When people volunteer with ISM we require that they go through a two-day training in nonviolence strategies and philosophy, group decision making and cultural considerations for living and working in Palestine which helps prepare them for demonstrations and actions that ISM participates in against the ongoing Israeli occupation.
Trainings are every Wednesday and Thursday as long as there are enough people (at least two to three) to warrant holding the training. You should try to arrive on Sunday or Monday before the training so that you can optimize your time here and not have to wait for the training. Arriving on Tuesday may not allow you enough time to get a good night’s sleep and adjust to the time difference before you start training.
When you get here contact Hisham and he can tell you details for the training. Calling from inside Palestine or Israelyou can contact him on 0542-858-589 (Orange) – OR- 059 852 7853 (Jawal) -OR- 0522-244-983 (Cellcom). From outside Palestine his number is +972-542-858-589 or +972-522-244-983 or +972-59 852 7853
You must go to meet Hisham in Jerusalem by midday on Tuesday AND PAY IN FULL if you wish to take part in the training that week.
The training costs 180 shekels, which includes 4 meals, a place to stay for one night, transportation to Ramallah and the training itself. Any leftover money helps to pay our rent, electricity and water expenses.
If you are a trainer of non-violent direct action at home and you will be coming to Palestine for a few months please let us know. We always need more trainers!!
In solidarity,
ISM Training Committee
The training will include the following sections:
Hopes and Fears
We will discuss what are our hopes and fears of coming to Palestine are and with working with ISM. Throughout the training we will try to make sure that everyone’s fears are addressed.
Culture
Palestinian culture is very different from western cultures that many of the internationals come from. In this section we will talk about how internationals can respect the culture. We will discuss cultural considerations regarding gender, eating, greeting people, and living/working in Palestinian villages and cities.
Non-violent Spectrum
We will use a spectrum to talk about what people believe are violent or non-violent actions and if these actions are effective or ineffective in context of the Palestinian resistance. We will discuss what the long-term effects of our actions are on Palestinians living in the regions we work in.
ISM Principles and Structure
We ask everyone who works with ISM to commit to our three principles: Palestinian led, non-violence, and working in groups. We will talk about what these three principles mean and also the structure of ISM in the core group, the ISM regions, the ISM working committees (legal, media, training, financial, problem solving, and campaign coordination), and with international volunteers.
Consensus Decision Making
ISM is committed to working with the consensus decision-making process. We will explain what consensus is and how to use it effectively, provide some facilitation techniques, talk about how people can self-facilitate in meetings, and we will role-play quick decision making at demonstrations.
Sexual Harassment and Assault
Sexual harassment and assault happens all over the world and can happen to anyone. Unfortunately we have heard about a lot of sexual harassment and assault specifically towards women in the West Bank recently. We have included this section to address how women can hopefully avoid sexual assault and harassment, what to do in case it happens, and how we can all help to stop this and support people that it has happened to.
Regional Updates
We will provide updates on all the regions that ISM works in, so people can decide which region they would like to stay in while they work with ISM.
Responding to Violence
If you go to demonstrations you will most likely encounter weapons from the Israeli military such as tear gas, sound grenades, rubber bullets and much less frequently live ammunition. We will discuss how we can non-violently protect ourselves from these weapons, and also from violence we may encounter from settlers.
Media
This section contains two parts. The first part will discuss writing press releases, eyewitness reports, journals, and letters-to-the-editors and how to use our language and words effectively. In the second part we will speak about giving interviews with friendly and unfriendly media, talking with sound bites, and we will role-play being interviewed by the media.
Legal
This section will cover the different types of Israeli law enforcing officials (military, police, border police, secret service) you may encounter and their authority, what you should do if you are arrested or detained, what legal options you have if you arrested, and about returning to Palestine in the future. There will be a role-play to learn what our rights are and how to use them effectively.
Looking after ourselves and each other
Coming to Palestine can be a traumatic experience for many people and can be very emotional for most. However, with the right kind of care for ourselves, we can aim to come out of this experience without trauma and with new inspiration. This section will include ways we can emotionally prepare ourselves before we come to Palestine, what we can do while we are here and when we go back home to take care of ourselves and others working in ISM. Self-care is an area many people in the activist community all over the world have begun to explore more in depth, aiming for many joyful and effective years ahead of us.
