Short-Term Volunteering and Internships in the West Bank: Many people with at least some level of awareness about the Palestinian Issue can see the difficulties faced by Palestinians and feel the natural human urge to want to help those affected by the ongoing Occupation of Palestine by Israel.
Visiting the West Bank, Palestine can be a great way to support Palestinians by uplifting the local economy while you also have the opportunity to learn more about Palestine and get to know Palestinians. But to go beyond that, taking up a volunteering role or an internship can be a great way to help the people of Palestine on the ground and build meaningful relationships, whilst developing your skills and gaining the experiences you need in the professional world of work now or later in life.
Volunteer in Palestine offers volunteer and internship programs in the West Bank 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.
Affordable and Accessible Programs
Volunteer in Palestine provides affordable and accessible volunteer and internship programs in Hebron, West Bank. Our programs are open to native and non-native English speakers who want to help the Palestinian community while learning Arabic. We offer a range of programs, including teaching English as a foreign language and workshops on human rights, as well as the legal and political situations in the West Bank.
Short-Term Volunteering and Internships in the West Bank programs are open to all English speakers, whether they are undergraduates, graduates, professionals, or retired individuals. These program is a great opportunity for anyone looking to volunteer in Palestine, the West Bank, Israel, Jordan, the Middle East, or the wider Arabic world.
A Wide Range of Volunteer Opportunities in the West Bank
You can find a wide range of volunteer and internship opportunities in the West Bank, Palestine, depending on your career ambitions, areas of interests, field of studies and previous experience. By participating in a short term volunteering program or internship in Palestine (up to 3 months), you will get to have a meaningful and impactful experience, without the long commitment sometimes required by volunteer or intern positions, for example for 6-12 months.
Keep reading to learn more about why Palestine is a great place to participate in a short-term volunteering or internship program and relevant other information, such as about the safety situation, how to prepare yourself as well as some available opportunities.
Why Palestine?
As alluded to, Palestine is a beautiful country that has had a particularly troubled history over the last +75 years due to the Israeli Occupation. As a result, all Palestinians face oppression and hardships to some extent or others, with Palestinian refugees and poor people usually suffering the most. The country has a fascinating history dating back thousands of years, with a rich culture (including very tasty food!) and as the location of many of the Holy Land cities like Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Jericho, it is a really interesting place to visit and spend time in.
Additionally if you are interested in learning Arabic, Palestine is a great place to do it because the locals are friendly and helpful in assisting you to learn and you can learn in a fully immersive Arabic speaking environment. Additionally, Palestinians speak the Levantine dialect which is the most recognized throughout the Arab world, so it is probably the most useful one for prospective Arabic students to learn.
If you’d like to read more, here are some reasons to visit Palestine and some reasons to volunteer in Palestine.
Is It Safe To Volunteer In the West Bank?
Yes, it’s safe. There are often negative media reports about the situation in the West Bank, Palestine, so it is understandable if you are concerned about safety, but the reality is far different from what you have likely heard.
Almost all media reports circulate news that is inaccurate and biased without telling the full story. Additionally, the discourse on Palestine is almost always from a colonial and orientalist lens, and regular Palestinians, particularly the working class, are often censored and denied the use of their own voice on social media and in the media.
The Situation In Gaza
Most of what you might hear in the media happens in Gaza, which has been under Israeli blockade and siege by air, land and sea for at least 15 years. This makes daily life extremely difficult for many people in Gaza and Gaza is often referred to as the world’s largest open air prison.
98% of the tap water is undrinkable and the majority of people only have electricity for 3-12 hours per day in Gaza. On top of that, it is a tiny piece of land where around 2.3 million Palestinians live, of which around 1.4 million are internally-displaced refugees from other parts of historic Palestine. All of these are just a few consequences of the Israeli occupation that you will rarely, if ever, hear about in the news.
The Situation In The West Bank
In contrast to Gaza (which foreign tourists are unable to visit due to the blockade and siege), the West Bank is a far more stable, accessible and safe destination for international tourists to visit. While there are occasionally outbreaks of violence, they are usually highly localized and foreign tourists are not often exposed to the difficulties (unless they actively go looking for them of course) – as long as you are sensible with your movements and you don’t seek out trouble, it is perfectly safe to volunteer in Palestine.
Many internationals, both men and women, have visited the West Bank and said they felt safer here, even when walking at night alone, than in their own countries such as the UK, The US and Australia. They have reported that they also felt very welcome and that Palestinian people are very friendly and helpful. On top of that, many Palestinians leave their car doors and front doors unlocked, because street crime such as petty theft and pickpocketing, while prevalent in many countries around the world, are almost unheard of in Palestine.
Why A Short Term Volunteering Role Or Internship?
Unfortunately, Israeli tourist visas (issued on arrival at Ben Gurion airport or the land borders with Jordan) only last for 90 days. So the maximum length of stay, if you are doing voluntary work or an unpaid internship, is three months. This is generally sufficient time to get a taste of Palestine and see if it’s the right fit for you.
However, it can be possible to leave after 90 days and re-enter a few days or weeks later to get a new visa, but this process is unpredictable. If you want to find longer term work in Palestine then you will have to go through an arduous Israeli visa process before you even enter the country. So we only recommend this is if you have already visited Palestine before, really know the country and that you want to work here long term and are willing to go through the visa application process.
How Can I Prepare For An Internship In Palestine?
Palestine, as mentioned, has its own unique history and culture, so be sure to research the place and its customs before visiting. This will give you a better idea what to expect and also will help advise you when packing your luggage.
If you speak Arabic, practice it up and plan your route to whichever area of the West Bank you will be visiting. Arrange your flights and travel insurance and notify your bank of your plans to travel abroad. Pack your bags accordingly, bearing in mind that the winters can actually get quite cold and wet and summers are blistering hot and you will soon be ready to go!
Volunteering Opportunities And Internships
Volunteer in Palestine in Hebron (a city located in the South of the West Bank) runs language, training, internships and volunteer programs for those interested in helping Palestinian people. During your time with us, you will get to experience the local culture while developing your professional skills.
All our Short-Term Volunteering and Internships in the West Bank are run flexibly from 1 week up to 13 weeks, depending on your circumstances and needs. After you arrive, you will be assigned a liaison manager to channel your work to where it is needed the most. We also provide you with accommodation, daily breakfast, and tailored Arabic tuition from a dedicated, personal Arabic tutor to help volunteers aid Palestinians in their own native language.
All Kinds of Skills
We welcome people with all kinds of skills, such as in: nursing, engineering, sports coaching – we even had a circus performer volunteer to provide morale boosting performances in refugee camps! Even if you feel like you have no special skills to offer, you could consider English teaching, which is a popular way to help the local Palestinians develop their English language skills.
We also organize and run frequent trips, around and within Hebron city, to see the historical monuments, the local industries and other places or organizations of cultural, historical or political importance. You will have two days off per week to spend as you please and you can arrange your own trips by yourself or with other participants if you wish. This will ensure you have a fantastic and fun experience beyond the volunteering itself.
a Fantastic Environment and Cultural Exchange
Former volunteer and intern testimonials highlight the importance of having a range of internationals working alongside our permanent Palestinian staff, which creates an atmosphere of cultural exchange and a fantastic environment for the mutually beneficial sharing of ideas.
Many volunteers find that they have a great social experience as well as a professional experience here and that they make friends for life both with the other volunteers and with the local Palestinians as well.
Our Short-Term Volunteering and Internship Programs in the West Bank, Palestine, include:
Join Us For A Volunteer Program Or Internship In Summer
If you are a student, graduate, professional, taking a sabbatical or gap year, or anyone else with an extended break during the summer, we invite you to join us to take up one of our volunteering or internship opportunities over summer. During summer (June through September), many people have holidays, including students in Palestine and abroad, which means it is when we are the busiest and host the highest number of internationals throughout the year.
So if you join us in summer, you will find many other international volunteers, interns and Arabic students with whom to make friends and explore Hebron and Palestine with. Additionally, our partnership with the Palestinian Ministry of Education, means we can provide academic credit to current university or college students seeking it.
We invite you to join us in summer to gain practical real-life experience, grow your personal and professional skills, while immersing yourself in Palestinian culture traveling, and making friends with people from many different countries.
Interning Or Volunteering With Us Makes A Real Impact
We aim to make a long term difference with all of our volunteer and internship programs, for both the Palestinian local community and you through the exchange of ideas and “walking in each other’s shoes”. All of our programs are well researched and targeted to ensure they have a real impact and foster shared learning for both our community and you. Volunteering or interning in the West Bank affords you the unique opportunity to genuinely make an impact on your life and the lives of local Palestinians and the wider community. As with most things, the more you put into your program, the more you will get out of it.
The kind of impact you will have will depend on which program you choose. For example, if you volunteer to teach English, you will get to have an impact on the education and English proficiency of Palestinian students. If you volunteer in our medicine and healthcare program, you will get to engage with medical professionals as well as support and educate medical students through running seminars or workshops. If you intern in our Palestinian Laws & Legal Internship Program, you will learn about local laws and the local legal system through a range of different settings such as visiting law courts and meeting with Palestinian lawyers.
The Benefits We Offer To You
Volunteer in Palestine offers numerous benefits to all of our participants. Some of these benefits include:
- Being immersed in Palestinian culture and daily life while living in Hebron.
- Provided accommodation with a Palestinian host family (for women) or an all-male dorm.
- Breakfast for each day that you are at our center.
- Three hours of Arabic tuition per week in Modern Standard Arabic, Levantine or the Colloquial Palestinian dialect, taught either one-on-one or in small groups by one of our well-qualified and attentive Arabic teachers.
- The chance to make new friendships with other volunteers, interns, students, visitors, and local residents.
- Participating in various activities and trips around Hebron, such as to the Old City, kaffiyeh factory, glass and ceramics factory, Ibrahimi mosque, a local refugee camp, local artists, and local organizations.
- The chance to experience Palestinian hospitality and enjoy Palestinian traditional cuisine and drinks.
- Two days off per week to spend as you please. You may wish to explore nearby cities such as Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron, Tulkarem, Qalqilyah, Jenin, the Dead Sea in Jericho, Akko, Herzliya, Beersheva, Eilat, Tiberias, Netanya, Safed, Haifa, Tel Aviv, Masada, Amman, Aqaba, Wadi Rum, and Nazareth.
- 24/7 program assistance, including pre-departure support.
- Academic credit towards your studies for current students is available on request.
- A certificate upon completion of your program.
Our Reviews And Community Awards
Volunteer in Palestine has welcomed over 1,000 individuals from all over the world since 2011. While we continuously develop our programs to provide the best possible learning experience, our fundamental mission remains the same: to connect, teach and develop individuals within the local and international community.
In 2022 we were rated one of the top three programs worldwide in offering volunteer opportunities and one of the top three language schools worldwide by Go Overseas. We received a total of five Go Overseas Community Choice Awards in 2022 and were recognized as one of the top Teach Abroad Providers for the category of “benefits” and one of the Top Internship Abroad Providers for the categories of “growth” and “support”.
In 2021, we were rated one of the top three programs worldwide in offering volunteer opportunities. We received the community choice awards by Go Overseas in the categories “best language school”, and voted best on “fun” and “instruction.”
In 2019, we received our first “Go Overseas Community Choice Awards” to acknowledge Volunteer in Palestine’s impact on the community of travelers around the world. Volunteer in Palestine continues to be a highly rated travel organization across its selection of programs
Check out our reviews and testimonials from previous participants, linked below, to see if we are the right volunteer organisation for you.
- 730+ Reviews (96%) on Gooverseas.com
- 160+ Reviews (94%) on Goabroad.com
- Participants’ video testimonials
Summary
Participating in a short term volunteering program or internship in the West Bank, Palestine will really open your eyes. Contrary to many media reports, the West Bank is safe for international visitors and there is plenty to see and plenty of volunteer and internship opportunities. When you volunteer or intern with us, you will get to learn a lot about Palestine, a beautiful country with warm people that is highly misunderstood and misrepresented.
This opportunity is sure to enrich your own life, as you immerse yourself in Palestinian culture and daily life while making friends. However, in addition to the personal benefits and growth opportunities, you can also develop yourself professionally through gaining practical experience in your chosen field. This can give you experience in your chosen or prospective career path, or help you to explore a new career path or interests, or just give you a break from your regular life.
We offer a wide range of Short-Term Volunteering and Internships in the West Bank that are suitable for students, graduates, professionals, anyone taking a gap year or sabbatical or anyone else wishing to get to know Palestine. You can join us for as little as one week and up to 13 weeks, at any time of the year. Volunteering or interning with us will have numerous benefits for you and it will help give you practical experience to boost your resume, but it will also help you develop both your hard and soft skills.
How Do I Apply?
If you are interested in participating in Short-Term Volunteering and Internships in the West Bank, please, write to us at Info@ecpalestine.org . We should be able to respond to your initial inquiry within 1 to 2 business days.
Find Us Online
Whatsapp:+972-599-479 880
Website: https://ecpalestine.org/
EC Website: https://excellencenter.org/
Study in Palestine: https://studyinpalestine.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excellence.center
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ExcellenceCenter
Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/RafatECHebron
Watch us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsQSLdFZWZcBm6Uj0XMYuKg
Visit and Explore Palestine: https://www.facebook.com/ExplorePalestine
Tags: Internship opportunities Palestine, Internship Positions Hebron, Short-Term Service Learning, Volunteer Abroad Palestine, West Bank Volunteering
