Volunteerism in Nonprofit Sector in Palestine

Synonyms

Nonprofit organization

Introduction

During its history, Palestine has passed through many historical and political stages that have affected their voluntary sector, also known as civil work. According to Harb (2003), civil work in Palestine was both formed and impacted during the following political stages. First, the Turkish Ottoman Empire (1517–1917) controlled Palestine for 400 years. Second, during the British Mandate (1918–1948), voluntary associations, political parties, and labor organizations were first established. Third, the period of 1948–1967 was marked by two wars. In 1948, the first Arab-Israeli war took place, and 77% of Palestine was occupied. In 1967, the second Arab-Israeli war took place and ended with the occupation of the rest of Palestine, i.e., the West Bank and Gaza. Voluntary work in this period, as it had taken place under the British Mandate, declined and voluntary work occurred in a secret manner with a political dimension. After 1967, voluntary...