IWPS Short-Term Volunteer Application Form 2014
Application for IWPS Short-Term Volunteers
(Updated January 2014)
Please email this application form toapplyiwps [at] gmail.com
All information will remain confidential to IWPS, unless you give permission for it to be used for other purposes.
Personal Information:
First name:
Family name:
Name you like to be called by if different from first name:
Date of Birth:
Nationality:
Postal address including country:
Telephone numbers: Home
Mobile
E-mail address:
Please summarise in not more than 500 words why you want to volunteer with IWPS. What do you think the project might achieve? What do you hope to gain personally? Does the fact that it is specifically a women’s project have any significance for you?
In the following sections please keep all answers to a maximum of 50 words unless you have exceptional reason to expand. If possible please use a different font/colour for your answers.
Section 1. PRIOR EXPERIENCE
1. Reasons for wishing to go / return to Palestine:
2. Previous experience in Palestine (if any). Give dates and an outline of activities/experiences whilst there:
3. Experience of non-violent direct action, human rights monitoring, peacemaking in conflict zones (this can be anywhere in the world. Give names of the organizations or groups you were working with):
4. Experience of Palestine solidarity work in your home country:
5. Experience of activism/ non violent direct action in your home country:
6. Prior related work: Any work experience of relevance – paid or unpaid – should be entered here to give us some information on your background:
7.Do you have any additional comments about your experiences?
Section 2. CULTURAL BACKGROUND
8. What is your ethnic origin?
9. Do you consider yourself to be an under-represented woman and if so, in what category would you put yourself?
Women of poor and working class backgrounds from all corners of the world as well as African, Latin American, Asian and first nation/ indigenous women are under-represented in IWPS to date.
10. Have you had experience of cultures which are different from your own?Please summarise:
Section 3. SKILLS
11. Languages
a) Is English your mother tongue?
If not, when/how did you learn English?
How well are you able to communicate in English?
Is your level of fluency (please tick or mark in red):
similar to a native speaker
good enough for everyday use
basic
beginner
b) Do you speak Arabic?
What is your level of fluency?
c) Do you speak any other languages and at what level of fluency?
12. List your qualifications at any level which may be helpful / useful as a volunteer with IWPS:
13. Skill level self-assessment:
Please tick the box that represents your skill level. On this continuum 5 means highly experienced or skilled, 3 means you have a good working knowledge and 1 means you know nothing, or almost nothing. You can add a brief remark to clarify. We have given examples of how the skills might be used in Palestine.
Keeping records: of use in completing human rights monitoring forms, accounts, filing
1 2 3 4 5
Computing / Software: word processing, desktop publishing, data bases, social media
1 2 3 4 5
Computing / Hardware: technical ability to keep systems running
1 2 3 4 5
Using Internet and email:
1 2 3 4 5
Website management: help design and manage our website
1 2 3 4 5
Research: through interviews and records, to compile village profiles
1 2 3 4 5
Group processesand consensus decision-making: working with the House Team and others in Palestine
1 2 3 4 5
Counselling: Palestinians and international women as necessary
1 2 3 4 5
Photography: stills and filming to record abuses of human rights
1 2 3 4 5
Working with media: to publicize the immediate and long-term situation worldwide
1 2 3 4 5
Giving presentations: to both informal and high profile groups
1 2 3 4 5
Medical, First aid: at actions, in the House, in villages
1 2 3 4 5
Knowledge of Middle Eastern and Muslim cultures: cultural sensitivity
1 2 3 4 5
Knowledge of international humanitarian and human rights law:
1 2 3 4 5
Section 4. PRACTICALITIES
14. Health and ability
Have you any physical or mental health problems or disabilities which may prevent you from undertaking the activities outlined in the Application Pack? Please mention any medication that you take and explain why: it is very important to ensure adequate support and in the case of arrest.
15. Risks
Are you aware that our work of non-violent resistance runs the risk of possible injury, arrest and deportation? Our Volunteer Agreement draws your attention in addition to the possibility of death, though this has never happened to an IWPS volunteer. Please note that we take every precaution against all these possibilities.
16. Injury
How would you react / cope if you were badly wounded by Israelis or Palestinians during the course of your work in Palestine? Any medical insurance you take out may not cover you for injuries sustained through participation in any conflict, riot or war (e.g. your human rights monitoring, non-violent intervention, and civil resistance work).
17.Support Groups
Do you expect to be able to find individualpeople or an existing group, based near to your home, to give emotional and practical support to you and who would also be willing to act upon any human rights reports that you forward to them?
18. What is your availability?
a)Can you be fairly flexible about when you come or will it be at a fixed time?
b) How long do you wish to spend with IWPS?
Please note: The minimum period of time is 4 weeks. On occasions we have had to close the house at short notice. If such a situation arose we would support you to find an alternative volunteer placement. We believe the safest way for IWPS to operate is to ensure that an experienced volunteer is in the house at all times. On occasions our experienced volunteers have been denied entry by Israel, which can result in an unexpected, temporary closure of the house.
19. Costs
Are you aware of the costs involved in volunteering with IWPS and are you able to cover them (at present these are 70 NIS per day)?If you have answered NO to the above question we may be able togive you some advice and support regarding fund-raising ideas.
20.Training
Please provide us with information about any non-violent direct action training you have done already. You are expected to source out non-violence training opportunities in your country prior to coming to Palestine. You may also be able to participate in our annual training outside Palestine if the dates are suitable. In addition you will be expected to take part in a 2 day orientation and nonviolence workshop on arrival in Palestine, currently provided by International Solidarity Movement (ISM) for which you will need to pay (currently 180 NIS which includes food and accommodation).
______
Have you read and understood the VolunteerAgreement below? Please return a signed Volunteer Agreement with your application form.
Email your application to applyiwps [at] gmail.com
Interviews
If your application fits our criteria we would like to interview you by phone or Skype before accepting you as a volunteer. We will arrange a suitable time with you by email or phone.
Volunteer Agreement
for Long Term Volunteers (LTVs) and Short Term Volunteers (STVs)
Please read, sign and return with your application form
Due to the nature of the work – living and working alongside other cultures and taking action where there is a risk of injury or death – we ask eachLTV and STV tosign theAgreement below, which will be enforceable when living and/or working under the auspices of IWPS:
1. I accept that my behaviour at all times must be non-violent, both physically and verbally.
2. I will refrain from acting in a hostile manner toward those whose actions we are protesting against.
3. I will act with sensitivity and respect for the cultural norms in the areas where I will stay and work.
4. I agree to undertake training in my home country in non-violent direct action beforejoining the International Women’s House.
5. I will participate fully in household duties such as cooking, cleaning and washing to ensure the smooth running of the International Women’s House.
6. I will participate fully in meetings and decision-making in the house and abide by consensus-based decisions.
7. I agree to responsibly fulfil, to the best of my ability, the duties assigned to me.
8. I will not consume alcohol in the International Women’s House, in Muslim communities, or whilst on duty. The effects of any alcohol intake must be fully dissipated before returning to the village, the International Women’s House, or going on duty.
9. I will refrain from any sexual or other relationships that are defined beyond friendship with people in the areas where I will stay and work.
10. I will not smoke in the International Women's House. At other times, for example indoors or in a dangerous situation, smokers must respect the wishes of non-smokers.
11.I agree to be removed or suspended if I do not follow group decisions and agreed-upon policies or if my presence is deemed harmful to the work of IWPS in Palestine.
12. I accept unconditionally the Aims and Objectives of IWPS.
13. I hereby release IWPS from any liability in the event of my injury or death while a volunteer.
Name:
Signature:
Date:
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