This post is written by our lovely intern Allie from the USA who participated in Media Internship in Palestine Program.
In recent years, tourism to Palestinian has increased dramatically. In addition to traditional tourist and religious pilgrims, many volunteer tourists, or “voluntourists,” are choosing to volunteer at organizations in the West Bank. In cities like Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah, and Jerusalem, there are many organizations that cater to volunteer tourists and others who wish to complete internships during their stays.
The Palestinian Center in Hebron offers volunteers and interns the chance to fully immerse themselves in Palestinian culture and learn about daily life and reality in Palestine. Interns take regular field visits to relevant organizations for their desired program. During these visits, interns learn about each organization and have the opportunity to ask questions.
For my own internship, I chose the media program. Each day, I went to several media stations in Hebron to learn about Palestinian media, constraints to media production, and how the occupation inhibits freedom of speech in media. Once per week, the Palestinian Center took me on longer day trips to visit local sites like refugee camps and Bedouin villages in the West Bank. Other field visits include those to the Old City in Hebron, courts of law, human rights organizations, and non-governmental organizations.
Anyone over the age of 18 can volunteer or intern in Palestine. Most of the volunteers I worked with were between the ages of 18 and 25 years old. Volunteering to work in Palestine is very simple: all you need is the desire to learn more about Palestine and interact with local Palestinians. Because most of the organizations use English, it is necessary to speak English proficiently, but you need not be a native speaker. It is not necessary to be able to speak Arabic either, as many programs in Palestine give volunteers the chance to take weekly Arabic lessons from qualified professors who speak fluent English.
Many interns here are either taking a gap year or are in university, but non-students are always welcome. During the internship, interns often teach English to locals. A degree in education or English-as-a-second-language training is not required, as most students simply want to become more conversational in speaking English. Finally, previous travel experience is not necessary, as, in my experience, it is very easy to get around in Palestine.
Interning in Palestine has many benefits for the intern, the organization, and the locals. Most programs offer homestays, where international interns can stay with Palestinian host families for the duration of their trips. This allows interns to learn more about Palestinian families and life in the West Bank, and maybe even improve their Arabic language skills! The hosting organization can also arrange a private or shared apartment for volunteers.
In addition to arranging accommodations, the Palestinian Center offers breakfast on every workday. Volunteers typically work 5 days a week and have two days off, usually Friday and one other day that the volunteer chooses. After work, interns are often invited to participate in community, education, and social activities in the city with their colleagues and program directors. On the weekends, volunteers can spend their time making local friends or traveling around Palestine.
Volunteers receive excellent support from Go Palestine’s staff throughout the course of their programs. Truly, the hospitality of Palestinians is unmatched, so volunteers will feel right at home. Though interns get the chance to learn about the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine up close, the safety and security of volunteers is the priority for their organization. Due to occasional clashes, field visit plans may be rearranged on short notice to ensure the safety of visitors. Living in Palestine is an amazing opportunity to gain a more holistic understanding of a politically contentious region and complicated history. Finally, interns receive a certificate of completion at the end of their programs.
