EVS in Palestine

CADFA is pleased to tell you that we have heard that this amazing project is going to continue for another two years - so we welcome applications to join the autumn 2013 group of volunteers. This page will shortly be updated with full details

EVS Volunteers blog: Notes from Palestine

Volunteer in Palestine flyer pdf

Camden Abu Dis Twinning Volunteers [click here for Arabic]

EVS project funded by Youth in Action 2011-2013

Over two years, the project will take 28 young volunteers from many backgrounds in Britain to work in Abu Dis in Palestine. Six groups of 4 volunteers at a time will do 3 months’ service and one group just one month at the Dar Assadaqa Community Centre. They will help to create and run activities to develop the twinning links between schools, university, youth clubs and other organisations in Camden and Abu Dis that have been developed by Dar Assadaqa and CADFA. They will help them to communicate with the twinned organisations in Camden. Volunteers will give talks about their lives in Britain, help with English language clubs and activities in areas of their own interest/competence, support the work of Dar Assadaqa itself, help organise events, prepare and post blogs, photos and stories from Abu Dis on the internet for Camden people to read. They will help with communication with British visitors, and help to prepare Palestinian people to go on visits to Britain organised by Dar Assadaqa/Camden Abu Dis. Following a preparation period in London, volunteers will have a structured voluntary experience in Palestine which will allow them to develop their independence, organisation, confidence and skills in working in a team. They will strengthen their communication skills, learn about a very different culture, language and society, learn about the human rights situation in Palestine and also about ways that the West is seen in the Arab world. There will be many opportunities for the volunteers to continue with follow-up work when they return.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROJECT?

Men and women aged 18-30. People from the UK who can be in London for the preparation period and for the period of a follow-up activity. There are no requirements for specific skills – the criteria will be that

(1) they are flexible and open to new experiences

(2) that they are interested in people different from them and to want to work with them

(3) that they see their time as a volunteer as an opportunity to learn

(4) they would like to learn about life, culture and the human rights situation in Palestine and prepared to communicate about life, culture and the human rights situation in Britain

(5) they would like to offer their skills (which could be a number of things) in exchange for this opportunity to learn

(6) they are prepared to work on a voluntary basis, full-time, and are prepared to be punctual, reliable, respectful and co-operative.

VOLUNTEER WORK

The role of the volunteers will be to help Dar Assadaqa to strengthen the links between Camden and Abu Dis. In particular they will work with Dar Assadaqa with organisations in Abu Dis that have made twinning links with organisations in Camden (schools, youth clubs,the university). They will

(1) help to run activities to keep those twinning links alive. These could involve giving talks about their lives in Britain, running/ helping language clubs (not as a specialist), help running clubs or doing activities in areas of their own interest/ competence (could be sports, arts etc)/

(2) Help those organisations to communicate with the twinned organisations in Camden through emails, Skype calls website, blogs, newsletters, helping with interpretation/ translation, as appropriate.

(3) Help support twinning links for the Dar Assadaqa centre, being involved with activities for youth and women that fit with own interest/ competence (could be sports, arts etc),through organising, tidying, painting, leafleting, being on reception (depending on own interest) and again helping with the website, blogs, photos and stories from Abu Dis for people to read in Camden

(4) Help Dar Assadaqa to maintain communication with linked community centres and groups in Camden.

(5) Help with ommunication when there are visitors from Camden, and help to prepare people from Abu Dis to go on visits to Britain organised by Dar Assadaqa/Camden Abu Dis, if these happen at the time of volunteering.

VOLUNTEERS’ COMMITMENTS

• To attend preparation sessions in Camden before going
• To spend 3 months working full-time (5 days a week) as a volunteer in Palestine
• To attend review and evaluation sessions in Camden on return, to plan and take part in follow-up activities and dissemination of their experiences

WE WILL PROVIDE

Air tickets, accommodation, living expenses, insurance.

Support before, during and following the volunteer placement

DATES FOR VOLUNTEERS

GROUP	Application deadline	Preparation in London	Travel to Palestine	Return from Palestine	Follow-up in London
ONE	PASSED	Sep 2011	Sept/ Oct	Dec	Jan 2012
TWO	PASSED	Dec 2011	Jan 2012	March	April
THREE	PASSED	Jan-Mar 2012	April	June	July
FOUR	PASSED	Mar-Jun 2012	mid-June	mid- July	September
FIVE	PASSED	May-Sep 2012	Oct	Dec	Jan 2013
SIX	30 June	Oct-Dec 2012	Jan 2013	March	April
SEVEN	30 September	Jan-Mar 2013	April	June	July 2013

HOW TO APPLY

Please send a CV and a letter about yourself and why you are interested in taking part to: EVS@camdenabudis.net