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The Tent: The Negev Arab-Bedouin Volunteer Center
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The drastic transformation of the traditional Arab-Bedouin way of life that was forced on the community over the last decades has resulted in the breakdown of the old social system, including the collapse of traditional mutual obligations, community responsibility, and patterns of volunteerism (in Arabic – “Eluana”). Revitalization of traditional community values that meet the present-day needs of the Arab Bedouin community can help members of the community confront the problems and challenges it now faces. With this aim, we established "The Tent" – the Negev Arab-Bedouin Volunteer Center - in 2002.
The goal of "The Tent" is to foster active citizenship through the development of volunteerism and community self-help within the Negev Arab-Bedouin community. "The Tent" recruits volunteers from within the community, provides them with ongoing professional training and supervision, identifies community needs that can be met by volunteers, and matches volunteers and community frameworks, such as schools, service delivery organizations, community centers and voluntary associations. Under the supervision of specially trained coordinators, 350 - 400 Arab-Bedouin volunteers, and a small number of Jewish-Israeli volunteers and overseas students, drawn from high schools and universities and colleges, operate over 50 projects throughout the Arab Bedouin community.
Mr. Sliman Al Amur and Mr. Emad Milchem are the, Co-directors of The Tent.
Read evaluation research of NISPED-AJEEC volunteer tent here
Read about our joint Jewish-Arab volunteer program here.
Read about TALIYAH here.
Read about our other Tent projects here.
Read about our participation in Global Youth Service Day - 2008
Read about our participation in the Volunteer Conference Day - June 2008
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2009 Activities
Four-Hundred and Fifty Volunteers, Thousands of Beneficiaries - The Negev Arab-Bedouin Volunteer Center (The Tent) is Forging a New Civil Society
 This past year was particularly exciting with regard to our flagship Tent Program. Twenty-two Jewish and twenty-two Bedouin volunteers participated in the 2008-2009 Joint Jewish Arab Volunteer Year and 18 Arab-Bedouin volunteers participated in the TALIYAH Program.
During the 2008-2009 academic year 170 college students participated in the Student Volunteer Program conducting after-school educational and social enrichment programs for children and adolescents.
Two hundred tenth grade high-school student volunteers spend four hours weekly throughout the school year in a peer guidance program, Young Leaders for Change.
As Manal Abu Assa said "AJEEC has many projects but this one is special because it combines two groups of youth (Arab Bedouin and Jews) volunteering and talking together. I must say that this is definitely a year that I will never forget. The group was great and a smile of one of the kids we volunteered with is the best thanks we could get. I am proud to have had the opportunity to be in a group that is truly part of the solution".
During this past year TALIYAH participants volunteered in schools, well-baby clinics, and helped translate and complete forms at the National Insurance Institute. As Rufida Alatauna, a 19 year old TALIYAH participant states, "the volunteer year increased my awareness as to volunteerism and contributing to my community. To come to the same school that I studied at a few years ago and to see the same teachers who taught me and today, I am a volunteer helping children study and achieve is an indescribable feeling.
Student Volunteer Program:
During the 2008-2009 academic year 170 college students participated in the Student Volunteer Program conducting after-school educational and social enrichment programs for children and adolescents.
After an initial 56 hours of training (26 general, 30 program-specific) they conduct a range of weekly after-school enrichment, mentoring and support programs under the guidance of project coordinators, in the seven Bedouin townships and in five 'unrecognized' villages. This year's programs include After -school Learning Centers (combining scholastic with social activities for 3rd-6th graders); Non-violent Communication ( a peer group setting for 3rd-6th graders combining social activities, discussions, role play, etc.); Empowerment for Teenage Youth ( focused on leadership training, community involvement, acquisition of life skills, discussion of issues of concern to this age group, social activities and peer and adult support) and a training program for junior counselors.
Some 1,500 children and adolescents are participating in these programs.
"Young Leaders for Change"
Two hundred tenth grade high-school student volunteers spend four hours weekly throughout the school year in this peer guidance program, After an initial 30 hours of training, they collect, prepare and distribute information to their peers on rights and entitlements, study and training programs, provisions for children and youth with special needs and so forth, and organize workshops devoted to character building, civil society values such as active citizenship and volunteerism and leadership training. Several times during the year they organize school-wide or community-based educational events. Their activities reach an estimated 2,200 peers.
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