Many people pursuing or aspiring to have a career in human rights take an interest in working in the Middle East. While there are many problems throughout the Middle East regarding human rights and human rights abuses, the Middle East often receives much more press about it in Western media than other countries that commit even worse abuses. Part of this is due to racism and Orientalism, while another part is to rally public support for Western-led endless wars in the Middle East. 

The Middle East in reality is very different from what is often the portrayal in media. Volunteering, studying, working, or traveling throughout the Middle East will show anyone how diverse, culturally, and historically rich this region is. While there are several ongoing security issues throughout the Middle East, taking a human rights program here is sure to be a life-changing experience. 

It can offer you the chance to engage with local communities as well as civil society and human rights organizations and contribute to human rights initiatives and projects. It will also give you a much clearer picture of the human rights situation, including regarding history, the present, challenges, and possible solutions. Finally, it will allow you to make a meaningful impact on your own life as well as on any community you work with.

In this article, we will explore some of the best places and some challenging ones, to take a human rights program in the Middle East.

Taking A Human Rights Program in Lebanon

Lebanon too is a very rewarding place to take a human rights program, owing to the complex and unique Lebanese history and diversified population that has seen sectarian strife, political unrest, and violations of human rights. This means there are many opportunities to learn about human rights in a complex socio-political context. Many civil society organizations do great work on human rights issues and many rely on volunteers to continue their great work. 

In addition, Lebanon has experienced an influx of refugees in recent decades, particularly from its neighbors, Palestine and Syria. Many refugees are still living in very difficult circumstances in refugee camps and face issues such as discrimination and lack of access to jobs. This means there are many refugees in need of support, and several opportunities to volunteer to support them whether economically, through education, through humanitarian aid, or in other ways. 

While the cost of living, especially in the capital city of Beirut has been quite high for some time, Lebanon has been undergoing a severe financial crisis in addition to other crises, for the last several years. The Lebanese currency has undergone a historic and horrific devaluation, which makes things much cheaper for outsiders with US dollars, but it has left many Lebanese locals unable to afford or access all the necessities. 

Taking A Human Rights Program In The Gulf States

The Gulf States, including Saudi Arabia, were once some of the poorest and most underdeveloped countries in the world until the discovery of oil began in the 1930s. This has rapidly transformed them into some of the wealthiest countries in the world. While in the past, many natives of the Gulf, subsisted on herding or agriculture. 

The Gulf too has many issues with its human rights records and has long been criticized, particularly by Western countries. However, due to racism and Orientalism, many people particularly in the West, will criticize the Gulf’s human rights abuses but will not acknowledge or speak on their own country’s human rights abuses. 

The primary human rights abuses in the Gulf are directed towards the millions of migrant workers. One key difference between other Gulf states and Saudi Arabia is that other countries in the Gulf are more accessible than Saudi Arabia for tourism as well as for human rights programs. 

There are some international organizations and universities here that run human rights programs, but not as many as in the Levant (Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine). So taking a human rights program in the Gulf region may not be as fulfilling or as budget-friendly as in other parts of the Middle East. 

Taking A Human Rights Program In Saudi Arabia

Today, Saudi Arabia is politically stable and a safe country to visit in many regards. However, it has an ongoing track record of human rights abuses, which is often overlooked by many countries due to it being a US ally. However, it is important to note that significant changes, including to laws and other progress have been made in recent years. 

It’s equally important to note that it is not only those within Saudi Arabia that are affected. A Saudi-led coalition has been waging war on neighboring Yemen since 2015. This has killed tens of thousands of Yemenis, wounding many more, and destroyed much infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and homes.

Additionally, the Saudi-led coalition has imposed a blockade on Yemen’s ports, making it extremely difficult for Yemen to import necessities such as food, medicine, and fuel. As a result, most Yemenis are in dire need of humanitarian aid and about 80% are unable to provide food for themselves and their families.  

How Are Things in Saudi Arabia?

Inside Saudi Arabia, women and the millions of migrant workers are typically the most affected by human rights abuses and are offered the least protection under the law. Although there are several issues such as a lack of or limited freedom of expression, assembly, and association that heavily impact a range of people across Saudi Arabia. Executions, including public beheadings, long prison sentences, and torture are also grave violations that occur too frequently. 

While volunteering in a human rights program in Saudi Arabia would surely be very meaningful and impactful, it isn’t particularly easy or feasible. Saudi Arabia only opened itself up to international tourists in 2019, before that there was no tourism industry (other than Muslim pilgrims taking part in Hajj or Umrah). 

Additionally, it can be very difficult for NGOs or other international organizations to access and provide meaningful help inside of Saudi Arabia. This also means it is usually very difficult to find an available human rights volunteer program for you to join. 

Taking A Human Rights Program In Jordan

Jordan can be a particularly interesting place to take a human rights program and make a meaningful impact. Jordan is relatively stable, although it does face social, economic, and environmental issues. While there have been some issues inside Jordan when it comes to human rights and human rights abuses, the picture here is much better than in some other countries in the region.

Today, there is still significant poverty in Jordan, as well as a large refugee population predominantly from Palestine, Syria, and Iraq, many of whom are still living in challenging conditions in refugee camps. If you are particularly interested in volunteering with refugees, Jordan can offer opportunities to do this and to learn more about the human rights situation in Jordan as it impacts refugees. 

There are numerous organizations for human rights programs in Jordan, whether you wish to work with refugees or the local Jordanian community. Many of them operate out of the capital city Amman, although it may be possible to find opportunities in smaller cities. 

Taking A Human Rights Program In Palestine

Of all the countries in not only the Middle East but the whole world, the human rights situation is very unique in Palestine, as a result of Palestine being under Israeli occupation. This means there are daily human rights abuses committed against Palestinians by Israel, which increase in severity and brutality particularly during the holy month of Ramadan each year. Many regard Palestine as the moral litmus test for everyone and to look away would be a grave injustice.   

One of the biggest benefits of taking a human rights program in Palestine is the ability to see the reality in Palestine, without the biased, orientalist, and colonial lenses that the mainstream media portray Palestine through.  

There are many issues that Palestinians face as a result of the Israeli Occupation, including settler colonialism, housing demolitions, checkpoints that greatly restrict their freedom of movement, arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, attacks on freedom of religion, and much more. This means the situation is very severe in Palestine and there are many opportunities to learn about and make a meaningful contribution to human rights in Palestine. 

There Are Many Opportunities to Support Those in Need

In addition to this, there are numerous opportunities to support some of the millions of internally displaced refugees from historic Palestine living in the West Bank and Gaza. In Gaza alone, out of a population of 2.1 million Palestinians, 1.4 million are refugees. While it is almost impossible for internationals to enter Gaza (without specific permission from Israel) due to the ongoing Israeli siege and blockade, the West Bank is very accessible for tourists and those wishing to take a human rights program.

While Palestinians suffer enormously, sometimes in very visible ways and other times in ways that are not so visible, Palestine is in reality a safe and welcoming place for international visitors as Palestinians are well-known for their warm hospitality. This also allows participants to connect with Palestinians, engage with local organizations, and learn first-hand from them about human rights and the Palestinian Issue. 

Taking A Human Rights Program In Palestine With Engage In Palestine

Engage in Palestine in Hebron (or Al Khalil as the locals call it) in the West Bank, Palestine, runs a short-term Human Rights Internship Program year-round. Our short-term programs are flexible and range from 1 to 13 weeks (which is the maximum amount of time allowed by the Israeli visa system for tourists). Participants can choose the duration and start and end dates that best suit them. 

This program allows participants to come and gain first-hand experience of human rights initiatives in the West Bank to counter the worst excesses of the Occupation. 

Human Rights Abuses In Palestine 

The Israeli Occupation leads to all sorts of human rights abuses both large and small. These occur particularly in the H2 part of Hebron city where Palestinians are subjugated under Israeli military law, rather than civil law. One of the results of this is a +99% conviction rate of cases involving Palestinian defendants, who are denied the due process they should be given under international law. 

Both within the city and the surrounding countryside like Sousia, the Bedouin village under an Israeli demolition order, and other villages in the south of the West Bank where electricity and water are carefully regulated by the Israelis, human rights abuses are rife.

In addition, the Israeli Occupation continues a procedure of human rights abuses from the former British Occupation of Palestine, called Administrative Detention. This means that Israel can arbitrarily arrest any Palestinian at any moment and imprison them without charge, trial, or evidence indefinitely, for up to six months at a time and on a renewable basis. Palestinian administrative detainees are left with little to no legal recourse and sometimes go on hunger strikes (that can last over 100 days) as their only means to achieve their freedom. 

Your Human Rights Program

Engage in Palestine provides an opportunity to meet activists, lawyers, judges, and prominent individuals involved in human rights to provide tangible insight into the problems (and sometimes solutions) of human rights here. This program is very valuable for your CV, as employers can see you have not only overseas and intercultural experience, but experience of this difficult situation in addition to work to help counter it. 

On top of this, part of your program involves running human rights workshops to raise awareness for individuals, particularly Palestinian youth, of their rights and what they can do when these rights are violated. If you have expertise in other relevant areas of human rights that you feel would benefit Palestinians, we can also assist you in arranging workshops for that. 

Community Links 

Engage in Palestine has the community links to ensure you meet the right people and you do everything you can (and are willing) to help the plight of those who are suffering abuses. Engage in Palestine was founded in 2011 and since then, we have only strengthened our ties with the local community and expanded our reach and impact. 

Other Important Information

Your commitments are balanced with free time (two full days off per week) to explore the city of Hebron for yourself as well as all the other uniquely fascinating Holy Land sites in the West Bank. Programs include accommodation, daily breakfast (except Fridays), and some Arabic tuition as standard.

Take A Summer Human Rights Internship Program With Us 

If you’re looking for human rights programs in the areas of The Middle East, Palestine, Israel, or close to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, or Bethlehem in summer, we encourage you to join us in Hebron. We offer you the opportunity to spend your summer not only learning about human rights in Palestine, but also traveling, learning some Arabic, making new friends, and having a thoroughly enjoyable time.

You can choose whether you wish to participate in our short-term summer human rights program from 1 to 13 weeks, and we offer starting dates throughout the summer. This is particularly ideal if you are a current student searching for a summer internship or volunteer program and we can even provide you with academic credit towards your studies. Your program will also give you practical in-person experience and the chance to develop a range of important skills, all of which will boost your CV.

Summer is our busiest time at Engage in Palestine, however, it isn’t only students who join us at this time. We host a wide variety of people from all around the world, participating in a range of different short-term internships, volunteer programs, and Arabic courses. This means you will have plenty of chances to meet new people from different backgrounds, make friends, and even travel together on your days off.  

When you spend your summer with us in Palestine, you will get to be immersed in Palestinian culture, and learn about the human rights situation in Palestine and other important factors, while making an important contribution to those around you.

Join us in the summer to make the most of this wonderful opportunity! 

Make A Meaningful Impact

We aim to make a long-term difference with all of our volunteer and internship programs, for both the Palestinian local community and you through the exchange of ideas and “walking in each other’s shoes”. All of our programs are well-researched and targeted to ensure they have a real impact and foster shared learning for both our community and you. 

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of local Palestinians and your own life is through volunteering or interning in the West Bank. You will be able to have an impact in several ways, including through developing relationships with local Palestinians, learning more about the situation and occupation of Palestine, and working on projects with local human rights organizations or with local youth.   

Throughout your program, you will be immersed in Palestinian culture and daily life. You will also get to learn about the current political and human rights situations and the issues Palestinians face first-hand from Palestinians. 

During your program, you will have the experience of immersion in the Palestinian culture and daily life while learning about the current political and human rights situation first-hand from Palestinians. By doing so, you will become more knowledgeable and prepared to make a real difference in both your own life and the lives of those in the local Palestinian community.

The Benefits Of Taking A Human Rights Program With Us 

Engage in Palestine offers a range of benefits in addition to gaining a comprehensive understanding of the human rights situation in Palestine. We outline a few of these major benefits below.

Flexible Program Options

Engage in Palestine offers all of our participants a range of flexible options. You can decide how long your volunteer or internship program will be, starting from 1 week and up to 13 weeks (due to the 90-day limitation of the visa). Our short-term programs are available year-round and you are free to choose your own start and end dates.

Additionally, you can combine your human rights program with any of our other programs, if you wish. It is also possible to extend your program after you arrive in Palestine or to add additional hours of Arabic lessons to your program. 

Learn Arabic As Part Of Your Program

For all of our international interns and volunteers participating in our short-term programs, we include some Arabic tuition. Our Human Rights Internship Program comes with three hours of Arabic lessons each week, although it is possible to add extra hours for an additional cost.

Our Arabic lessons are suitable no matter what your Arabic level is and whether you have previously studied Arabic or not. You can also choose whether you wish to learn the local dialect or Modern Standard Arabic. Our well-qualified native Arabic teachers speak English and create a supportive and friendly environment for you to learn in. 

Your lessons will be available either as one-on-one or in small groups (usually 2-5 students). If other volunteers or interns are starting their program at the same time as you and with the same level of Arabic, you may be in a class together. 

Engage With The Local Palestinian Community During Your Program 

Throughout your short-term program, there will be numerous opportunities for you to engage with the local Palestinian community. As part of your human rights program, we include several visits and trips in and around Hebron to culturally, politically, or historically important places and organizations. This allows you to learn more about Palestinian culture and daily life, as well as deepen your knowledge and understanding of the human rights situation in the West Bank and the issues Palestinians face. 

Some of the visits we organize are to places such as the old city of Hebron, refugee camps, local artists, the keffiyeh factory, glass and ceramics factories, various local organizations including human rights organizations, and more.

In addition to this, you will have plenty of free time to venture out into Hebron and the West Bank on your own and to form relationships with locals. The Arabic lessons we provide you with will also help your integration into the local Palestinian community and communicate with Palestinians at some level.

We Include Accommodation For You

Engage in Palestine provides accommodation for all of our international volunteers and interns throughout their short-term programs. 

Female participants generally live with a local Palestinian host family. Male participants will generally share an all-male dorm organized by us. It is often a challenge to place male students with a Palestinian host family, due to the conservative nature of Hebron, however it can be possible at times. If you are curious about this option, let us know as early as possible. 

An alternate option is private accommodation, which we can arrange for you for an additional cost.

A Daily Palestinian Breakfast

Additionally, we provide you with a traditional Palestinian breakfast daily (except Fridays) at our center, shared with our other Arabic students, volunteers, and interns. This allows you to try delicious food while socializing with others.

Days Off For Exploring 

We know that traveling throughout Palestine, Israel, and Jordan is a big draw for many of our participants, so we give you two days off per week (usually Friday and Saturday) to travel and explore. You may wish to travel solo or organize trips with other international volunteers, interns, and Arabic students from our center. 

There are a range of different local and international cities you can visit, including Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jericho and the Dead Sea, Nablus, Tulkarem, Qalqiliyah, Jenin, Haifa, Eilat, Tel Aviv, Masada, Akko, Herzliya, Beersheva, Tiberias, Nazareth, Netanya, Safed, Amman, Aqaba and Wadi Rum. 

Pre-Departure And In-Country Support

We know that traveling abroad to volunteer or intern can seem daunting and it’s understandable if you have a lot of questions. So we assist you by providing pre-departure support and then ongoing in-country support after your arrival throughout your program.

We Can Provide Academic Credit

If you are a current university student and would like to obtain academic credit for your short-term human rights program towards studies at your home university or college, we can offer this to you. We can do this courtesy of our partnership with the Palestinian Ministry of Education. If you are curious, just let us know and we can tell you more.

A Certificate Of Completion

Finally, we provide all of our international participants with a certificate upon completion of their human rights program.

Reviews and Awards

Volunteer in Palestine has been offering Arabic courses for non-native speakers since 2011. We have developed many Arabic immersion programs and online courses over the years. We use the most advanced teaching methods, which we develop and enhance year after year. Education is an active process always advancing, and you will be part of the development. 

Despite continuous program improvements to ensure the best learning experience, our core goal remains connecting, teaching, and developing individuals. Additionally, we aim to promote and encourage exchange in the local and international communities. 

We continue to strive towards excellence:

In 2022, we ranked as “one of the top three organizations worldwide in offering volunteer opportunities”. We also ranked as “one of the top three language schools worldwide” by Go Overseas. We also received a total of five Go Overseas Community Choice Awards. Among others, Volunteer in Palestine earned recognition as one of the top Teach Abroad Providers for the category of “benefits”. Besides that, we were also one of the Top Internship Abroad Providers for the categories of “growth” and “support”. 

In 2021, we were one of the top three volunteer programs in the world. Go Overseas awarded us the community choice awards in the categories of “best language school”, “fun”, and “teaching”.

In 2019, we received our inaugural “Go Overseas Community Choice Awards.” This award recognized Volunteer in Palestine’s positive effect on the global travel community.

Overall, Volunteer in Palestine is a highly-rated travel company.

• +800 Reviews and ratings (96.8%) on gooverseas.com
• +160 Reviews and ratings on goabroad.com
• Participants’ video testimonials

In Conclusion

Taking Engage in Palestine’s short-term Human Rights Internship Program in Hebron, Palestine can be a very rewarding as well as eye-opening experience in one of the longest-suffering countries in the world. The human rights situation in Palestine is very severe and urgent and individuals who are principled and passionate can contribute to making a difference. 

Our Human Rights Internship Program allows you to meet with local human rights organizations and key individuals, with the possibility of working on projects with them. You will also get to run your own human rights workshops to engage with and inform local Palestinians, particularly Palestinian youth. Your program also includes various visits and excursions in and around Hebron to places of cultural, political, and historical importance as well as places of interest in the field of human rights. This is in addition to other inclusions such as Arabic tuition, accommodation, and daily breakfast (except Fridays). 

Participating in our Human Rights Internship Program not only allows you to develop valuable skills relevant to this field, but you will gain practical real-world experience to add to your CV. But most importantly, you can have a meaningful impact on your own life as well as the lives of local Palestinians through your contribution.   We look forward to receiving your application for Engage in Palestine’s unique Human Rights Internship Program shortly!

Find Out More

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us: Info@ecpalestine.org and on Whatsapp:+972 599 479 880

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