Share the experience of some IWPS Volunteers here

Volunteers Needed

Volunteers are welcome throughout the year. However, we need to place a limit of two at any one time, except during exceptional circumstances and special joint campaigns such as the Olive Harvest,we may require up to 15 volunteers at any one time.

There is a selection process and we cannot guarantee that you will be able to come. Those with experience of non-violent direct action, the region and its languages, and computer and technical skills are particularly useful.

At the same time, IWPS seeks to recruit volunteers from a full range of backgrounds, ages and countries, and is intentionally diverse in its selection of candidates.

Those with Jewish/Muslim, Israeli/Palestinian backgrounds are welcome, although, to safeguard our independence, we make sure these form a minor part of our international volunteers group.

Although we anticipate that the majority of our volunteers will travel to the country to join us, volunteers that are already in the country are also welcome, provided that they meet the same criteria and there is a place available for them.All volunteers are required to take part in an orientation in the house, agree to our nonviolent ground-rules and sign the House Agreement (this is attached to the Registration Form at the end of the pack).

Outreach for underrepresented women

Women of poor and working class backgrounds from all corners of the world including African, Central and Latin American, Asian and first nation/ indigenous women are underrepresented in IWPS to date.

As IWPS hires Team Members from our volunteer pool we need to encourage women who have the backgrounds and skills that will make us truly a diverse international group of women. We need to be proactive about assessing our make up and developing and applying an outreach plan to address gaps. We also need to actively support the women who we recruit. We need all TM's commitment to this to help to make our organization truly inclusive and reflective of the global community.

Scholarships

IWPS recognizes that those women who would be assets in our work cannot all afford to travel to Palestine. We will therefore offer a scholarship to facilitate their travel. Of the women recruited to join the project from under-represented areas, five (in the first year 8.03-8.04) will be awarded scholarships that can include their plane ticket and a waiver of the volunteer fees. Recipients of scholarships will be required to raise their own spending money. Ten scholarships will be awarded in the second year (8.04-8.05).

Volunteer Qualifications

• Minimum age for volunteers is 21; there is no upper-age limit.
• Volunteers must be in good health, able to walk on uneven terrain, and with the stamina to withstand unplanned difficulties. Disability or limited ability may not be a problem, but it must be discussed in the interview
• Understand and support the aims and objectives of IWPS-Palestine
• Willingness to help disseminate information, lobby and promote the work of IWPS-Palestine.
• Ability to work closely in a team of women from different backgrounds and of various ages.
• Willingness to accept guidance from women younger than yourself
• Respect for other cultures.
• Belief in nonviolent approach
• Experience in nonviolent conflict resolution.
• Willingness to accept the consequences of direct action (ie arrest, deportation, or injury).
• Calm temperament and ability to display objectivity when necessary
• Strong self discipline.
• Fluency in English and willingness to learn some basic Arabic.
• Ability to work independently.
• Willingness to live under simple conditions.

Underrepresented Volunteer Scholarship Qualifications

Volunteers seeking scholarships earmarked for Underrepresented Women must fulfill the above criterion and also:

• Describe the social justice/anti-oppression work they have been involved in
• Demonstrate financial need in order to qualify for financial assistance by providing a short description of why funds would be required to participate in IWPS - Palestine
• Be prepared to raise some money to contribute to their personal pocket-money expenses

The Role of IWPS Volunteers

Day to day work in Palestine

No one is expected to be able to fulfill all of these. The House Team, the Core Organising Group and the Volunteers will, as an ongoing exercise, decide what must and what can be achieved with their skills.

• Live and work in a village alongside the Palestinian people, gaining a first-hand understanding of their problems
• Observe and provide written and photographic documentation of human rights abuses both for use of the project and for use in your home country
• Respond to emergency calls requiring mediation, intervention or care, in coordination with the house team
• Non-violent intervention in human rights abuses (must have experience/training in non-violent direct action before participating with IWPS)
• Engage in acts of non-violent civil resistance alongside Palestinians and in coordination with the house team
• Create and maintain contacts with opposing groups to seek conflict resolution and alternatives to violence
• Assist in the development of village profiles of the long-term effects of the military occupation on the lives of the people
• Work with independent media and international press
• Keep decision makers and others with influence informed of the situation
• Send regular reports to supporting groups in home countries
• Take a full share of all domestic duties such as cleaning and cooking

Working hours will not be fixed. Each woman is responsible both for contributing what she can and for taking sufficient breaks, daily, weekly and monthly to ensure she remains in good mental and physical health. All participants in IWPS-Palestine have a responsibility to support each other in this way.

Be aware that your stay here will involve chaotic and unpredictable situations, as well as situations in which volunteers will have to mobilize quickly to travel long distances or intervene at odd times such as the middle of the night.

Additionally, there may be situations where team members are involved with ongoing IWPS work, and under stress, in which case volunteers will be asked to organize their time independently.

What you can expect from us

We will provide help and advice on how to reach us and traveling advice, basic accommodation (mattresses on the floor), basic food and washing facilities, and an orientation to the team and its procedures. We will provide the orientation upon arrival in Haris but for special events (like the Olive Picking Campaign) where we are working with ISM, the training may well take place with ISM in Bethlehem.

We will also arrange with you a program of work in accordance with our aims and objectives. The house team members have special responsibilities which they will try to share as much as possible with the volunteers, according to their skills.

We will involve our volunteers in all aspects of our solidarity work, based upon their flexibility, spontaneity, and adaptability to new situations.

The House will be equipped with the usual office requirements, including computers, printer, land telephone lines, cell phones, video and still cameras, sound recorders. There will be basic furniture, bedding, cooking and eating utensils provided but volunteers should provide their own sleeping bags and towels. Living will be communal. Shopping and cleaning will be shared between everyone.

What we expect from you

Volunteers are expected to cover their own transport costs, and to pay (in shekels) 45 shekels per day (approximately 10 USD) during their stay which helps to cover the food, water, electricity, heating, office costs, equipment maintenance, and transportation associated with the volunteer program. We encourage volunteers to fund-raise for these expenses.

Underrepresented Volunteers who do not have access to financial resources or fund-raising possibilities are invited to apply for a scholarship to cover their flight ticket and they can also get a waiver of the 45 shekels per day house contribution. However, at the moment our budget only allows us to offer five scholarships per year.

Take note: Please be sure to change your money upon arrival at the airport, or another major city. Also make sure that you have enough cash because the nearest place to withdraw money is in Ramallah. As transportation is difficult, it is best to take care of this when you first arrive.

As a volunteer in the house you can expect to be included in decision-making about issues and actions that effect your stay. Decision-making is on a consensus basis and responsibilities are shared equally.

We expect you to take on a fair share of the tasks assigned and carry them out to the best of your ability. The house team places a high value on working independently and being self-motivated rather than needing constant supervision from a house team member.

We expect you to use your time in the house for IWPS work, and not to use our house as a base to go off traveling and meeting friends.

If there are particular places in the region that you would like to visit, please allow extra time at the beginning or end of your trip.

If you have goals for your time here that are independent of our work (such as you are making a film), you are welcome to devote a portion of your stay to this work as long as is in accordance with the objectives and aims of IWPS. If this is the case, it is essential to discuss it in the interview, and let the house team know in advance.

We also expect you, with assistance from the house team, to prepare materials/presentations for use in your home country to build the worldwide movement to end the Occupation.

Living Conditions

The IWPS house is an apartment on the edge of a small village in the West Bank. We live on the second floor. It consists of two bedrooms, an office, kitchen, common area and two bathrooms. There is almost no privacy in the house. It can be quite stressful living and working in the same place and in close quarters with a group of diverse women.At least three people sleep in the same room, and the working environment is not ideal due to frequent shortages of electricity, challenges with the technical equipment, and our remote location.

Additionally, transportation is sometimes difficult, and it can take a long time to travel only a few kilometers. IWPS has no car and we rely on others for transport. Communication is also challenging in a new environment and without fluency in the language.

Team members have developed skills in adapting to this situation; please be advised that you will need to adapt to these conditions in order to function well.

Non-violence

All team-members, volunteers and guests must adhere strictly to our code of non-violence at all times while working with IWPS.

Team members and volunteers must have training and an understanding of what nonviolent approaches look like in situations of violence. For us, nonviolence involves the following:

• Never using physical violence, even in response to the physical violence of others. (Volunteers must have training in strategies for minimizing personal harm in such situations)
• Never using tactics of verbal or psychological violence or intimidation against any people during your stay here
• Refusing to act as a protective shield so that others may commit acts of violence

Volunteer Agreement

As a volunteer you will be expected to agree to and to sign the following Agreement:

AGREEMENT

International Women's Peace Service Volunteer

Because of the nature of the work - living and working alongside other cultures and taking action where there is a risk of injury or death - each International Team Member, Volunteer, and Core Organising Group Member will sign an Agreement, similar to the one below, which will be enforceable when living and/or working under the auspices of IWPS-Palestine:

1. I accept that my behavior at all times must be nonviolent, both physically and verbally.
2. I will refrain from acting in a hostile manner toward those whose actions we are protesting against.
3. I will act with sensitivity and respect for the cultural norms in the areas where I will stay and work.
4. I will not consume alcohol in the International Women's House, in Muslim communities, or whilst on duty. The effects of any alcohol intake must be fully dissipated before returning to the village, the International Women's House, or going on duty.
5. I will not smoke in the International Women's House. At other times, for example indoors or in a dangerous situation, smokers must respect the wishes of non-smokers.
6.I agree to undertake training in my home country in nonviolent direct action before joining the International Women's House
7. I agree to take full part in relevant meetings and to responsibly fulfill, to the best of my abilities, the roles assigned to me.
8. I agree to be removed or suspended if I do not follow group decisions and agreed-upon policies or if my presence is deemed harmful to the IWPS-Palestine mission.
9. I accept unconditionally the Aims and Objectives of IWPS-Palestine. 10. I hereby release IWPS from any liability in the event of my injury or death while a volunteer.

Signed: __________________________________________________
Dated: __________________

Application Procedure

If you would like to volunteer then please download the application form using the links below and email it to iwpsvolunteers@yahoo.co.uk

We prefer to deal with all applications by email as it saves so much time so please find someone who can send it for you if you do not have email yourself.

We will then find someone either to meet and interview you or to speak to you over the phone. You will have an opportunity to ask any other questions you may have and discuss the best time for you to volunteer. If you have already been accepted as a volunteer and intend to come out then please fill in the Registration Form (also at end of the info pack) as soon as you can and send it to us by email.

Download the complete Volunteer Application and Information Pack (the Agreement, Application Form and Registration Form can be found at the end of the pack) here as Word 97

Some Helpful Information

Arrival in Israel/Palestine

International arrivals:

Recently there have been cases of people being turned away at the airport and borders suspected of intending to join an organization that supports the Palestinians, so it is important to appear to be either a simple tourist, or to have a good story about Israeli (Jewish) connections, business or friends. Answer all questions in a calm and friendly manner.

Visas:

You will be given an arrival (visa) form to fill in on the plane, or at the border. The standard tourist visa is for three months, but in some cases, more often at land borders, this can be reduced to one month or just 14 days.

Encounter with Ben Gurion Airport:

Getting in and out the Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv/Lydda can turn out to be anything between a cursory security check and a few questions lasting up to 2 or 3 minutes to an unpleasant interrogation lasting several hours.

The Airport Security Service is an entity of its own and is not part of the GSS (General Security Service), better know as Shin Beth. GSS is around, but unless you become a "special case", you'll just deal with the Airport Security Service. Though ASS may take their authority beyond the limit, they do have limited rights and authority which is a good thing to keep in mind. The Airport Security Service may choose to go into a brief interrogation asking you questions like: who invited you and do you have an invitation? Where will you stay? Don't you know there's a war on? It is best to say that you're a tourist visiting the Holy Land. Do not enter any political discussion or make any statements. It's not worth it.

Once in the country:

The easiest means of transportation in Palestine is the collective taxi ("taxi service"). These are large cars or small vans which drive along main routes and stop anywhere upon request. They most often depart from a main square such as Damascus Gate in Jerusalem, Manara Square in Ramallah, Bab Askok in Bethlehem, and in city centres generally. Private or special taxis do not always have meters, therefore a price should be arranged in advance.

1. Directly from the Airport:

A) Take a “Nesher Shuttle” (collective taxi), a Bus or Taxi to Tel Aviv Central Bus station and from there to Ariel settlement via the settler bus.(Haris is just three kilometers away from Ariel; from there you can take a taxi, service, bus or walk.

B) Have a friend drive you in a yellow-plated car across the green line on the settler highway Nr. 5 to Haris. It is about a 25 minute drive from the airport.

C) If you have the cash, pay for a taxi (you can always go to Ariel and then walk or make arrangements with a house team member).

D) Come via Jerusalem – see point 2.

2. Coming via Jerusalem:

A)Coming from Ben Gurion: take a “Nesher Shuttle” to Jaffa Gate or New Gate or wherever you want to go. The taxi driver, who will be Jewish, may be reluctant to take you to East Jerusalem but you can ask him to drop you as near as he can go to Damascus Gate, which will be the top of Mussrarah Street, from where you will simply walk down about 250 yards. The taxi will take about an hour, and cost approximately $10.

If you need/want to stay in Jerusalem:

You could stay in Jerusalem a night and take a wander around the Old City. For instance the Faisal Youth Hostel (02-628-7502) at 20 shekels or $4.50 per night or the Golden Gate Hostel at 30 shekels or $6.50 per night. The Knight's Palace at $22 per night for a double room is another alternative. Lonely Planet, and other travel guides, will have several other recommendations.

Also the Schmidt´s College, which is right where the services to Qalandia leave, is a comfortable and friendly place to stay for $14, including breakfast (if its summer you may have a room in the garden house).

3. How to get from Jerusalem to Haris on the By-pass roads:

Jerusalem – Qalandia: Opposite Damascus Gate, in Nablus Road, you can find services (collective taxis, usually Ford Transits) going to Qalandia. Qalandia is a checkpoint near the refugee camp Qalandia about 10 kilometers before Ramallah. It costs 3,5 shekels. If the checkpoint Ar-Ram, which lies in between, is closed or difficult to pass in a car, you might have to change, walk over the checkpoint and take a new service to Qalandia from there. So you have to pay again.

Qalandia – Haris: If you want to go to Haris, do not cross the checkpoint. Approximately 100 m on the left side of the checkpoint (along the street leading to Jerusalem, where you came from) there is a service parking place. The Palestinian services driving in the West Bank are dark yellow.

If you do not speak Arabic, try to find someone who speaks English to help you explain where you need to go. People are usually very willing to help. If you have trouble communicating, or can't find a ride, call us and we will help get you here.

Ask for a service to Haris. If it goes directly, it costs between 35 and 50 NIS and depending which route he can take it lasts between 40 minutes and 3 hours.

If there are no services going directly, you can ask for Huwara or Aqraba – from there you should again try to get a Service to Haris, or a Taxi or ride to the Checkpoint Zatara. At Zatara (Israelis call it Tapuach Junction), looking left, you will see signs for Tel Aviv and Ariel. Go that way, across the checkpoint. From there you can either hitchhike or take a Palestinian bus coming down from Yasouf. Israeli drivers (yellow plated cars) may not know Haris; you can tell them you want to go past Ariel (acharei Ariel) to Tzomet Giti or Tzomet Yakir. If they are only going to Ariel, you could take the ride and we will come meet you there. Haris is about 13 km to the west of Zatara and about 3 km after Ariel.

Please give as a call before you leave, tell us which way you are going to take and give us your mobile number if you have one. If you are confused at any stop along the way about which way to go, please call us for help.

4. Another option to get to Haris is via Ramallah:

This is the longest way and may take numerous hours. This is the way the Palestinians have to take mostly. See Jerusalem – Qalandia

Cross the Checkpoint Qalandia (refugee camp before Ramallah) and ask for a service to to Surda check-point

Pass the check-point and on the other side you will find lots of taxis and service (collective taxis). Ask for a service to Salfit or to Bruqin (15NIS).

a) If you are lucky you will find one directly to Bruqin

b) If not take one to Salfit. From there take a taxi to the road block that divides Bruqin from Haris (20NIS). (Tell the driver you want to go to Haris via Bruqin, they will know where to take you.) Sometimes they will want to bring you to Haris via Iskaka and Yasuf, this is a bit longer and a bit more costly, but you may find a bus on this road (which is cheaper), you can check it out

c) If you are even more unlucky you will have to get a service to Bir Zeit and from there one to Bruqin or Salfit

Once you have passed the road blocks at Bruqin, you will hopefully find a service (2 or 3 NIS) that will bring you to Haris, if not call us and we will try to find you a car to bring you to Haris). Otherwise we have contacts who would be able to find you a floor to sleep on.

When you reach Haris ask the men under the tree at the Haris roadblock or outside the houses for directions to our house (Beit min Harakat as-salaam – House of the Peace Movement) or ring us and we will come and meet you – it is only 5 minutes walk away.

P.S. If the taxi drivers tell you that all of these instructions are not valid anymore because of new check-points, new road blocks, new incursions and danger…most probably they will be right…however they will know another way to get you there!

Let the IWPS Team know when you have arrived by ringing them on 09-2516-644. Let them know when you will be arriving in Haris and they can give you the latest travel guidance.