With the Participation of 100 Volunteers: Palestinian Youth Forum and BADIL Conduct a Voluntary Workday to Support Olive Farmers in Sinjil

(Bethlehem, 24/10/2026)

The Palestinian Youth Forum and BADIL - Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, in cooperation with the Municipality of Sinjil, carried out a field voluntary workday in the village of Sinjil – Ramallah, on 23 October 2026.

The voluntary day included the participation of 100 male and female volunteers from various cities across Mandatory Palestine, as part of an initiative launched to support Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest season under the slogan: "Just as the olive tree gives to you, it needs from you."

The broad participation in this workday served as an embodiment of community solidarity. Volunteers gathered to assist in harvesting olives and supporting farmers on their land, amidst the challenges they face during the season and the Israeli colonizers’ threats and attacks targeting agricultural lands, trees, and their owners.

This participation took place despite the difficulty of reaching the village, given multiple Israeli road obstacles and the numerous checkpoints obstructing the movement of citizens between Palestinian cities and towns. Despite these challenges, the volunteers managed to reach Sinjil and take part in the field work, emphasizing the vital importance of being present and standing in solidarity with farmers on their land, and reinforcing that such obstacles do not relieve the community of its responsibility to support the owners of the land.

This initiative falls within the efforts of the Palestinian Youth Forum and BADIL Center to revive the concept of "Al-Ouna" (traditional communal labor)—an authentic Palestinian heritage based on cooperation, collective action, and offering voluntary help.

The Palestinian olive season is not merely an agricultural period; rather, it is deeply tied to Palestinian cultural identity and collective memory, embodying an inherited bond between the people and their land that is renewed through the active participation of younger generations in its protection and care.

The initiative underscored the crucial role youth play in strengthening community solidarity and aiding farmers, translating values of belonging into tangible field action, especially under circumstances that restrict farmers' ability to access and work their land safely.

This workday is part of a series of voluntary activities organized by the initiative throughout the olive harvest season. The activities are set to continue in the village of Battir, Bethlehem Governorate, on November 6, featuring youth participation aimed at embedding the culture of Al-Ouna, while strengthening connection to the land and Palestinian heritage.