Palestinian Citizens of Israel Application

APPLICATIONS FOR 2013 ARE NOW CLOSED.

Applications will be accepted from December 1, 2012 – February 15, 2013. A non-refundable fee of $400 is due immediately if accepted, with the remainder program fee due at the June Orientation. This fee may be reduced in the case of financial need. Requests for financial assistance should be made directly to the Executive Director via email at jkanak@handsofpeace.org at time of acceptance into the program. Participants must be available for all program activities each day of the program.

Please save a copy of your completed application and your essay on your own computer in case there is a problem with the online submission.

Dear Applicant,

We are excited that you are planning to apply for the Hands of Peace Summer Program, which will take place July 5 - July 22, 2013 in the northern suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Hands of Peace was started in 2002 by three Chicago area women, one Christian, one Jewish and one Muslim. These three founders shared a vision to spread cultural understanding and encourage teenagers of different faiths to work together toward peaceful coexistence within their communities and around the world. With the support and sponsorship of the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities of the Chicago area, Hands of Peace has welcomed youth from the Middle East since 2003 to participate in a dialogue-based coexistence program along with American teenagers.

As a participant of Hands of Peace, you would be the guest of a local family. They are thoroughly screened, and you would be carefully matched with them in order to provide the best experience possible. The Hands of Peace Summer Program includes facilitated dialogue sessions, attending different religious services, trying new foods, shopping, participating in teambuilding activities, sports, and seeing the sights of beautiful Chicago!

The following are requirements of attending the program:

Basic proficiency in English language.
Payment of $800 program fee. A $400 non-refundable payment is due at time of acceptance in order to proceed with program preparations. The remainder of the fee is due at the June Orientation. This fee may be reduced in the case of demonstrated financial need. Requests for financial assistance should be made directly to the Executive Director via email at jkanak@handsofpeace.org Acceptance into the program is not final until payment is received or payment arrangements are made. Any extra fees incurred by a change in the participant's plans will be the responsibility of the participant and his/her guardian.
A valid passport and visa for travel to the United States. The program fee does not cover any expenses associated with obtaining these necessary documents, but we do assist with the visa application process.
Parental permission indicated by signing program waiver form (collected at pre-program orientation in Jerusalem).

If accepted, you must travel with the HOP delegation according to the arrangements made for the group.

All successful candidates will be available for the entire Summer Program and for Alumni Club activities throughout the year.

To apply:

Complete the application form online. You must have a valid email address to apply. A confirmation email will be sent to this address after you submit your application online. If you do not receive a confirmation email within one week, please resubmit your application. You will be contacted for an interview within the next several months by a staff member. You must submit your application by February 15, 2013. Final notification of the program’s decision will occur by March 30, 2013.

Participant Information:

Last Name *

First Name *

Mailing Address *

City *

State *

Postal Code *

Mobile phone

Home phone *

Email address *

Date of Birth *

Month

Day

Year

Age today *

Current grade in school *

What school do you attend? *

Gender *

Male

Female

Religion *

Nationality/Ethnicity *

Where do you attend services (if applicable)?

Main languages spoken *

Have you participated in an interfaith, intercultural or peace program? *

Yes

If so, please describe:

Please describe your international travel experience, if any:

Mother's Information:

Last Name

First Name

Home address (if different than participant’s mailing address)

Mobile phone

Email address

Father's Information:

Last Name

First Name

Home address (if different than participant’s mailing address)

Mobile phone

Email address

Parental permission *

Yes

Please make sure your parents know that you are applying for Hands of Peace so they understand the program, the responsibilities and the fees involved. By checking “Yes” you are confirming that your parents know about the program, responsibilities and fees involved, and that they understand that any extra charges incurred due to a change in your plans would be their responsibility:

Emergency Contact Information:

Who should we contact in case of an emergency?

Name *

Relationship *

Phone *

Essays:

IMPORTANT: Please take your time and construct thoughtful and well-written essays. In writing your essays, please be aware that Hands of Peace seeks to recruit a group of youth with diverse political opinions. We are seeking a balance of perspectives, so please be completely honest when describing your political opinions.

1. Please write a brief paragraph explaining your interest in the Hands of Peace program. *

2. Please write a brief paragraph on how you could personally contribute to the program, and what would you hope to learn from the program. *

3. Please briefly describe what you think are some significant dates and events in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. How would you describe relations between Palestinian Citizens of Israel, Jewish Israelis and Palestinians today? *

4. Please write a brief paragraph on what you think individual Palestinian Citizens of Israel could do to contribute to the peace process? What could your government do? *

5. What do you think it will take to bring peace to the Middle East? *

Host family

If you are accepted into Hands of Peace, you will be hosted by an American family. Please answer the following questions honestly so we can best place you with a host family. Your responses to these questions will not be considered when deciding whether or not to accept your application. Please rank your preferences from 1-3 with regards to the religion of a host family, or choose “I have no preference.”

Christian

Jewish

Muslim

I have no preference

Do you have any medical conditions that Hands of Peace should be aware of? *

Yes

If so, please explain:

Ramadan

A portion of the Summer Program will take place during Ramadan. Will you be fasting during Ramadan? *

Yes

Do you smoke? *

Yes

Do you have any allergies? *

Yes

If so, please list:

Many American families have a dog, cat, or other household pet. Would you be comfortable staying in a home with pets? *

Yes

T-shirt:

Participants of HOP are provided with three shirts to wear during the program. Please mark what size you wear: *

Small

Medium

Large

Extra Large

What kind of sleeve length would you prefer: *

Short

Long

What best describes your current travel documents: *

I have a valid Israeli passport but not a US visa.

I have both a valid Israeli passport and a valid US visa that will be valid for the entire duration of the Hands of Peace Summer Program.

I have a US passport.

I have a passport from another country.

I do not have a passport but can obtain one as an Israeli citizen.

How did you hear about HOP?

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Palestinian Citizens of Israel Application