IWPS-Palestine is an international team of women based in Haris, a village in the Salfit Governorate of Occupied Palestine's West Bank, which began for three continuous years from August 2002. IWPS-Palestine documents human rights abuses, nonviolently intervenes in abuses, and works with the media. IWPS-Palestine joins Palestinians in acts of nonviolent direct action to oppose human rights abuses and the confiscation and destruction of land and property of Palestinian people. This includes joining demonstrations and opposition to the Apartheid Wall, helping remove roadblocks, and accompanying ambulances and Palestinians whilst they farm. IWPS-Palestine supports Palestinian and Israeli anti-occupation groups in their grassroots resistance to end the brutal and illegal military Occupation.

Palestinian Context

At the beginning of IWPS-Palestine, the people of Palestine were living under a brutal Military Occupation and Siege that was worsening every day. Thousands of roadblocks and military check-points prevented the free movement of vehicles, goods and people causing a serious shortage of supplies including food and petrol; prevented the disposal of sewage and garbage; paralysed the health care systems; prevented access by emergency services; closed universities and schools; and led to more than 50% of the population being unemployed with the rest unable to get to their jobs. The Israeli military had also imposed curfews; tanks were terrifying people whilst Israeli soldiers arbitrarily occupied homes. During the first 21 months of the second Intifada there had already been approximately 1,600 Palestinian deaths and over 20,000 injuries with over 2,000 people suffering from permanent disabilities due to the conflict. Unfortunately, two years later, by the beginning of August 2004 these figures had increased to 3,136 Palestinian deaths and 27,033 Palestinian injured, with Israeli deaths for the same time-period being 972 and Israeli injured being 6,506. For current figures you can refer to the Palestinian Red Crescent website at www.palestinercs.org and the Israeli Defence Force website at www.mod.gov.il.

Outline of IWPS-Palestine

IWPS-Palestine established an International Women's House in Haris village in the Salfit Governorate with the intention of creating a permanent presence of Internationals throughout the Siege and Occupation. Haris is at the centre of a vulnerable group of Palestinian villages right next to Ariel. Ariel is the biggest of the illegal Israeli Settlements in the West Bank and was built on land forcefully expropriated from several of the villages around Haris. It is still expanding into more of the Palestinian's rich agricultural land. The area is particularly isolated due to the difficulty of transport caused by the closure and is very vulnerable to military and settler incursions. The founders of the project had experience of nonviolent intervention and human rights monitoring in the area having led various short-term international delegations to help remove roadblocks and provide accompaniment to the Palestinians whilst they planted and harvested their crops. The villagers then requested urgently a permanent presence in Haris to provide a timely response to emergency calls. A formal letter of invitation was received from the Haris Villager Council inviting IWPS-Palestine to come to the village to set up the International Women's House. After detailed discussions with members of the Council a project description was written for an initial 3 years, funding sought and the first women started work in August 2002.

IWPS-Palestine trains and supports an international team of women in Haris:

to provide written and photographic documentation of human rights abuses in the Salfit Governorate and forward these to human rights lawyers and organisations;
to work with independent media and outside press to promote and facilitate the dissemination of the documentation through use of the internet;
to nonviolently intervene in any human rights abuses witnessed;
to provide supportive accompaniment for civilians as they try to live normally;
to engage in acts of nonviolent civil resistance in order to oppose the human rights abuses and the confiscation and destruction of land and property of Palestinian civilians, which is internationally recognised as illegal;
to support Palestinian and Israeli peace movements in their civil resistance to end the Occupation;
to provide an experiential model for setting up further international women’s peace teams in other places.

1.2 Organisation, Aims, and Values

Organization of IWPS-Palestine

IWPS-Palestine seeks to work in a manner that is participatory, open, accountable, nonhierarchical, nonviolent, feminist and based on consensus with continual feedback, analysis and evaluation. The project is non-aligned and non-partisan and does not 'take sides' but supports any individual, group or organization who resist the Military Occupation of the West Bank in a nonviolent manner and who ask for support. IWPS-Palestine does not have any right nor would it wish to interfere in the right, under international law, of Palestinian people to conduct an armed resistance against the colonisation and occupation of their land. However, IWPS-Palestine does not take any part in such violence and IWPS-Palestine is only involved in nonviolent resistance. The project is run by women and all volunteers are women although they work with others in mixed gender groups and host mixed delegations. The women on the project understand that they are guests of the local Palestinian community and seek to understand and react to the felt needs of that community. The project maintains a close relationship with those local Palestinians who issued the invitation to live in solidarity with them and conducts frequent evaluations to ensure that the aims and objectives of IWPS-Palestine remain in accordance with the needs of Palestinians in the Salfit Governorate.

Core Organising Group

The responsibility for IWPS-Palestine is held collectively by all Long-term Volunteers (LTVs), who are organized into Working Groups. The Working Groups are responsible for the implementation of the projects aims, objectives and policies. To ensure effective and consistent management of the project there is also a Core Organising Group consisting of not more than 12 women (usually LTVs) from at least three different countries who hold overall responsibility for IWPS-Palestine. The overall decisions and directions of IWPS-Palestine are made by this group, but in full consultation with all other LTVs. At least two members of the Core Organising Group are on-call providing back-up to the House Team in Haris and providing overall administrative support.

The Core Organising Group consists of one selected member of each of the Working Groups as a spokesperson for their group plus any other woman who is able to commit to the work necessary. These women hold the IWPS-Palestine project together administratively and provide essential support for the work of the House Team on the ground in Salfit. All LTVs are expected to take an active role in a Working Group (unless otherwise negotiated with the Core Organising Group) and are able to select one of the women of their Working Group as a representative to be on the Core Organising Group. The work of this Core Organizing group is unpaid, but office costs are reimbursed.

As of November 2004 the Members of the Core Organising Group number 9 and are: Dorothee (France); Karin (Austria); Angie and Ayesha (UK); Barbara and Patricia (Canada); Dunya, Kate and Nijmie (USA).

Angie is the current Chairwoman/Secretary. Barbara is the current Treasurer.

Long Term Volunteers (LTVs)

Long-Term Volunteers (LTVs) are women who have committed to spend periods, of a minimum of three months per year, at the International Women's House for three years. Long-Term Volunteers are recruited from a diverse background and range from their mid-twenties to late sixties, include some with Jewish and some with Palestinian backgrounds, some of religious faith and some with secular beliefs. LTVs are paid their travel expenses and a stipend (whilst in Palestine) and the aim is to provide a minimum presence of 5 LTVs at the House at any one time. LTVs all speak fluent English and commit to learning Arabic as best they can if they do not already have that skill.

As of November 2004 there are 17 LTVs from 9 different countries. 6 from the USA, 3 from the UK, 2 from Canada, and 1 each from Australia, Austria, France, Japan, the Netherlands and South Africa. 5 of these women are from under-represented geographical areas or backgrounds.

Volunteers (Vols)

Volunteers (Vols) are recruited on a continuing basis for stays at the house of periods from two to four weeks at a time. Their role in decision-making is limited to only matters affecting their stay and these decisions are made by the whole House Team by consensus. People with specific skills like doctors, artists, lawyers, musicians, IT specialists will be especially welcome to share their skills with the House Team and local communities. Volunteers are self-funded except for those from under-represented backgrounds who qualify for a limited number of scholarships. Volunteers who have happily served for a minimum of 2 weeks in the house and who are considered suitable may apply to become LTVs.

As of November 2004 there are 34 Vols who have already served in Haris and 35 Vols who have been accepted but have not yet served in Haris. These 69 Vols are from 25 different countries. 19 are from under-represented geographical areas or backgrounds of whom 8 have been awarded scholarships.

Visitors

Visitors, international activists and delegations are welcomed at the International Women's House if prior arrangements are made and agreed. The House Team will help ensure they have a productive time and gain an insight into the problems facing Palestinian communities in Salfit. They are expected to sign the nonviolence pledge, respect the House ground-rules and also to contribute to the costs of their stay.

House Team

Those LTVs and Volunteers actually in Palestine and based at the International Women's House at any one time are known collectively as the House Team. Any LTVs, Vols, or people associated with IWPS-Palestine who are not at the house at any particular time are known as the Away Team. The House Team normally consists of at least 6 International women in these two categories (LTV or Vol), but the number is very variable depending on circumstances. The House Team works by consensus, arranging their own roles within the aims, objectives and policies of IWPS-Palestine and communicating regularly with the Core Organising Group who are the final arbiter if consensus cannot be reached.

The House Team is assisted by local Palestinians, some of whom are paid as interpreters for various meetings and who help conduct sensitive interviews and also act as advisors, translators and researchers. They are paid on an hourly basis and recruited from a pool of local men and women. They are consulted and kept fully informed on all policy matters.

Working Groups

Working groups and sub-groups are set up by the Core Organising Group as and when required to pursue certain aims/tasks of IWPS-Palestine or to ensure the implementation of the policies agreed. The number of working groups varies from time to time as new tasks emerge and as old ones are achieved.

IWPS-Palestine Advisory Board

The Core Organising Group are responsible for any final decision-making but as Internationals living and working in a very different culture from their own and often through interpreters, they recognise the need of advice, guidance and feed-back. To facilitate this, there is a formal Advisory Board that consists of women and men from experienced Palestinian, Israeli, and International NGOs. There is also an informal set of local Palestinian advisors who live in the villages of Salfit and with whom IWPS-Palestine frequently consults.

Aims of IWPS-Palestine

The following are the aims of IWPS-Palestine:

1. To train and support an international team of women as a continuous presence in Palestine.

2. To monitor and appropriately alert the world community to human rights abuses in the Salfit area and to intervene with nonviolence to prevent abuses.

3. To effect change in world opinion towards an end to the Occupation, and to lessen the sense of isolation and despair of the Palestinian people.

4. To seek and implement nonviolent alternatives to conflict in the Occupied Territories / Palestine.

5. To support nonviolent civil resistance by Palestinians and Israelis, and to create space for people to become more involved in resistance.

6. To offer supportive accompaniment to Palestinian civilians in the occupied territories.

7. To provide an experiential model for setting up further international women's peace teams in other areas.

Values of IWPS-Palestine

IWPS-Palestine operates according to the values laid out below.

Nonviolence
Context of international law/human rights
Awareness of privileges of gender and international status
Rooted in the local community
Inclusion of Palestinian women in the process as much as possible
Openness and accountability
Open and non-discriminatory with respect to ethnicity, religion, age, sexuality and economic class

Tasks Undertaken by IWPS-Palestine

IWPS-Palestine has been involved in the following tasks:

Intervention in human rights abuses
Photographing
Report writing
Filmmaking
Dissemination
Liaison with human rights organizations
Media work: press releases and interview giving
Village profiles
Checkpoint watch
Website
Speaking tours/gigs
PowerPoint presentations
Meetings with Palestinian and Israeli groups
Building/enhancing ties with like-minded organizations
Maintaining a base: financial system, staffing system, IT system, fundraising system, communications, etc.
Fundraising: maintaining a base, remaining accountable
Supporting women's groups
Work with youth in the village
Advocacy for prisoners
Demonstrations
Road block monitoring
English teaching
Selling olive oil
Accompaniment of people
Facilitating transport of goods
Coordinating olive harvest support
Providing international presence
Research on settlements and settler violence
Information gathering
Hosting volunteers and delegations

Activities of IWPS-Palestine

The following are the activities specifically agreed for the period summer 2003 to summer 2004. (The aims supported by these activities are given in parentheses.) These remain in place until the next Annual Meeting of LTVs.

A. Continue the Apartheid Wall campaign and increase international reaction to the wall (aims 3, 4, 5).

B. Support the olive harvest by organizing and providing International protection and accompaniment (5, 6).

C. Improve dissemination of information by expanding contacts, improved report writing, more strategic distribution, and producing quarterly summaries of the human rights situation (3, 7).

D. Focus human rights monitoring and intervention in relation to the wall campaign and olive harvest (2).

E. Maintain and improve relationships with other Israeli, Palestinian and international organisations working against the Occupation, in order to further our aims (4, 5).

F. Respond to individual requests of Palestinian civilians for accompaniment in daily activities from army and settlers (6).

G. Strengthen our relationships within nearby villages, with all sections of the society there and particularly with women.

H. Increase capacity of the team through a. yearly meeting, b. training, c. systematic briefing/debriefing, d. reviews of policies and guidelines, e. improving decision making, f. improving communication between the house and outside (1, 7).

I. Continue to recruit, train and host volunteers and improve the arrangements for this (1, 7).

J. Strengthen organisational diversity by recruiting team members and volunteers from among women of colour and from the two-thirds world.

1.3 Policies

The policies under which IWPS-Palestine operates are under continual review. Latest review dates for each area of policy, and the person(s) responsible for the review, are given where relevant.

Financial Policy

(IWPS-Palestine Team Meeting August 2003- updated August 2004 by Angie)

Currencies

The IWPS-Palestine base currency is pounds sterling. All budgets will be worked out in this currency, and all exchange rates will be given against the pound sterling base rate. All other currencies will be referred back to pounds sterling using the monthly base rate.

Accounts

IWPS-Palestine will produce detailed monthly accounts that any member of IWPS-Palestine can have sent to them. The Annual Account Statement will be put up on the website for general public access and form part of the Annual Report.

Administration expenses policy

If any LTV devotes more than 15 hours per week to administrative work on behalf of IWPS-Palestine, that LTV is entitled to have office expenses such as phone, photocopier, fax, and mailing charges reimbursed by IWPS-Palestine. In order to keep costs down, there should be only one person in each IWPS-Palestine region who assumes this level of responsibility. IWPS-Palestine members who periodically incur minor expenses related to IWPS-Palestine work can be expected to cover these on their own. Any LTV who incurs expenses that she cannot cover on her own should keep receipts and request a reimbursement from her local IWPS-Palestine 'office'. All expenses should relate directly to budgeted IWPS-Palestine administrative categories. Any questions regarding the feasibility of an expense should first be discussed regionally, and ultimately referred to the Treasurer.

As of November 2004 the Treasurer is Barbara.

Thanks to donors

Anyone may request that a formal IWPS-Palestine letter of thanks be sent out on headed notepaper. Requests for letters of thanks should be sent to the person responsible for the area in question.

As of November 2004 Barbara covers Canada; Hannah the US, Karin Europe (except Austria and the UK), and Angie the UK, Austria, and any others.

Flights, stipends, and insurances

All airfares paid for by IWPS-Palestine – this includes fares of LTVs, and Vols coming after a specific request for them to fill an LTV gap (Gap Vols), and all Outreach Scholarship Vols (OR-S Vols) will be reimbursed for the cheapest ticket available, unless a freely exchangeable-date return ticket can be found at a small increase in price. Any costs involved because of 'personal' changes in dates will not be covered. Costs from airport to the house in Haris are covered.

Our ‘living away from home’ allowances were originally designed to cover health insurance and to provide LTVs with some extra money for their own use. Because of the vast disparities in health costs, there was inequality in the money left over for individual use. For this reason, personal medical and health care insurance is now budgeted and paid separately from the ‘living away from home’ allowance. All IWPS-Palestine LTVs must take out basic medical and health care insurance and submit receipts to the Treasurer who will reimburse the amount up to the fixed monthly limit. It is recognized that the costs of personal health and emergency health care insurance may not be fully covered by this amount, but IWPS-Palestine cannot at this stage afford to reimburse more.

As of November 2004 the current allowances are:

Living away from home allowance: £200/month

Allowance for personal medical and health insurance: up to £100/month (paid on presentation of receipts only).

IWPS-Palestine strongly recommends that all volunteers coming out to join the project take out medical and health care insurance and give details of their policies on their registration forms. IWPS-Palestine will make it clear to all volunteers that IWPS-Palestine is not responsible for covering health and injury costs.

Fundraising among members

All IWPS-Palestine members should take responsibility for fundraising for the work of IWPS-Palestine. Fundraising options can include writing and sending donor letters, presenting in report backs or panels for which donations are suggested, screening videos, distributing IWPS-Palestine videos, tapes or PowerPoint presentations, grant writing and/or any other ways that a member can think of. Every member, not only the fundraising coordinator, should commit to raising at least the equivalent of their plane ticket during the course of each fiscal year. Regional offices should maintain the list of their donors and funders, and should make decisions about how to recognize donors and keep foundations appraised of the work of IWPS-Palestine.

Personal vs. Group Finances - IWPS-Palestine is comfortable with members raising funds to help them cover costs in their own lives that are affected by the project, such as covering rent while they are in Haris, etc but only where care is taken to ensure that the donors are fully aware that the funds will be supporting the individual and not IWPS-Palestine. Members should only raise money in the name of IWPS-Palestine if those funds go directly to IWPS-Palestine.

Finances in the field

IWPS-Palestine is an organization devoted to witness, documentation, and intervention. The fundraising that we do in our home countries should support the items listed in our budget and those alone. Donations contributed to us by volunteers and delegations should go directly to provide support to those villages that acted as hosts. Monies should not be given to individual families but should go to village councils and/or mayors. One exception is the case of the sale of olive oil or other products where the funds should go directly to the producers or cooperative.

IWPS-Palestine does not give money to families or individuals because of financial hardship because this is not what IWPS-Palestine is set up to do. We are not a service or aid organization. When requests of this kind are directed at members or volunteers, we must be direct and firm in helping people understand that we cannot provide financial assistance or other services, such as supporting Palestinians to move abroad, set up lives in other countries, or attend university. Volunteers must understand this before they come to work with us so that those representing IWPS-Palestine have a unified policy on this issue. IWPS-Palestine members should refer people to other organizations or opportunities that may be available for people requesting these services.

IWPS-Palestine buying policies

IWPS-Palestine should at all times make an effort to buy locally from farmers and food producers within our own village and neighboring villages instead of purchasing products imported from Israel or any other countries. IWPS-Palestine is under no obligation, however, to contract with any one individual or family to provide certain services. IWPS-Palestine members should make every effort to purchase the necessary goods and services widely and from as many vendors as possible. We should avoid creating the impression that we are a rich international organization whose primary purpose is to jumpstart the Palestinian economy.

Financial guidelines

Financial discipline is a joint responsibility that has to be undertaken by all members of IWPS-Palestine. It is part of carrying out duties responsibly. IWPS-Palestine's financial resources are limited, have been allocated to certain categories and everyone is expected to spend within the restraints of the set budget. If in doubt, check the latest variance report. Before incurring high expenses check with the Treasurer to see if the amount will be reimbursed.

The following financial guidelines should be followed at all times:

There is a budget that has been agreed by the Core Group and all members of IWPS-Palestine have to stick to it and be disciplined about spending. LTV's and House Teams cannot make unilateral decisions, expecting IWPS-Palestine to simply reimburse them.
It is a responsibility of each LTV to keep up to date on what IWPS is spending in any category and over-spending in any category requires approval from the Treasurer first.
LTV's need to check before spending large amounts in any budget category to see what funds are available. This could be done either by looking at the latest accounting or by checking with the Treasurer and the Finance Group.
For items that are not included in the budget anything over £75 will require approval from the Finance Group. LTV's cannot expect to be able to claim money back if the expense is above this amount and had not been checked before expending the funds.
Receipts are required for all items. Payments cannot be reimbursed by the IWPS-Palestine Finance Group or Treasurer unless a receipt is provided.
LTV's are expected to shop around for the best rates for flights. Claims for unnecessarily high airfares will be reimbursed only to the extent that is comparable to other fares from the same area.
While in Palestine on IWPS-Palestine work but when not in the house in Haris it is understood that food may have to be bought. If food is purchased then this can only be up to a maximum of 20 NIS per day. If LTVs have to stay in villages overnight then they should follow the village guidelines which have been set up (often with IWPS-Palestine advice) and this may mean that up to another 25 NIS may have to be paid out for these overnight expenses. This is allowed. Amounts above this should not be expected to be paid by IWPS-Palestine.
IWPS-Palestine does not pay for personal needs, including: special foods, parties or events, costs of days off, travel expenses to go somewhere on days off (if you can combine it with IWPS-Palestine business, ok, otherwise not covered), on-the-ground medical expenses.
IWPS-Palestine will pay, if agreed with the Finance Group and Personnel Group: to change air tickets or travel expenses to travel to Jordan in order to stay longer working for the project; to replace a passport if a passport is confiscated doing IWPS-Palestine work, but not for reasons of personal carelessness. Only cheap basic accommodation and cheap transport costs will be covered for this process.
IWPS-Palestine may pay for name change expenses, e.g. obtaining new passport. However, LTV's are encouraged to try and raise funds themselves. If they cannot, they should ask the whole team if IWPS-Palestine is willing to pay and it should only be to enable the LTV to work at the house in Haris.
Due to our limited funding, none of us can assume that IWPS-Palestine will be able to pay for everything that it does. IWPS-Palestine is not a very well funded NGO and can only operate if people are willing to contribute where they can. IWPS-Palestine recognizes that many of the LTV's and Vols incur a lot of expenses in the course of their work for IWPS-Palestine and do not claim them. This is very much appreciated.

Personnel and Decision-Making Policy

(Personnel Working Group May 27th 2004)

Recruitment and Conditions

Volunteers

1. Any woman who has completed a valid application form, signed the House Agreement, is recommended as a volunteer by the interviewer, and meets the volunteer criteria will be accepted as a Volunteer (Vol). Full details of the volunteer application and interview procedure are given in Appendix "Volunteer Protocols". There are no limits to the number of Vols. There are however, limits to the number of Vols that can be hosted in the house at any one time and this number is usually between 2 and 4 Vols except when particular events are in progress. The precise number is decided upon by the Personnel Group, who contact the people involved to try to make a good balanced team.

2. The time of service and specific tasks are decided in conjunction with the Vol, Personnel Group, and the House Team.

3. Vols should stay for a minimum of four weeks on their first visit, with the first two weeks as probationary time. (Stays below four weeks can be negotiated on a case-by-case basis particularly for very experienced volunteers.) After two weeks, the result of an evaluation will decide if a Vol stays longer than two weeks. If they are found to be unsuitable or do not themselves find their time was productive they will be removed from the Volunteers list after an in-depth evaluation and open discussion, preferably with the House Team in Haris but, if not, right after their departure.

4. Vols will fill in a feedback form about their whole time in the house at the end of their stay in Haris, and the House Team members will write an evaluation of the Vol which will be kept in the personnel files.

5. Vols are expected to pay their own fare, cover their own basic health insurance (strongly recommended), and pay a per diem that covers the costs of their food, living and travel expenses whilst with the project.

6. As of November 2004 the current per diem per Volunteer is 45 shekels per day (approx.US$10).

7. Once a Vol is accepted she is put onto the volunteers list (iwps-volunteers@yahoogroups.com), where she can discuss and share information with other Vols and LTVs. Volunteers are also encouraged to submit their personal reports (or link to personal blogs) to the website manager in the Communications Group.

8. If a Vol is good but not suitable to serve for several months or to take on the overall responsibilities and work of an LTV or does not wish to become an LTV then she can remain on the Volunteer list and come back under the same terms and conditions as apply to all Vols.

Long-Term Volunteers

1) Any new Vol who has successfully completed her work stay in Haris may apply to become a Long-Term Volunteer (LTV). She will be given an application form to fill out and send to the Personnel Group.

2) It may happen that after a new Vol has served in Haris for a minimum of four weeks (open for exceptions in unusual situations) on the normal basis of paying her own fare and a per diem, she may want to negotiate a longer stay and can apply at that time to become an LTV.

3) Members of the House Team who have worked with the new Vol will write an evaluation of her stay and work with the House Team. If the Vol asks to become an LTV then the LTVs in the current House Team, through consensus, can recommend her as an LTV. If recommended by the House Team, then that Vol's name shall automatically be sent to all LTVs for approval. If there are no objections and application has been properly made to the Personnel Group then she will become an LTV, with the same conditions as any other LTV.

4) LTVs will liaise with their House Team over the specific project/s they will be working on for the majority of their stay in Haris.

5) LTVs will liaise with the Personnel Group over the timing of their stays in Haris, which should be for a minimum of three months at a time. If they wish to come for a shorter time or at a time of their own choosing (in other words if there is no need for them to be one of the five LTVs in the House Team) then they will come under the same terms and conditions as Vols – that is, they will pay all their own expenses. Their time and work will still have to be agreed with the Personnel Team and the House Team as usual.

6) Those Vols who become LTVs after their first four weeks at the house are expected to pay their own fares into Haris (in other words they cannot claim back their original fare), but they will receive a stipend like other LTV for time served after this first month.

7) All LTVs are automatically put onto the team list serve (iwps-team@yahoogroups.com), where they can discuss and share information with other LTVs.

8) All LTVs must:

be willing and able to commit to taking on a specific working responsibility (i.e. as a member of a working group)
come to the yearly meeting/retreat/training
commit to working in the field for a minimum of three months per year
commit to at least three years (or as long as the project lasts if shorter than three years)
fundraise for their expenses as best as they can depending on the situation in their home country. Fundraising tips and advice from other LTVs is available.

9) At the present time there is no limit to the number of LTVs accepted by IWPS-Palestine. This policy will however be reviewed at each yearly meeting or before if necessary.

10) The Personnel Group will work out the rota to try to ensure that a House Team consisting of 5 LTVs and 2 Vols is present at any one time. The Personnel Group will give preference to under-represented women to try to fulfill our aim of getting two-thirds representation, as well as ensuring the proper mix of skills (especially Arabic, activist, and techie skills) and also trying to ensure a good mix of nationalities in each House Team. We have to be aware though that this is only possible if there are enough women in the pool and there is some flexibility amongst them.

11) LTVs will fill out a 'critical feed-back form' at the end of each of their service periods which will cover themselves and the LTVs and Vols they have served with, which will help everyone to be aware of their strengths and weaknesses and to enable them to fulfill their potential.

LTVs, when scheduled in as LTVs to a House Team, will have their expenses paid as laid out in the Financial Policy. LTVs are expected to fundraise for at least the cost of their flight ticket and stipend every year.

Decision-making

IWPS-Palestine aims to ensure that its organizing and decision-making process is as open and accountable as possible.

Policy decisions and day-to-day decisions about the work of the IWPS-Palestine House Team or by LTVs or Vols working for IWPS-Palestine in their respective countries are made on the basis of consensus.

1. Every activist in IWPS-Palestine must be respected and valued for what they do regardless of role. All women who do work for IWPS-Palestine, regardless of whether they are LTVs or Vols, must be able to be equally involved in consensus decision-making for those decisions that affect their day-to-day work or their work with specific initiatives, projects, or working groups. Therefore every working group is expected to communicate with all members of their group and make their decisions by consensus, and all decisions should be communicated to the Core Organising Group.

2. While IWPS-Palestine consciously works toward a non-hierarchical structure, it recognizes the fact that disparities exist between activists and that power and authority issues will arise. If a problem with decision-making or practice occurs at the House Team level, it must be resolved there if at all possible. If there is no resolution to the problem, it must be raised with the Core Organising Group, who can consult the wider group of LTVs if necessary. If a problem of democratic process originates with members carrying on IWPS-Palestine work in their respective countries (rather than in Palestine in the House Team), it must be raised and resolved with the Core Organising Group who can extend the process out to all the LTVs if necessary.

3. If a particular woman (regardless of status) is found by the team she is working with to be unable to function responsibly in the decision-making process or is unable to keep to consensus decisions or is a danger to herself or others, then she may be asked to leave the project altogether after appropriate conflict-resolution and problem solving processes have taken place.

4. If a disagreement with policy arises, either at the House Team level, or from members carrying on the work in their respective countries, a proposal for policy change must be made to the entire team and the Core Organising Group should facilitate the process. Until such time that a new consensus is reached, the policy as it exists, will stand.

Outreach

IWPS-Palestine wishes to become a truly diverse international group of women and yet women from poor and working class backgrounds and from the two-thirds world are under-represented. LTVs are recruited from the pool of Volunteers and there is thus a recognized need to first encourage Volunteers to apply who are under-represented. An Outreach Sub-Group will advertise and recruit under-represented women and provide any support needed.

IWPS-Palestine will aim to increase the participation of under-represented women by recruiting growing numbers of such women during the lifetime of the project.

As of November 2004 the current aim is to have two-thirds of the LTVs from under-represented areas and backgrounds by August 2005.

IWPS-Palestine recognizes the need for scholarships to enable under-represented women to travel to Palestine. Outreach Scholarship Vols will therefore have their fares covered and a waiver of their per diem fees. The aim to have five women awarded such scholarships by August 2004 has been fulfilled, although they have not all served their time in Palestine yet. Preference will be given to women who have worked on indigenous land based struggles and/or have experience with anti-oppression work and to those who would be available to become LTVs. A special programme to make the most use of these women's skills will be planned with the Outreach Sub-Group and the House Team.

As of November 2004 the current aim is to have 10 more Outreach Scholarships awarded by August 2005.

Personnel support

1) Two members of the House Team will be co-responsible for supporting volunteers and delegations ensuring they are welcomed, supported, oriented and evaluated.

2) Every member of the House Team (whether LTV or Vol) should be contacted by one of the Personnel Group by phone on their return home after service to make sure they are well and to allow for a de-brief. New Vols are to be supported in their activities in their home country after their return, to make sure they have enough resources and ideas to make good use of their experiences.

Delegations

1) Delegations of between 5-8 women or mixed delegations can apply to any LTV to visit the house. The delegation will be accepted/rejected as suitable through joint consultation with the LTV, House Team and the Personnel Group who will also ensure adequate planning of the visit.

2) Some women applying to become Volunteers may not be accepted for various reasons but may be suitable for inclusion in a delegation. This may give them the experience necessary to re-apply as a Volunteer.

Delegates are expected to pay their own fare, cover their own basic health insurance (strongly recommended), and pay a per diem. This per diem covers the costs of their food and living whilst with the project but does not cover their travel expenses.

As of November 2004 the current per diem for each Delegate: 70 shekels per day (approx. US$15)

Legal Policy

(Patricia 23rd September 2003)

1) IWPS-Palestine will provide legal support for those LTVs and Vols who, because of their involvement with IWPS-Palestine or the activities or duties they perform for IWPS-Palestine in accordance with IWPS-Palestine policies and practices, are arrested or charged with an offence and/or brought to trial for a civil or criminal offence or an offence under military law, and/or suffer harm, injury or death for which the activist and/or their representatives and IWPS-Palestine wish to seek legal recourse.

In the case of arrest, initial legal support is provided according to IWPS-Palestine arrest protocol (lawyer contact information, support from IWPS-Palestine) and continuing support will be provided up to and including trial to the extent the IWPS-Palestine activist needs or wants it, and to the extent IWPS-Palestine considers possible (please see factors involved with decision-making below).

Individual activists may have different preferences in relation to the legal support they wish IWPS-Palestine to provide – i.e. whether IWPS-Palestine should pursue looking for donated legal services throughout a legal proceeding or whether IWPS-Palestine should pay for legal counsel from the outset. Individual needs must be clearly communicated to the team and recorded with a member's personal contact information. Individual LTVs or Vols, additionally, if given the option, may not wish to have a particular matter go to court or trial and IWPS-Palestine will act according to the wishes of the person involved.

In the event that a Vol is deported upon arrival in Israel/Palestine or denied entry, IWPS-Palestine will provide initial legal counsel to enable the activist to receive the necessary legal information they will need in order to help them determine their options and course of action. However, IWPS-Palestine will not pay for ongoing legal assistance to fight the deportation or the denied entry status.

In the event of the injury or death of an IWPS-Palestine volunteer, the IWPS-Palestine volunteer and/or those individuals or family members who are involved in decision-making for the IWPS-Palestine volunteer, together with IWPS-Palestine, if the volunteer and their representative want to work with IWPS-Palestine on the legal issues which arise, will work together to determine the best course of legal action which will further and protect the interests of the person/s involved.

2) Where an offence allegedly committed by an IWPS-Palestine volunteer (either LTV or Vol) under civil or military law has a possibility of going to trial, or in any situation where a volunteer finds herself needing legal help, IWPS-Palestine will decide on a case by case basis whether to pursue the case to trial or to take legal action, if it has a choice in the matter.

The wishes of the volunteer will always guide the decision — i.e., do they want to pursue the matter themselves? Further, the decision will be made by the LTVs as a whole where possible. In some cases, i.e. a deportation fight, there is not always the time for the whole team to make a decision regarding the appropriate legal course to pursue, and in these cases, the woman directly involved, and at least two LTVs, preferably one in the active House Team and one on the Legal Group, should be allowed to make the initial decisions. It is important, however, to note that long-term legal planning and decision-making will revert to the entire team at the earliest possible date.

Key factors involved in decision-making:

a) Assessment of case and likely outcome — i.e. is it an important case with the likelihood of a positive outcome that will benefit the Palestinians, further the goals of IWPS-Palestine, and provide the best legal support for the person involved

b) Time – how long is the court process expected to take and what is the likelihood that the case will be heard in a timely manner

c) Resources available to IWPS-Palestine and its needs at the time — i.e. would a lengthy trial be a drain on resources needed for other things, does it have adequate resources to help guarantee a successful conclusion

d) Financial costs — an estimate of costs must be made as far as it is possible to do so; all avenues for free legal assistance or legal aid must be pursued where possible, and with the agreement of the volunteer/s involved

e) Legal defence — presence of committed lawyers with experience in the aspects of law involved in the case and willing to work with IWPS-Palestine on it

3) IWPS-Palestine LTVs and Vols in the course of their work will witness many violations of civil, military or international law. IWPS-Palestine may be required to testify in such cases as witnesses or may itself, as an organization, bring charges against individuals or groups. IWPS-Palestine will provide legal assistance to anyone involved in such cases to the extent that IWPS-Palestine LTVs and Volunteers require it, or, if it has a choice, to the extent that it considers possible. If IWPS-Palestine brings charges as an organization, the decision will be made by all members of the House Team and the factors noted above used to determine our involvement in any court case would also apply.

4) IWPS-Palestine will provide legal assistance for those members and volunteers who may have officially finished a term of work for IWPS-Palestine in a host country, but who remain there and continue in their role as an IWPS-Palestine volunteer and continue to carry out the duties and responsibilities IWPS-Palestine has mandated for a particular project or projects.

5) IWPS-Palestine will not provide legal assistance for those LTVs or Vols, who engage in any activity that contravenes IWPS-Palestine policies and practices. This will also include any activity the volunteer engages in that is considered outside the duties and responsibilities they would normally carry out as a House Team member while they are working in Palestine.

Nonviolence Policy

(Angie September 2004)

IWPS-Palestine supports nonviolent resistance to the Israeli occupation and uses nonviolent policy, practice, and methods.

We understand nonviolence to be a whole philosophy of life that comes from the heart and imbues all our relationships and our work, both inner and outer, and on all levels. We see nonviolence as an active, creative resistance to injustice requiring courage, integrity, humanity and a love of life. Our nonviolence is based on an absolute refusal to resort to violence and a determination to act in order to transform the conflict. As members of IWPS-Palestine we aim to work peacefully in all our relationships, at work in Palestine and at home.

We recognize that resistance takes many forms and we will work with any person or group who agrees to work with us nonviolently. Even when faced with violence, IWPS-Palestine is committed to exclusively nonviolent methods.

Specifically this includes:

Care for everyone involved: - we are working for justice and against violence; we wish no harm and seek a resolution that includes everyone.

Refusing to harm or degrade people: - since we believe that attitudes and practices of harming and degrading others are fuelling the conflict, we endeavour to practise an alternative approach that recognises and respects the humanity and dignity of everyone we come into contact with. We will make every effort to demonstrate respect for every individual we encounter, to encourage the humanity in ourselves and others. This means always seeing the other as human, seeing ourselves in others, understanding though not condoning behaviours with which we may disagree, and ultimately, expressing compassion for all.

Maintaining an awareness of when to intervene and when not to intervene:- since we know that passivity can support violence and that our actions are intended to transform conflict and also wish to do no harm, we seek to develop a sensitive awareness of the situation and of the consequences of our actions.

Carrying no weapons: - we do not carry weapons for protection, since we do not believe this is consistent with a nonviolent approach. Nor do we threaten anyone. Our understanding of nonviolence is that the methods used dictate the nature of the outcome. And we do not believe that justice and peace, or real security, can be achieved through violent means. We will not allow ourselves to be used as a shield for violence from others.

Not engaging in physical or verbal abuse: - we recognise that violence can find expression in verbal and psychological ways, as well as physical, and undertake to practise methods to eliminate these.

Working with everyone:- we are non-aligned and non-partisan and will not 'take sides' but will support any individual, group or organisation that resists nonviolently and asks for our support.

Undergoing nonviolence training: - all who work on IWPS projects are required to undergo nonviolence training and to practise nonviolent techniques. They are expected to refuse absolutely any approval of violent acts, whoever does them.

Environmental Policy

(Angie 5th July 2003)

All IWPS-Palestine LTVs and Vols are to be encouraged to live environmentally sustainable lives at all times — not just whilst working for IWPS-Palestine. There are some environmentally unsound practices that IWPS-Palestine engages in because there appears to be no other practicable alternative. For instance, we use aeroplanes for transport to and from Israel/Palestine. However, in these instances, we each try to offset the damage caused by making less use of aeroplanes at other times.

Timber, Paper, and Plastic

We will use recycled timber and paper whenever possible
We will re-use paper by printing on both sides and using waste paper as note-paper
We will shop using long-lasting bags rather than using new plastic and paper bags provided in the shops

Transport

We will use public forms of transport wherever possible
We will try to use non-oil based forms of transport like walking, bicycles, donkeys
We will try not to use environmentally damaging forms of transport like air-travel and when we have to will be aware of the air-miles we use and try to reduce overall mileage in our lives as a whole

Community Resources

We recognise that air, water and soil are both local and global resources that must be shared with future generations as well as present ones
We will reduce water wastage by using the minimum needed to maintain health and cleanliness and being aware of our use at all times (e.g. shower usage and reducing flushing of toilets)
We will endeavour not to pollute the water, air, or soil (e.g. being careful of our use of cleaning materials)
We will recycle our organic wastes into animal feed or compost
We will re-use plastic and glass and attempt to re-cycle where possible
We will endeavour to keep our own living space and local environment clean and safe

Energy

We will try and reduce the amount of fossil-fuel energy we use
We will encourage the use of solar energy and try and raise funds to enable us to use solar-powered equipment wherever possible

Food and Agriculture

We will encourage local, organic, sustainable farming practices by buying and eating locally produced organic produce, discouraging the consumption of imported foods wherever possible, and growing a few basic herbs for our own kitchen use to keep ourselves reminded of our environmental policies
We will continue to support local farming communities struggling to maintain their low-impact sustainable olive and sheep economy in the face of Israeli controlled, intensive, industrialized agriculture
We will help physically defend the natural environment by aiding and supporting nonviolent resistance to the destruction of olive groves and pollution of lands and water resources by settlers and the Israeli Defence Forces

Policy towards Palestinian Individuals and Groups

(Angie 22nd March 2004)

IWPS-Palestine supports the grass roots nonviolent resistance against the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and against the building of the Apartheid Wall.

IWPS-Palestine is non-aligned and non-partisan and will not 'take sides' but will support any individual, group or organisation that resists nonviolently and asks for their support.

IWPS-Palestine policy on nonviolence is:

'IWPS-Palestine supports nonviolent resistance to the Israeli occupation and uses nonviolent policy, practice and methods. Within the context of our work, members of IWPS-Palestine will make every effort to demonstrate respect for all individuals we encounter. We recognize that resistance takes many forms and we will work with any person or group who will work with us nonviolently. Even when faced with violence, we utilize exclusively nonviolent methods.'

IWPS-Palestine does not have any right nor would it wish to interfere in the right, under international law, of Palestinian people to conduct an armed resistance against the colonisation and occupation of their land. However, we will not take any part in such violence and IWPS-Palestine will only be involved in nonviolent resistance. This means that IWPS-Palestine will move away from any situation that involves them being seen as a protective shield for violence. Therefore even if only young boys are engaged in throwing stones IWPS-Palestine would leave the area as their presence might escalate the violence and retaliation.

IWPS-Palestine – being a women's organisation – will especially support any women asking for help in organising and resisting the Wall.

IWPS-Palestine recognises that Palestinian society is deeply traumatised by the effects of the Occupation and the building of the Wall, and especially by the killing and injuring of their people, the lack of freedom of movement and the continued stealing of their land and water. This trauma undoubtedly is exacerbating the differences between various political factions and divisions that are being exploited. We will therefore try to be evenhanded in our support for all groups, however marginalised or small.

IWPS-Palestine also recognises that internationals are few and far between and are perceived as having access to resources, power and protection that can be co-opted by others. We can therefore easily be used in power struggles that are going on. IWPS-Palestine therefore tries to make sure that everyone knows who IWPS-Palestine works with and in what way we work with them and to show that we are not aligned with any one particular grouping. IWPS-Palestine does not wish to cause more conflict and divisions with this policy. It is inevitable in our work that some people in each grouping will feel that we should not be working with another individual or grouping but we have to remain independent. If the time comes when we are told that we are creating more problems than we are helping to solve or support, then that will be the time to remove ourselves.

We also encourage openness and accountability and communication between everyone and will try to address disagreements and problems in an open and direct manner with the people involved rather than behind their backs. We also encourage groups to work with each other and to respect each other's work even if it not work they would do.

Resistance comes in many forms and everyone needs to be empowered to take action in their own way rather than being constrained by others who prefer to resist in another way.

IWPS-Palestine offers support where it is required, which support may be organisational support or the provision of a physical presence or financial support. This in no way implies that these persons or organisations are acting on behalf or for IWPS-Palestine, nor can these people act as spokespersons for IWPS-Palestine.

IWPS-Palestine will give out this policy document to all those with whom they work.

1.4 Working Groups

(Angie, November 2004)

Working groups are responsible for the implementation of the project's aims, objectives and policies, and for holding and updating the policies that are within their remit and making sure that they are sent out to the Core Organising Group and to all LTVs. The House Team should make sure that the policies are all easily accessible for all Vols in the house and the Personnel Group are responsible for making sure that the updated policies are all included in the Volunteers Arrival Pack that is sent to all Vols before their first arrival at the house in Haris. All Working Groups work by consensus, consult with all of the LTVs when necessary, and keep the whole team informed of their work at least every three months.

Reports or documents produced are in red. Email list serves or websites are in blue.

Finance Group

The Finance Group has overall responsibility and control over budget, finances, and fund-raising.

As of November 2004 current members are Angie, Barbara, Hannah and Karin.

Barbara is the Treasurer and keeps all receipts and bank statements of all accounts and produces monthly accounts and the yearly annual accounts. She also checks the other country accounts and keeps an overview of spending and budgets.

Personnel Group

The Personnel Group has overall responsibility for personnel recruitment, interviewing, training, orientation and support.

As of November 2004 current members are Angie, Carolyn, Karin, and Patricia.

Patricia is the current account (iwpsvolunteers@yahoo.co.uk) checker. This role is rotated within the group. She sends out the formal applications and letters of acceptance/ rejection, arranges interviewers and puts each new accepted volunteer in touch with the relevant House Team. Angie also updates the Volunteers Application Table, which contains details of all volunteers who have applied and how far along they are in their application procedure, and the Personnel Rota, which is a chart of all LTVs' and Vols' service dates, past and future. She also updates the IWPS-Palestine Personnel Table, which contains details of all accepted LTVs, Vols and those accepted but who have not yet served as Vols. She keeps a back up of all applications/interview notes/evaluations electronically and in hard copy at the UK office.

Outreach Sub-Group

This Working Sub-Group has been set up to implement the Outreach Policy of trying to increase the number of women of poor and working class backgrounds from the two-thirds world, including countries in Africa, Central & Latin America, Asia, and first nation/indigenous groups, which at present are underrepresented in IWPS-Palestine. The Outreach Sub-Group is responsible for recruiting, interviewing and accepting outreach volunteers, deciding which will get the limited scholarships available, planning the work programmes with the Vols and House Teams and providing any special support needed.

As of November 2004 current members are Kate, Nijmie and Dunya.

We have compiled a database of over 2,000 groups and individuals with emphasis on Asia, Africa, Latin America and indigenous movements all over the world. We circulated our call for volunteers to that list, which resulted in over 200 inquiries and over 60 applications from women from five continents.

Legal Support and Human Rights Group

The Legal Support Group will oversee IWPS-Palestine legal support and legal representation policies and keep an updated Record of IWPS-Palestine Legal Challenges/Experiences.

As of November 2004 current members are Amy and Dunya.

Kate will write the Crisis and Death Policy.

Alison and Amy co-ordinate the Human Rights work in a Sub-Group

Human Rights Sub-Group

The Human Rights Sub-Group checks all the arrest and human rights reports for consistency and ensures the Human Rights Reports Database is kept updated and accurate. The Sub-Group also produces a Three Monthly Human Rights Summary and Annual Human Rights Summary which is sent out to Human Rights organizations and others. They also produce and update Guidelines for Writing Good Reports.

As of November 2004 current members are Alison and Amy.

Amy checks the Human Rights Reports Database.

Alison checks the way in which IWPS-Palestine gathers and uses its statistics on military activity at the Haris Roadblock and at the various checkpoints it monitors.

Communications Group

The Communications Group have overall responsibility for the Website, posting reports and information and keeping it updated as well as overseeing the work of the translators. They also improve and update the databases and list-serves making sure that the Human Rights Reports, House Articles and Press Releases are sent out to updated lists at the right time.

As of November 2004 current members are Kate and Ayesha.

Current translators are Ayesha - Arabic; Dorothee - French; Karin - German; Megumi – Japanese

Kate – has overall responsibility for the website.

Ayesha - has overall responsibility for maintaining our lines of communication through the use of email list serves, producing a set of criteria for inclusion and checking that everyone's details are updated. She circulates regular updated List of Addresses on the Team List Serve and List of Addresses on the Volunteers List Serve and also maintains the Arabic list serve.

Secretariat Group

The Secretariat Group provides administrative back up to the project as a whole and especially to the House Team.

As of November 2004 current members are Angie and Karin.

Angie runs the UK based Central Office, maintaining archives of all reports, records, publications, and resources, maintaining telephone contact with the House Team when necessary. She oversees the production of the Annual Report and facilitates the various Sub-Groups of this Working Group.

Karin provides local in-country administrative back-up, telephone advice and visits when necessary.

Resource Subgroup

The Resource Sub-Group checks PowerPoint presentations, videos, audio tapes and other educational/outreach resources produced by IWPS-Palestine for consistency with the aims, objectives and policies of IWPS-Palestine. They do not interfere with content or style outside of this remit.

As of November 2004 current members are Amy, Angie, Kate and Patricia.

Relationships Subgroup

The Relationships Sub-Group oversees policies and working relationships with other groups with whom IWPS-Palestine works.

As of November 2004 current members are:- Alison, Ayesha, and Dorothee.

As of November 2004, organizations with which IWPS coordinates activities include:

Alternative Information Center (AIC)
Civil Campaign for the Protection of the Palestinian People (CCIPPP)
Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI)
Flowers against the Occupation
International Solidarity Movement (ISM)
International Committee for Solidarity with the Palestinian People (ISCPP)
Medecins Sans Frontier (MSF)
Rabbis for Human Rights (RHR)
Red Cross
Stop the Wall Campaign
Ta´ayush
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Women against the Wall
MachsomWatch
Salfit Popular Committee Against the Wall
Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC)

Advisors and Evaluation Sub-Group

The Advisors and Evaluation Sub-Group liaises with our current set of international advisors and with local partners and hosts to seek feedback and evaluation on the project and to facilitate positive change in working practices where necessary.

As of November 2004 current members are Angie and Kate.

Annual Team Meeting Subgroup

The Annual Team Meeting Sub-Group arranges the dates, venue, finance, training and agenda for each annual gathering. All LTVs are expected to help contribute to the agenda.

As of December 2004 current members for 2005 are Marie-Jo, Nijmie, Marlous and Kate.

Projects Group

The Projects Group consists of various autonomous Sub-Groups.

Neighbor-To-Neighbor Subgoup

The Neighbour-to-Neighbour Sub-Group oversees the Mikarov (which means Neighbour to Neighbour in Hebrew) project keeping it in line with general IWPS-Palestine policy and ensuring its viability and producing a Yearly Progress Report of this IWPS-Palestine project.

As of November 2004 current members are Dorothee, Dunya, Kate and Karin.

Olive Subgroup

The Olive Sub-Group checks that the recruitment of volunteers and overall process for providing the Olive Harvest support to the Salfit villages is undertaken. The group also produces an Annual Evaluation Report on the Olive Harvest. The Sub-Group also helps facilitate and network groups to help in the export of Palestinian olive oil.

As of November 2004 current group member is Karin with UK based support from Cathi and Maggie.

Women's Subgroup

The Women's Sub-Group provides support for the work of the Biddia-based Women against the Wall and Flowers against the Wall groups, helping with encouragement, fund-raising, reporting and outreach.

As of November 2004 current group members are Nijmie, Kate and Barbara.

2 IWPS-Palestine Operations Manual

2.1 Introduction

This section provides information and advice needed in undertaking various tasks carried out by IWPS-Palestine members in Palestine.

2.2 Dealing with Army and Police

(Kate, November 26, 2002)

As our nonviolence guidelines state, we respect all human beings as individuals and make a clear distinction between the person and the groups or institutions to which he or she belongs. We will behave in a manner that allows individuals to behave in a humane manner regardless of their "orders." At the same time, we must take care that responding to the human in our adversaries cannot be mistaken for consent to their inhumane actions.

IWPS-Palestine believes that the Israeli military has no legitimate purpose in Palestine. The occupation of Palestine is illegal under United Nations Resolution 242, and transfer of civilian population into occupied territory is forbidden under the 4th Geneva Convention to which Israel is a signatory. While the Oslo Accords give Israel the "right" to control security in Areas B and C, which comprise most of Salfit, those Accords also contained timetables for Israeli withdrawal from Palestine that have been completely ignored, and the whole of the Oslo Accords were ultimately renounced by the Sharon government. Therefore, those Accords can no longer be used, if they ever could, to justify continued Israeli military presence in Palestine.

On this basis, it is IWPS-Palestine's position that we should never ask the Israeli military for permission to do anything in Palestine. When asked by Palestinians, we will negotiate with the Army to curtail interference with the rights of Palestinians (by soldiers and/or settlers), though as much as possible we will try to facilitate Palestinians presenting their own demands. It is our position that we do not need to inform the Army in advance of our activities or those of Palestinians, and will only do so if specifically asked by Palestinians and we can see no alternative.

The Israeli police are in Palestine only because of the presence of settlers in illegal colonies. While it may be necessary to demand that they control dangerous behavior of individual settlers or actions by the military which violate Israeli or international law, we need to remember that they themselves are breaking the law by working in Palestine on behalf of settlers. We will not approach them for anything which can be handled by Palestinian authorities, nor will we ask permission for Palestinians to do things which are their right, such as enter a settlement to access their land. We will, again if asked by Palestinians, help Palestinians demand cooperation from the police and act to facilitate Palestinians being able to pursue justice through all available channels.

We will keep conversation with soldiers and police as brief and businesslike as possible, and take care to be both visible and audible to Palestinians in the area. Our standard practice will be to call general office numbers, not individual personal numbers for Army personnel. In a situation where lives are in danger, we will call any available numbers.

Safety Guidelines for IWPS-Palestine Intervention with Military

Move slowly

Take a moment to gather and check in together to be on the same page with everyone involved/available to respond

Assume IDF is willing to use lethal force against internationals

Have security as a constant topic at team meetings

Witness/monitor/document/negotiate instead of being a shield/victim?

Settlers – IDF – different strategy?

Call DCO/IDF
Work/link with Medecins Sans Frontier (MSF) + other international organizations
Stand behind or beside clash
Cultivate relationships with embassies and EU

We do not let 'wanted' people into our house (unless they are IWPS-Palestine Personnel) but do offer to stay with the person outside or to accompany them elsewhere if they have somewhere to go. We will always help with emergency medical aid, whoever needs the aid.

Tear gas, sound bombs, rubber-coated and live bullets

(Donia, November 2004)

Working with IWPS does involve nonviolent direct-actions and a certain amount of physical danger that needs to be considered. IWPS will not force you to do anything you do not wish to do, but in the process of your work in Palestine, a tear-gas canister may explode next to you, or a sound-bomb may go off close to you. You are in a war zone and some of the tips below, if you don’t already know them, may be useful knowledge.

The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) use a powerful tear-gas in the sense that it can easily blind you temporarily, lead you to believe that you are no longer breathing and confuse you to the point where you stop demonstrating and resisting peacefully---that is the goal. Come prepared with a bandana soaked with strong perfume or rubbing-alcohol ready to cover your face, and an open onion can also be helpful to breather through. Don’t put vaseline, mineral oil or oil-based substances on your skin as they can trap chemicals. Also, do not wear contact lenses as these can also trap chemicals underneath them. As with most things, one can easily get used to tear-gas and this is to be avoided. Most tear-gas victims became ill due to the accumulation of tear-gas in their bodies.

When you see the soldiers about to shoot tear-gas or anything else for that matter, try to get your bearings and a couple of exit plans. In demos, you will deal with two landscapes, the rural and the urban, but most often we protest in rural areas as we focus on the Salfit region. In the villages, you have more protection from the army and more places to run to and regroup. Moreover, the soldiers will most likely stay in their jeeps and not necessarily pursue you in the olive groves. If you have time, try to follow the trajectory of the tear-gas canister in the sky to know where it will land and note the direction of the wind, making sure that you step aside and upwind if at all possible.

Sound-bombs you can’t really foresee but they are more shocking than harmful. If you can block your ears and bend down a bit, the sound goes off immediately.

Last but not least, the bullets which range from rubber-coated to live. You will most likely deal with the rubber-coated bullets more often than the live ones, but they are also quite harmful. First of all they do not bounce! Indeed the rubber-coating is too thin! And one can kill you if it hits you in the head. In short, when bullets are shot, get out of harm’s way as soon as humanly possible. Palestinians usually can hear the difference between a rubber-bullet shot and a live bullet gunshot, trust them as they will warn you ahead of time.

Dealing with Areas Subject to Palestinian Violence

(Angie, April, 2004)

1) We have several roles and it is useful to remember which role we are mainly working in although there may be overlap:-

a) Support of nonviolent resistance

b) Nonviolent intervention

c) Human rights monitoring

2) When there is a nonviolent confrontation with the army when they are doing something wrong, e.g. uprooting an ancient tree, then we can stand with Palestinians, resisting with them.

3) If called to a nonviolent demonstration we are part of that demonstration, supporting them and recording it.

4) In a situation of night incursions by the army, where we have no idea if there are weapons, and where we may be getting our information mainly through one English speaker, and we do not have all the information, then our role is as international observers, not interfering in the process unless there are obvious human rights violations when we will intervene to remind soldiers of humanitarian law.

5) Wherever possible, we should be facilitating a dialogue between Palestinians and the army, enabling the Palestinians to present their own questions and demands. There will however be occasions where we have to be involved in face-to-face discussions/dialogue as international observers.

6) IWPS members do not wish to be invited into any house where there are weapons. If we find that there are weapons in the house, then we will remove ourselves from that place. If there is no place in the village not involved with armed resistance or stone throwing, then we will not have a presence in the village and will leave as soon as possible. Our role is to support nonviolent resistance and we do not wish to be supporting an armed resistance.

7) When involved in monitoring work as opposed to being a part of a nonviolent demonstration then we can be present, to one side, away from the crowd, observing, asking both Palestinian people and the IDF or settlers for their testimony. IWPS will write up both the Palestinian and Israeli version of events, plus their own observations, into their reports.

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IWPS Manual

1 IWPS-Palestine Organization

1.1 Background