The Insight in Volunteering in Palestine: You wonder why should you volunteer in Palestine at The Excellence Center? well if you are visiting our website it is because you are already considering it and that is a step in the right direction. You are interested in Palestine and the middle east, not only that but you want to help. If you are here because you are thinking of volunteering then your heart is in the right place. In order to help you make your decision we would like to share some of the personal benefits previous volunteers have shared with us:
Volunteering in Palestine will give you first-hand insight into the Palestinian lifestyle, its culture and religion through daily contact with Palestinian people, as well as a better understanding of the extremely complex Palestinian/Israeli conflict. But personal benefits and growth as the word itself implies is very personal and as such specific to each individual.
A definition we found on the internet of personal growth “… involves the growth and enhancement of all aspects of the person, the feelings the person has about himself or herself, and their effectiveness in living. It includes the development of positive life skills and the development of a realistic and healthy self-esteem.” In order for any of this to happen a good share of introspection and self-awareness is required.
The biggest reflection we can make is achieved through questioning our “western centered” thinking and values, it is only normal that we travel with “baggage” of our own, we are a product of our own circumstances and this is the filter through which we see the world. To be blunt we can go as far as to say that some volunteers come with a neo-colonialist mindset, since most are western volunteers in an eastern setting. We are not here to teach anything, if at all the people of Palestine are here to teach us, but we are really learning from each other and through this expanding each other’s minds.
Many volunteers share that volunteering in Palestine has granted them self-awareness, a huge benefit for our personal growth. While being in a foreign country, suddenly immersed in a new lifestyle, we might encounter the time to reflect over predisposed judgments. Introspection allows us to question our own behaviors, our own ideas and even values. It is always a good idea to ask ourselves questions that take us to the root of why we believe the things we believe and are the way we are. Volunteering opens up our minds to other believes and
A great result we see in some volunteers is inspiration to develop new skills and do more. Many realize that they have skills they didn’t know they had before, and actually find themselves enjoying the teaching experience and the work with children/students. This is a personal growth at its best, because it is the growth that inspires growth, that opens up the possibilities for even more benefits, including professional benefits, even after leaving The Excellence Center.
Yet one more benefit can be an even more personal one, the one of spirituality. Some volunteers in Palestine mention that spending time in a Muslim environment can be beautifully spiritual. An example is Adan, or the call to prayer which everyone hears at least 5 times a day from the innumerable neighborhood mosques. No matter where you are this is a reminder that it is a time to reconnect to God, no matter who this God is for you, this is your personal time for spirituality, and making time for it has an unexpected calming effect for those that allow it.
As you can see our volunteers in Palestine at The Excellence Center grow in many ways. The ones mentioned here are only a few of those shared by some of our current volunteers. We can assure you that these experiences will apply to you and perhaps many more. In the end it is very personal.
