Support
the Scout Movement in Jerusalem
Jerusalem
June 24 - July 7, 2011
Volunteer project: The Arab Catholic Scouts in Jerusalem was founded in 1928 as a part of the Scout Movement that began in 1907 with Sir. Robert Baden-Powell. The Group has a full membership status in the Palestinian Scout movement and the Catholic federation of Scouts in the World.
The mission of the Arab Catholic Scouts - Jerusalem
is to contribute to the education of young people, through a value
system based on the Scout Promise and Law, to help build a better world
where people are self-fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive
role in society.
The main objectives of the Arab Catholic scouts is reaching the youth in
Jerusalem (The old City and its suburbs) by supporting them in their
physical, mental and spiritual development, so that they may play
constructive roles in the Palestinian society. Basically the Arab
Catholic Scouts in Jerusalem works towards achieving three main aims:
growth in moral strength and character, participating citizenship and
development of physical, mental, and emotional fitness. To achieve these
aims, the Arab Catholic scouts employ as other scouts in the world "the
Scout method", a program of informal education with an emphasis on
practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, hiking, and
sports.
The Arab Catholic Scouts Association have hosted several groups of short term volunteers in the past 3 years. The international volunteers this year are expected to help with painting and renovation work inside the association.
Language: English
Cultural activities: One of the main
aims of the international volunteer project is to expose the
international to Palestinian culture, folklore, heritage and politics.
We believe that working side by side, and living the daily reality of
the Palestinian people will give the real picture of the situation on
the ground.
The cultural program consists of meetings with local community leaders,
lectures by politicians, feminists and economists, field visits to local
associations working in community development and documentary films
showing the Palestinian reality.
Accommodation: In the centre.
Location: Old City of Jerusalem, Palestine
Age range: 18 and over
Preserving
the historical and cultural heritage of the Old City of Hebron
Hebron
July 8 - July 21, 2011
Volunteer project: This project is the continuation of last year’s project that is connected to the scheme World Heritage and the old city of Hebron. The project seeks on the first place to protect and renovate old Palestinian homes by bringing participants and volunteers from all over the world to work together with their peers from the city of Hebron and students from the Spanish Renovation School (training center supervised by the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee). Volunteers are invited to join the efforts of the Palestinian Authority and different local organizations by taking part in this project in the old city of Hebron.
The project aims to revive and bring life again into the old part of the city of Hebron which has gone through many instabilities and disturbances resulting from the political and economical situation in the city for more than four decades. This situation lead to the evacuation of people from their homes, and the city became like a ghost town. The local committee for rehabilitation, together with the municipality of Hebron want to collect all the efforts and energies to bring Hebron to its normal life by bringing volunteers and tourists to visit the city and enjoy its unique structure and design that goes back to more than 5000 years ago.
During the project, international volunteers will
work with local volunteers (most of them are students at the Spanish
Academy for renovation) for two weeks in the old city of Hebron. The
work will include:
- Painting walls in the old city using natural materials
- Building a Mosaic Panel together (120 X 180 cm)
- Assisting the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee in organizing their
international conference titled “The International Conference on the
Development of Historical City Centers and Promotion of Their Economic
Conditions” which will take place in the 15th anniversary for the HRC
(19-21/07). Volunteers will help in translation of documents, preparing
all the logistics and technical needs for the conference and have to be
ready for any sundry tasks.
The volunteers will be divided into 3 groups; each will work on a
different mission and the groups will rotate from one place to another.
This project aims at joining and complementing the efforts exerted by the Palestinian Authority and different NGOs in the country to preserve the city’s cultural heritage by safeguarding the constitutive elements of its old buildings and ultimately save its entire architectural and social identity, and to contain and encircle the dangers threatening the Old City. The Palestinian Authority had already included the city in its tentative list of the World Heritage and submitted to the UNESCO to be considered in its next meeting.
Language: English
Cultural activities: By living in the old city of Hebron the volunteers will have the chance to visit the families that live in the struggling areas, where they will experience their real and daily life. They will also attend presentations, documentaries and conferences organized by the local associations and society.
Accommodation: The volunteers will be hosted in rented flats near the old part of the city.
Location: Hebron (Old City)
Age range: 18 and over
Spreading
the spirit of volunteering in Ramallah
Ramallah
July 20 - August 2, 2011
Volunteer project: This volunteer project is taking place in cooperation with Ramallah Municipality and aims at creating an international voluntary work momentum in Ramallah as a first step towards reviving the voluntary service spirit and atmosphere in Palestine.
The project will also include wide variety of multicultural activities. It will bring together tens of international volunteers and Palestinian volunteers from different parts of the country to work side by side in different activities and actions that will be organized by many local organizations and platforms.
The two week volunteer project will include construction of sidewalks for pedestrians, building a public garden, the flee market renovation and several other environmental and agricultural works in different parts of Ramallah city. The project will also include wide variety of cultural activities that are taking place during the period of the workcamp. The project will finish by the first day of the holy month of Ramadan with a celebration and farewell for all the participating volunteers, to give them an opportunity to live the spiritual rituals of this special month for Muslims in particular and the Palestinian nation in general.
100 international and 100 local volunteers are expected to join the project. This will be a group of workcamps where each group will work on a certain action for two weeks.
Language: English
Accommodation: Since the number of the volunteers will be very large, the Municipality will arrange a site for the workcamp in a large school by the center of the city where men and women will stay in separate rooms.
Location: Ramallah City
Age range: 18 and over
Renovating community and social
facilities in Bethlehem
Bethlehem
December 20, 2011 - January 2, 2012
Volunteer project: The project seeks to bring people of various cultures together to build bridges of understanding, reconciliation, and peace. The long term goal of the project is to prepare youth to make positive contributions to their future and society through the values of understanding, helping, contributing tolerance, and respectful coexistence. These goals are achieved through education, awareness, youth empowerment and international volunteer projects.
The volunteers will work in different areas in Bethlehem and they will help the municipality of Bethlehem in achieving the projects they’re working on in kindergartens, parkings, gardens, streets and hospitals. The volunteers will work in this area along with the people from the municipality, taking up different tasks every day, such as painting, farming, cleaning, etc.
The volunteer project will be running at Christmas time in Bethlehem, the best place to celebrate Christmas in. The volunteers will have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas with the Palestinians, sharing their celebration and solidarity.
Language: English
Cultural activities: The afternoons will be used to give volunteers an intercultural learning experience, with a focus on showing them the Palestinian culture within the context of the occupation and hopes for the future. This will involve visits to refugee camps in Bethlehem, tours of places of interest, lectures, meeting Palestinian politicians and activists and most importantly, interaction with the local people. The volunteers will be able to visit the different associations and centers in the city where they can watch documentaries about the situation in Palestine and the Middle East. The volunteers will also have the opportunity to visit other cities in the West Bank, like Ramallah, Hebron, etc.
Accommodation: The volunteers will be hosted in flats near the Manger Square (walking distance from the Nativity Church) where men and women live in separate rooms. The accommodation includes hot water and kitchen with basic equipment.
Location: Bethlehem is considered a central hub of Palestinian cultural and tourism industries. The city has significant value for Christians as it is considered the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth according to the Gospels. Bethlehem is also home to one of the largest Palestinian Christian communities in the Middle East. In addition, Bethlehem has three Palestinian Refugee Camps (Dhisha, Al-Azza and Aaida). The construction of the Israeli apartheid wall has had a severely negative impact on Bethlehem politically, socially, and economically. The wall runs along the northern side of the town's built-up area, within meters of houses in 'A'ida refugee camp on the one side, and Jerusalem on the other.
Age range: 18 and over
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