A volunteer, Richard, gets down to building up confidence with the kids. No problem - teacher and students think he's cool.

Thanks for your interest in volunteering at the Hope Flowers School. Here is some basic information about volunteering.

The school year

The school year starts on September 1st and ends on June 1st each year. The Hope Flowers School summer vacation starts on June 1st, lasting until August 25th.

Summer School

The Hope Flowers School organises a yearly summer school between June 10th and August 20th. The summer school includes a summer 'camp' (you stay indoors), community development programs and an educational development program.

How can volunteers be of help?

Volunteers can help in various ways, mainly two:

Teaching. During the school year you can work as a teaching assistant. English-speaking teachers and special teaching skills are welcome.

During the summer vacation lessons take the form of extra-curricular activities, remedial classes, community development or educational development courses for teachers.

In the summer of 2006, the Hope Flowers School opened remedial classes in English for children with learning difficulties. Volunteers help children in reading, writing and spelling.

English-speaking teachers can help in teaching English for the community, for example by teaching an adult group from the community, to help improve their speaking skills.

Administrative work. Volunteers can help in office work, such as secretarial work, editing and improving text and public relations work, project coordination, grant writing, fundraising and creating international awareness about the Hope Flowers School and the situation in Bethlehem. Volunteers with previous experience in grant-writing and fundraising are very welcome.

Volunteers' Unit

The school provides free accommodation for volunteers, though meals are the volunteer's responsibility. However, local food is cheap and good quality, and it won't be long before traditional Arabic hospitality leads to regular invitations to eat with and be entertained by local families.

The volunteers' apartment on the top floor of the school building has dorms and private rooms. It is equipped with a kitchen, bathroom and satellite TV, and there is access to the Internet from the school's computer room. The main feature of the volunteers' accommodation is the impressive views of the surrounding countryside.

The school provides free accommodation for volunteers, though we prefer that they contribute to utilities (water, electricity, phone) at the accommodation unit. A contribution of $50 or €40 per month per person is favourable.

How long can volunteers stay?

People come for one to twelve months to assist in teaching, organisational work and special projects. We recommend no less than one month (it takes a time to adapt), and preferably at least three months. It is a way of contributing to the peace process and education, and it is also personally fulfilling and an opportunity to spend a longer period in Bethlehem. You will also learn about peace and democracy education for applying back home - the school is a leader in this field.

Volunteers should inform us in advance how long they intend to volunteer for the Hope Flowers School. We ask you to make clear arrangements with us and stick to your agreement.

Commitment

The Hope Flowers School was founded to develop attitudes and skills that foster peaceful resolution to conflict.  At the same time, the school seeks to cultivate positive values within Palestinian society and build relationships between Palestinian children and other cultures as a basis for creating understanding and peaceful relations among the peoples of the world.

In order to be effective in our work we request from all our volunteers to be committed to their work. Volunteers should distinguish between voluntary work (organized and requires commitment) and voluntary staying (not organized and not committed).

What skills should volunteers have?

We are looking for volunteers who:

- understand and agree with the Hope Flowers School's applied philosophy of peace and democratic education
- Believe in peaceful coexistence and the unity of mankind
- Have good communication skills
- Collegiality (working together with others as a team)
- Willingness to do both the voluntary work and high-level program work
- Ability to work in a culturally diverse environment
- Computer software skills (MS Word, Excel and Outlook essential).

The following skills are also favourable:

Good leadership skills
Excellent negotiation skills

What to do next

If you wish to make a preliminary enquiry or ask questions, please , Palden Jenkins (in UK).

When you are definite about your application to volunteer, please contact the school to indicate interest, suggesting dates, and including the following:

1. a Curriculum Vitae or resume (in English)
2. A letter of motivation showing:
  + why you are interested to volunteer at the Hope Flowers School;
  + qualities and skills that you have which you believe could contribute at the Hope Flowers School;
  + your hopes and expectations from volunteering at the school;
  + have you ever volunteered before in any Palestinian institutions? If yes, please provide us with name and address;
  + please provide us with references in your country or former employers.

Selection procedure

The Hope Flowers School has limited places for volunteers.

Hope Flowers School directors (academic and managing director) are both responsible for selecting volunteers. The selection will be based on the current needs of Hope Flowers School and the needs of the local community. Applicants will be notified within 10 working days about the decision of school directors.

A few notes on volunteering

by Palden Jenkins and Harry Troelstra

If you feel right for it, this could be a very significant and memorable experience. Volunteering can be challenging - working with children, living in another culture and in a conflict zone - yet the benefits are many.

Being in Palestine (and Israel) can be a life-changing experience. Go with the flow, try not to judge - just experience. Being on the West Bank and talking to people will change your understanding of the conflict - very useful when you go home.

• Personal security. Inside the West Bank, you're safe and welcome - safer than in many cities in the West - except during occasional tense moments when it's best just to lie low and stay calm. Crossing into the West Bank is not a problem if you practice patience when standing in checkpoint queues and act cooperatively. The dangers are not as great as the Western media often imply - and Bethlehem is not Gaza. The webmaster can brief you on these issues, or refer you to a former volunteer - about it.

• Hospitality. Both Palestinians and Israelis are welcoming people.

• Witnessing. Palestinians you meet will greatly value your presence. Not many people visit Bethlehem any more.

• Giving and receiving. Westerners' best contribution is a certain sense of order and intent, and an ability to set and achieve goals. What Westerners often need to learn in Palestine is patience, acceptance and an understanding of in'sh'allah - 'what will be, will be'. Life is not as efficient or predictable here as in the West, and improvisation is often necessary. But, surprisingly, things nevertheless have a way of working out, with extra unforeseen outcomes too.

• Friendship. With a little effort one can make friends for life in Palestine.

• Self-reliance. Volunteers must be willing to look after themselves and take initiatives - the school staff is already stretched. The volunteers' apartment is well-appointed and, apart from a few gaps, local hospitality is wonderful, and there are shops, a market and cafes in Bethlehem - but be prepared to entertain and feed yourself when necessary, or to find your own solutions when a problem arises.

• Reliability. Please hold to the commitments you make. This helps greatly.

• Spare time. Take a personal project to do or books to read, to fill gaps and occupy your evenings when necessary - knitting, studies, sketching, journalling...

• Expectations. The school's stated needs from volunteers are teaching and admin assistance, though a key aspect of this is to join in with whatever arises and to take initiatives, according to your abilities and gifts. Examples are gardening, computers, photography, artwork or simply being there for people. When you arrive, openings will emerge - and what you best contribute might be quite different from what you planned.

• Values. Reality in Israel and Palestine does not operate according to Western values and standards. Some conflict-related and rights issues you might feel to be unjust or outrageous, but they are facts of life in the Holy Land. Accept reality, accentuate the positive and find ways forward. The Israeli security wall is being built close to the school, checkpoints are annoying, and soldiers and body-checks can be intimidating. Also, the Palestinian and Israeli stories are very different. But the human aspects of life in the Holy Land are remarkable.

• Education. Palestinian children and adults are educationally very highly motivated, and educational willingness and pace are higher than in the West. To teachers and helping professionals, this is a positive shock. Your input as an educator or contributor will be highly valued.

• Language. The local language is Arabic. Most Palestinians understand some English, and some are good English speakers, and most have a cosmopolitan attitude. Be willing to sit in Arabic-speaking company without feeling excluded.

• Generosity. Palestinians are generally generous and inclusive, and society is more mutually supportive than in the West. Some people are very much in need too.