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Some placements left.
International Voluntary Workcamps/Palestine
Dear Volunteer,
We would like to inform you that there are still some placements lesft.
Dont hesitate to contact us if you are interested.
The available placements are in the following international voluntary
workcamps:
The first workcamp: Zajel 12: 10-31st July 2003
The second Workcamp: Zajel 13: 10-31st August 2003
if you are interested, dont hesitate to read the below info and fill the
application form.
you are welcome to Palestine
Alaa Yousef
Zajel Youth Exchange Program
Public Relations Department
An-Najah National University
Nablus/Palestine
http://www.najah.edu/english/Youth%20Prog/youth.htm
ZAJEL Youth Exchange Program
Public Relations Department
An Najah University/ Nablus.Palestine.
Service Civil International/
German Branch
The Project statement
The joint initiative of ZAJEL Youth Exchange Program, An-Najah National
University, Nablus and SCI-Germany is a pilot project, which takes place
in form of two international Workcamps in the summer 2003.
Manual work of international and local volunteers supports the
reconstruction of the youth institutions in Nablus. Common cultural
activities with the youth of the clubs and centers attempt to create a
platform for dialogue between the different cultures.
The idea of this project results from a screening, which took place in
Nablus in September 2002. Representatives of SCI-Germany and ZAJEL Youth
Exchange Program consulted several youth institutions and identified
reconstruction of the facilities and activities for emotional release
and educational empowerment as the urgent need of the youth in Nablus.
Youth Institutions in Nablus/ West Bank
In the Old City of Nablus there were 13 youth institutions: either youth
clubs, forum centers or organizations. Now only 5 of them are operating.
This is not enough for the youth under curfew. Despair and hopelessness
are growing. The youth needs physical and emotional support in order to
reconstruct their lives.
The IBAL Sports Club is one of the oldest youth centers in the Old City
of Nablus. Since 1959 the club has offered various activities,
especially during school vacations. Young men and women participated in
sports like football, basketball, table tennis, volleyball, handball and
body-building. The members of the club also provided training on
computer skills and lessons in foreign languages. Furthermore, the club
involved young men and women in social and cultural activities such as
small festivals with actors.
Approximately 1000 young men are members of the sports club. They are
youth leaders or youth trainers over the age of 18 or participants from
the age of 6. The club is composed of approximately 60 per cent pupils
and students (including graduated students) and 20 to 30 per cent
workers. Around 60 to 70 per cent of the young workers are unemployed.
During the invasion in April 2002 the facilities of the club were
completely demolished. The renovation attempt failed because of a lack
of financial support. Since then the sports club has not been able to
run any of its activities in their rooms. Nonetheless, some members have
continued for example the table tennis team, which plays daily in a
private place or the disabled who train in a school.
We have chosen workcamps as the tool to implement the identified
objectives. A workcamp is considered to be a place where people of all
races, ideologies, and nationalities live and work together on a project
organized by a local sponsor for two or three weeks. Workcamps generally
have 10 to 20 participants, who volunteer, socialize and work with the
local people.
The message of workcamps is to promote equality in living (all work camp
members live by local standards) and internal decision making, problem
solving, developing a sense of group identity and seeking to increase
tolerance.
The vision
The vision of SHABAB reconstruction project is to contribute to the
sustainable development of the Palestinian youth by addressing their
needs.
Therefore, we, ZAJEL Youth Exchange Program and SCI-Germany, work
united:
-to assist in the reconstruction of youth institutions through joint
voluntary work of Palestinian and international youth;
-to initiate intercultural learning between the different cultures in
order to promote understanding and respect between the youth of the
Oriental and Occidental culture;
-to dismantle and minimize prejudices and misperceptions about the
different cultures through workshops on history, society, religion and
cultural activities;
-to influence the local community in its most diverse spheres, such as
environmental protection, education, health, and promotion of peace;
-to raise awareness about the situation of Palestinian youth and their
environment;
Objectives
The project aims to contribute to the reconstruction of youth in Nablus
by organizing international Workcamps in summer 2003.
Therefore the joint initiative of the ZAJEL Youth Exchange Program and
SCI-Germany wants to achieve:
A) For the Palestinian youth and their organizations:
-to support the reconstruction of youth institutions and their
facilities for education, skills development and emotional release;
-to empower Palestinian youth with open mind, respect and mutual
understanding for the Western society and their habits by experiencing
intercultural exchange;
B) For the international volunteers:
-to participate actively in the reconstruction of youth institutions
assisting Palestinian volunteers and the local community;
-to empower the youth from the Western countries with open mind, mutual
understanding and respect for the Palestinian youth and their Oriental
society by experiencing intercultural exchange;
C) For the youth institution:
-to assist in the reconstruction of the youth institutions;
-to provide the youth institutions with more possible activities run by
a group of local and international volunteers;
-to experience intercultural learning in their local community.
The project partners
Keeping in mind the needs of the youth and the common objectives of
ZAJEL Youth Exchange Program and SCI-Germany, we work in united action
for the empowerment of the youth, both local and international.
This initiative of the ZAJEL Youth Exchange Program and SCI-Germany
includes cooperation with the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief
Committees (UPMRC) and the local IBAL Sports Club, which provide the
necessary facilities.
Project description
The overall aim of the proposed project is to support the development of
youth in Palestine.
Delineated within this broader goal are two specific objectives: 1) to
reconstruct the IBAL Sports Club in the Old City of Nablus; and 2) to
empower local and international youth to respect and understand
different cultural backgrounds.
1. Target group
Therefore, ZAJEL Youth Exchange Program and SCI-Germany identified the
following target groups for the SHABAB project:
A) For the Workcamps
Young men and women between the ages of 18 and 30 from different social
backgrounds: students, workers and unemployed, from the local community
of Nablus and from abroad participate in the Workcamps. This includes a
balanced distribution of gender.
B) For the activities of the Workcamps
The activities of the Workcamps target children and young people between
the ages of 6 to 26.
2. Description of the Working place
The IBAL Sports Club is located in the Old City of Nablus. During the
invasion in April 2002 the Israeli military entered several times the
club. They were trying to make a path to the neighbor building. Thus,
most of the walls and the floor were demolished. Windows were destroyed,
electricity and water were cut off, stairs and doors were damaged.
Fortunately, most of the equipment was removed before the invasion. Only
the abandoned equipment was destroyed .
3. Project activities
To continue with the renovation endeavors, ZAJEL Youth Exchange Program
and SCI-Germany organize two international Workcamps for the following
dates:
Workcamp 1: 10th -31st July 2003
Workcamp 2: 10th -31st August 2003
The number of participants desired is about 30: 15 international and 15
local volunteers. We intend to have gender balanced workcamps. Two
specially trained volunteers; a female international and one male local
volunteer function as Campleaders.
The Workcamps consist of a working part and a study part, as well as
leisure time.
A) Working part
For the working part the project partners have decided to reconstruct
the rooms of IBAL Sports Club in the Old City of Nablus.
In the first step of the renovations for the volunteers is to clean the
rooms. Professional workers assist the volunteers preparing the floor
and the walls. Afterwards the walls are painted. The work is considered
for 4 to 5 hours, 5 days a week.
The final decision about the working place is made in consideration of
the current situation in Nablus. Therefore we, the project partners,
have already developed an alternative plan for the working place.
B) Studying part
The studying part of the Workcamps is held in form of workshops and
other cultural activities. The workshops are closely related to the
interests and needs of the local youth of the youth institutions.
There are lectures about history, religion, gender roles, refugees, and
youth itself which provide an insight into the different cultures. To
create interaction the workshops include various role plays.
Furthermore, the group visits local community associations for women and
youth, cultural clubs and forums to have some activities with them.
During the weekends the activities of Workcamps focus on cultural
activities. On the first weekend the program for the group consists of
trips to historical places in the surroundings of Nablus. On the second
weekend the families of the local volunteers host the international
volunteers.
The expected outcome of the workshops and the renovation work itself is
a public event in form of a street festival with an art gallery and
sports activities. The volunteers and the locals prepare these cultural
activities during the Workcamps.
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Costs:
Volunteers have to afford their flights tickets, and we are working hard
to get some donations for the European volunteers accommodation, which
is $150. while the non EU volunteers have to afford both their flight
ticket and their accommodations fees.
Application Form
I want to apply for the Workcamp: (please mark)
Zajel Workcamp 12: 10-31 July 2003
Zajel Workcamp 13: 10-31 August 2003
Name ____________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________
Telephone: ____________________
E-mail ______________________________________________
Nationality_____________________
Date of Birth ___________
Sex ______________________
Emergency Contact
Name____________________________
Telephone: (day):______________________(night________________
What is your motivation for participating in this work camp?
____________________________________________________
________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Remarks on Health /Special Needs /Diet
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Have you ever done voluntary work before? (if yes ,please explain)
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
To get the answer on any question, you can add our MSN Messenger to
yours, and discuss with us any issue:
Zajel_program@???
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