In partnership with To Be There, we established the Diaspora-Solidarity Volunteer Program in order to engage the Palestinian Diaspora and our friends in solidarity in voluntary activities. This year, the Diaspora Solidarity program is organizing a 10-day olive harvest program, where participants will learn about the political reality for Palestinians living under Occupation since 1948. If participants wish to extend their visit, Dalia can match their skills and knowledge with a community, where they will serve in a specified capacity based on the identified needs and priorities of the community.
For more details, you can visit this page.
Suggested Schedule (Please note that the program might have minor changes)
OCT 22 Day One: Arrival and meet the To Be There guides and other participants; introduction to the program.
OCT 23 Day Two: A tour of Bethlehem and its Old City including the Church of the Nativity; Israel’s wall around Bethlehem; Israeli settlements, bypass roads; and Palestinian Refugee Camps. The day will include a lecture on the geopolitical reality of the West Bank under Israeli military occupation
OCT 24 Day Three: First day of olive harvesting. Work alongside a Palestinian family in their olive harvest followed by a lecture to learn about the ongoing displacement of Palestinians.
OCT 25 Day Four: Visit Hebron, one of the oldest continuously inhabited towns in the world, with evidence of habitation dating back to 4,500 BC. In the Old City of Hebron we will visit the Ibrahimi mosque and see the direct results of the settlement of hundreds of Israeli settlers and the presence of the Israeli military. We will then visit the South Hebron hills and learn about the ongoing displacement of Palestinians and Bedouin communities.
OCT 26 Day Five: Second day of olive harvesting. Work alongside a Palestinian family in their olive harvest; visit to an olive press co-op, followed by a lecture on the infrastructure of the Israeli military occupation of Palestine
OCT 27 Day Six: Visit the city of Jerusalem with Grassroot Al Quds to see not only the touristic sites but also the reality of life that includes evictions, house demolitions and displacement.
OCT 28 Day Seven: Third day of olive harvesting working alongside a Palestinian family.
OCT 29 Day Eight: A visit to Ramallah (Human rights organization, the Arafat Museum, Nabi Saleh or the Bedouin community of Khan al Ahmar)
OCT 30 Day Nine: Departure day.
We will have several lectures during the program regarding the different aspects of the reality imposed upon the Palestinian people by the state of Israel.
The fee for this visit is $1,000 (USD) per person.
Fees will cover:
- Accommodation in a hotel on twin bases (you can request for a single room for an additional price)
- 3 meals a day
- Guides present at all times
- Fees for lecturers and guest speakers
- Transportation inside the West Bank and on the days designated for visits to Jerusalem and Hebron
- A portion of the fees will be used for the purchase of olive trees to be planted in the following planting season.
For more information and registration, please send an email to:[email protected]
SEE YOU IN PALESTINE!