Internship in israel & palestine

DATES: May 29 - July 28, 2010

PROGRAM COST: $7995--please see the last paragraph under "Program Details" for what this cost covers.

6-9 UNDERGRADUATE CREDITS across the following disciplines:

History 461 Arab-Israeli Conflict
Global Affairs 495 Internship
Government 480 Internship
Conflict Analysis 399 Special Topics

6 GRADUATE CREDITS across the following disciplines:

Government 794 Internship
History 794 Internship
Conflict Analysis 694 Internship
Conflict Analysis 695 Selected Topics

CONTACT: Sarah Mournighan via email by clicking on her name or call her right now at 703.993.2106

Apply online by March 19, 2010!

From an alumni of the 1991 program:

I just wanted to let you know that, with the 20th anniversary of the fall of the wall, I’ve been thinking a lot about our trip and what an amazing experience it was.

I am living in Geneva now, two years into a five-year posting as a U.S. diplomat and negotiator at the World Trade Organization. What really struck me over the past 2 weeks, and finally prompted me to write, was the fact that so many retrospectives emphasized so heavily the role of Günter Schabowski as the physical lynchpin for everything that transpired that night.  I am so grateful that we had the chance to intersect with history and meet with him. I do remember having our bus drive him back to his bleak neighborhood following our meeting, and I still remember him slowly walking away as we drove off.  It was my most vivid memory of that portion of the trip, actually, and now I am struck by how his historic role has been given context over the intervening years. 

I’ve probably said this before, but it is worth saying again – your program changed my life and fostered a curiosity about the world that still helps define me today. If even a small portion of the students who go on these types of programs today take away half as much as I did, you should consider yourself a very successful teacher.  Thank you.

This program was also recently featured in Northern Virginia Magazine.

Worried about financing your internship abroad? Scholarships are available. Click here to learn more!

This intensive 9 week program begins with a week-long seminar in Jerusalem where leading Israeli and Palestinian experts, representatives of various Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), peace activists, private sector and government officials will address the group and share their perspectives on the dynamics of Israeli-Palestinian relations.

Numerous site visits will also be made to settlements in the territories, refugee camps, government offices, and cultural
institutions. For the remaining eight weeks, students work for four/five days per week--eight hours a day in either the Palestinian territories--Ramallah, Bethlehem--or Israel--Jerusalem, Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Nazareth, and other locations. The internships will be related to conflict resolution, politics, international relations or business and finance in Israel and Palestine. Students will receive 6-9 credits.

The program concludes with a 4-day trip to Jordan, including the Dead Sea, Amman, and Petra, named as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

ELIGIBILITY
The program is open to George Mason University and non-Mason graduate and undergraduate students. Mason staff, faculty, and alumni, as well as the general public are also eligible. To obtain credit, you need at least an overall cumulative 2.25 GPA.

In addition to the online application all applicants must submit:

500 word statement of purpose, which should include the following information

• Why are you applying to the program?
• Previous coursework related to Israel and Palestine
• Previous travel in the region
• Academic, personal, and professional objectives
• Books you have read related to the program's theme(s)
  
  250 word Internship Statement
• Your relevant skills and professional experiences
• What type of internship are you looking for
• Whether you would like to work in Israel or the Palestinian Territories
  
  Current Resume
  One Letter of Reference

While CGE cannot guarentee that a student will be able to intern at a particular organization, we will do our best to place students in their preferred internship placement. This is a list of the placements for the 2009 Summer Program participants. These are not guaranteed placements for future interns, but instead a list of past placements to give students an idea of the type of internships available:

Jerusalem
Israeli Institute for Democracy
The Legal Forum for the Land of Israel
Interfaith Dialogue
Rabbis for Human Rights
Palestine-Israel Journal
The Mizrahi Democratic Rainbow-New Discourse
The Knesset
The Israel Policy Center

Tel Aviv
Amnesty International - Israel Section
Ashoka
The Geneva Initiative
Green Action
The Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African StudiesThe Peres Center for Peace
Tamir Fishman Asset Management
Windows for Peace

Ramallah
Panorama
Palestinian Authority Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Palestinian Legislative Council
CARE

Nazareth
Ahali
Arab Association for Human Rights
The Arab Cultural Association

Bethlehem
Al Rowwad Cultural and Theatre Training Center
The Center for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation

Other Locations
Towns Association for Environmental Quality -- Sakhnin
Mossawa Center - The Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens in Israel - Haifa
Israel-Jordan Chamber of Commerce - Netaniya
The Regional Council for the Unrecognized Villages in the Negev - Beer-Sheva
Golan for Development of the Arab Villages - Golan Heights
Neve Shalom - Wahat Al-Salam (Oasis of Peace)
Center for Holy Land Studies - Beit Sahour, Palestine
The League for the Arabs of Jaffa - Jaffa
Anera: American Near East Refugee Aid - Al Bireh
The Abraham Fund Initiatives - Neve Ilan

The Program Cost includes

Housing and Board

• all accomodations during 6 week internship (apartments, homestays, or hotels depending on internship location)
• 10 days in tourist class hotel (half board) in Jerusalem during orientation
• 3 nights in deluxe class hotels (half board) at the end of the program

6-9 Credits of Tuition

Excursions

• various sites in Israel and the West Bank during the seminar
• Petra, Jordan, the Dead Sea, and Amman at the program's conclusion
  
  Other Expenses
• Visa fees to Jordan
• ground transportation to and from academic-related sites during the seminar
• a mandatory Pre-departure orientation
• emergency evacuation and repatriation insurance
• International Student ID Card.

Airfare
Tel Aviv to Amman

The program cost does not include roundtrip international airfare to Tel Aviv and from Amman, food during the internship, daily transportation to and from internships, or optional excursions on weekends.

PLEASE NOTE: Interviews will be held here at Mason and at American University. For out of town students, a phone interview will be arranged.

*CGE reserves the right to make changes to a program in light of currency fluctuations, changing security and safety conditions, or any other unforeseen circumstances.