Representatives of the undersigned International Voluntary Service (IVS) organizations and networks, participated in a 10 days study visit to Palestine in September 2022 organized by the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS), hosted by BALADNA inside the green line and IPYL in the West Bank. This study visit which was originally planned to take place on the occasion of the 100 years anniversary of the first international workcamp in 2020 and postponed due to the C-19 pandemic, makes part of the former CCIVS Raising Peace Campaign, and sought to explore different ways to support the Palestinians in their quest for peace and liberation.
The visit was an eye opener, both enlightening and shocking. That is why we would like to share the following observations:
– Palestinians are living under an unprecedented and inconceivable beyond imagination apartheid regime, as recognised by international organisations such as Amnesty International, that strangles all aspects of their lives in terms of mobility, economy, social and cultural life, education, child detention, arbitrary killing of civilians, confiscation of land and property appropriation of natural resources.
– The State of Israel is attacking the Palestinian civil society movement, with a focus on Human Rights organizations that are exposing its inhumane treatment of the Palestinians and their quest to bring Israel to the ICC (International Criminals Court). Six Palestinian CSOs, active as human rights defenders, have been designated by Israel as terrorist organizations, as a way to mute their voices. The UN, EU and many international bodies rejected this decision, as Israel has no evidence to support its claims. However, still, the army has sabotaged and closed their offices. We stand in solidarity with these organisations and Palestinian and Israeli activists that are working for peace, justice and mutual understanding, to stop this Apartheid regime. about the unacceptable and humiliating treatment received at the Israeli airport by those attending the study visit and international volunteers in general.
– Some of the participants of the study visit experienced themselves unacceptable and humiliating treatment received at the Israeli airport on their arrival and on their way back.
IVS can be a very powerful solidarity tool, to provide support and empowerment to Palestinian youth activists and to raise awareness about their living conditions. Together we identified some possible actions that could be adopted by the IVS movement in solidarity with the Palestinian people,to:
– Support the organization of International Voluntary Service activities (study visits, workcamps, meetings) in Palestine and/or support projects in other parts of the world in solidarity with Palestinian people.
– Create crowd-funding to support the IVS organizations in Palestine to organize more study visits, joint IVS activities that can be used as a solidarity fund for sending and receiving volunteers.
– Launch a solidarity campaign with Palestine on the 29th of Nov 2022, the International Day of Solidarity with Palestine, with an online event open to IVS activists from all over the world.