Volunteer Programs

The Embodying Peace Fellowship

The Fellowship runs three times year. Applications are released at least a month before the cycle begins.

  • October – December – applications are open and due on Sep. 6, 2021
  • February – May
  • June – August

What is the Fellowship? 

  • “Impact/Build Skills”: intern remotely with a peacebuilding initiative for 3 or 6 months and gain experience in an array of nonprofit skills.
  • “Knowledge”: acquire fluency in the state of civil society peacebuilding through our cutting-edge curriculum and biweekly cohort meetings for 3 months.
  • “Network”: connect with Fellows from around the world, EP’s facilitators and mentors, and activists in Israel-Palestine.

Who is it For? 

Anyone who is eager to contribute to peacebuilding in Israel-Palestine as part of a diverse Fellowship cohort and global volunteer network.

Our Fellows typically are in their 20s and are students at the undergraduate or graduate level—from all over the world.

Time Commitment

Fellows devote 5 – 15 hours per week on their internship projects. Additional time commitments over three months include:

  • Bi-weekly 1.5 hr cohort gatherings (10.5 hrs total)
  • Weekly 30-min check-ins with NGO internship coordinator (6 hrs total)
  • Monthly survey (0.75 hr)
  • Exit interview (0.75 hr)
  • Total = 18 hrs

”EP's role is crucial. Its innovative approach of building a network and coordinating volunteering opportunities throughout various organizations not only directly assists peacebuilding, but also helps organizations on the ground in terms of logistics, saving money (i.e. provides dedicated volunteers), and knowledge and expertise

Adi NassarSpring ‘21 Fellow @ 50:50 Startups

”Being able to connect with my cohort on a deeper level through the vulnerability of our activist stories exposed me to the resiliency of change makers and peace builders. I found power within my fellowship community that has further crafted my voice to become an agent of change on a local and (hopefully someday) international scale.

Emily KenwardSummer ’20 Fellow @ Siraj Center

”Not only does the fellowship offer valuable professional ties and entry-points to Israel/Palestine peacebuilding, it also means becoming part of an inspiring network of like-minded individuals from around the world dedicated to peace and understanding.

Moritz HaegiSpring ‘21 Fellow @ Water Resources Action Project

”It might sometimes feel hard when you are not present in the country to realise the impact you have with working remote - but I would say every support counts and most peacebuilding NGOs will appreciate every support that makes their daily business easier. Even small things you can do remotely - up to large project you can also do remotely - can have a huge impact.

Julia SchrieberSpring ‘21 Fellow @ Amal-Tikva

Our Fellowship Curriculum

  • Module 1: “Youth, Trauma, & $250 million: What Propels Peacebuilding?”
  • Module 2: “The Oslo Accords: Seeds of Peace Activism”
  • Module 3: “People-to-People (P2P)  Programs: The Face of Oslo-era Peacebuilding”
  • Module 4: “Evaluating the Efficacy of P2P Programs”
  • Module 5: “Anti-normalization: A Critique and Challenge to P2P Peacebuilding”
  • Module 6: “Redefining Peacebuilding in a Post-Oslo Era: The Case of Uninational Palestinian Efforts”
  • Module 7: ““Building the Field of Peacebuilding for Today”

Our Impact on NGOs

The Story of House of Hope

By Thea Lavin, Managing Director @ House of Hope

“We need more help,” said Jamie with exasperation during our monthly Board of Directors meeting. “We are not going to be able to make a difference for House of Hope without more resources. We need interns or volunteers who can really work.”

Jamie was right. It had been four years since we launched our U.S. Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Supporting Hope, and 12 years since our partner Palestinian NGO, House of Hope Vision School, started serving children and women in the West Bank.

The teams at House of Hope and Supporting Hope had done all we could to grow our sustainability and visibility. We organized six U.S. speaking tours for House of Hope staff, countless fundraising appeals, dozens of grant applications, and two video shoots in Palestine. 

It wasn’t enough. 

Despite the tireless work of House of Hope staff in Palestine and a small but hyper dedicated pro bono Supporting Hope team in the U.S., we were missing opportunities to get the word out, to win more funding, to more effectively measure the impact of House of Hope, and to determine how its work could scale throughout Palestinian society.

And we were exhausted. We knew what needed to be done to move the needle forward for House of Hope, but there simply were not enough hours in the day. We needed interns, smart, capable interns, who could step in and co-create with us. 

That is when the email from Embodying Peace arrived. “Hi! My name is Hannah, and I am from Embodying Peace. We are placing capacity building interns at peacebuilding NGOs in Israel and Palestine. Are you interested in participating?,” wrote Hannah Miller, an Embodying Peace founder.

That moment forever changed the growth trajectory of House of Hope Vision School. The capacity building gains we achieved in partnership with Embodying Peace have been stunning.

Capacity building is the process of developing an organization’s strength and sustainability. It is essential for your NGO’s health and longevity, and it is Embodying Peace’s specialty. Capacity building enables you to focus on your mission—not simply on survival.

House of Hope Vision school has experienced tremendous growth since partnering with Embodying Peace. Several times a year, Embodying Peace checks in and asks what top capacity building goals we could use help to achieve. As our organization grows, so does our work with Embodying Peace. Researching grant opportunities. Applying for grants. Mapping our Theory of Change. Developing a Storytelling Ambassador program. Editing our research. Designing measurement and evaluation programs. Managing donor databases. Ideating programs. Fundraising. Graphic design. And on and on. 

Every step of the way Embodying Peace has supported our growth with smart, savvy interns that help us achieve our mission: nurturing the next generation of Palestinian children to become leaders for change, prosperity and peace in their community.

Civil society organizations are rewriting the future in Israel and Palestine. I know because I have seen it first hand. House of Hope changed the lives of over 15,000 Palestinian children. Our teachers and children have recited their pledge of nonviolence 52,800 times and conducted over 423 Palestinian music and dance heritage events for children and families. 135 House of Hope teachers have been trained in holistic, trauma-informed teaching methods.

If we rely on the actions of governments, there is no chance for collective safety and prosperity.

The future lies in the hands of everyday people, the grassroots civil society workers who are building the future we all want to live in.

Embodying Peace helps our organization to put that future within reach.