humanitarian workers, social workers, teachers, native English speakers, non-native English speakers, and anyone who wants to learn about Palestinian culture and daily life.

Support Palestinian Refugees In Gaza

The Gaza Strip is home to a population of approximately 2.3 million people, which includes some 1.8 million Palestine refugees. Undeniably, for at least the last decade and a half, the socioeconomic situation in Gaza has been in steady decline due to a lack of resources and attacks from the Israeli occupation.

The UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) provides vital services within the eight Palestine refugee camps in the Gaza Strip. However, the administration and policing of these camps are not within UNRWA’s purview; instead, this responsibility falls upon the host authorities. For those interested in making a positive impact, we highly recommend contacting UNRWA to inquire about internship and volunteer programs. Indeed, engaging with Palestinian children, women, and refugees in Gaza through such programs can contribute significantly to humanitarian efforts in the region.

Volunteer In Palestine Programs For A Short Time?

People who wish to visit and volunteer with us at the Volunteer in Palestine have a lot of choices and programs for a short time to help Palestinians and enhance the future of school and university students in Hebron, West Bank.

Below you may find a couple of other volunteer programs in the West Bank, Palestine:

Volunteer with Palestinian Children	Volunteer with Palestinian Refugees in the West Bank
Palestinian Laws & Legal Practices Internship	Human Rights Volunteer Program in the West Bank
The Palestine and Israel in Context Internship Program	The Palestinian Culture and Politics Internship
Volunteer in Media and Journalism in the West Bank	Volunteer to Teach English in the West Bank

Volunteer in Palestine aims at achieving a diverse cultural exchange and social dialogue with the Volunteer in Palestine Program by hosting people from around the world. Such diverse perspectives will enrich our activities and programs at the Center. In return, you’ll see true Palestinian life and be introduced to distinct Palestinian points of view.

When?

Throughout the year, Volunteer in Palestine offers volunteer opportunities in the West Bank, Palestine, providing the chance for participation with durations ranging from one week to three months (13 weeks) in all seasons (Summer, Winter, Fall, and Spring).

In Hebron, West Bank, our volunteer programs create a warm and welcoming environment that offers international volunteers from all corners of the world the opportunity to immerse themselves in Palestinian culture, daily life, and gain insights into the complex situation in the area.

Requirements To Volunteer In Palestine

Our volunteer programs are designed so that you are not expected to be an expert in your chosen profession upon arrival, but rather to develop useful experience as you go. Volunteering in them has various advantages that enable you to make a difference in both your life and the lives of others.

Even while some courses demand a general university degree, official academic credentials are usually not necessary. If you meet the criteria listed below, you are welcome to join us:

18+ (although further restrictions may depend on program)
A good attitude and willingness to learn
An interest in meeting and engaging with many people in Palestine
The ability to communicate in English
Willing to be a part of a family

However, what you don’t need in order to volunteer in Palestine is:

The ability to speak Arabic
Travel experience
To be a native speaker of English
A degree in English or any specialization
Experience in teaching English (for English teaching programs)

Volunteering Opportunities In Palestine In 2024/2025

Palestinian Community Organizations

There are many Palestinian community and Charitable, Humanitarian, Community service, Nonprofit and Social impact organizations that offer volunteer and internship programs in Gaza Strip with a focus on a wide range of topics. Notability, these topics include human rights, wellbeing of Palestinian children, women’s rights, media/journalism, teaching English, sports, medicine and healthcare, Palestinian refugees, and Palestinian culture.

Throughout the year, Gaza Strip offers volunteer and internship opportunities, providing the chance for participation with durations ranging from one week to three months (13 weeks) in all seasons (Summer, Winter, Fall, and Spring).

Impact Of Volunteering Or Interning In Palestine

Our Volunteer and Internship programs in the West Bank, Palestine are well researched, targeted, and suitable for anyone who wants to gain insights into daily Palestinian legal affairs and human rights.

We aim to make a long term difference for the Palestinian local community through the exchange of ideas and “walking in each other’s shoes”. Volunteering and interning is a unique opportunity to genuinely make an impact on your life as well as others including Palestinian children, refugees, youth and community members in the West Bank, Palestine.

Cultural Exchange

The welcoming atmosphere is the basis of everything that goes on at the Volunteer in Palestine in West Bank. A friendly, relaxed environment is vital to our mission of cultural exchange and the foundational ethos behind all learning and teaching that happens in the centre.

Our volunteer programs in the West Bank are designed for anyone showing an enthusiasm for their chosen area of work. Years of university training are not required; prior experience of volunteering and working in the given field is, however, greatly appreciated. Volunteers in the West Bank, Palestine are selected on the basis of their being considered a good fit for the Centre; a welcoming, friendly manner, a positive mindset, and an eagerness to learn are all highly desirable traits. Our volunteer and internship programs do offer the possibility of gaining university credits, as certified by the Ministry of Education.

Further Information

We hope you enjoyed the How Do I Volunteer in Palestine article. Detailed information and more can be found under the relevant articles. For more information, please contact us at Info@ecpalestine.org