Community Milestone: 500 Volunteers Worldwide
Our volunteer network has crossed the 500 mark, spanning 42 countries. From translators to researchers, filmmakers to fundraisers — this community is the backbone of the project.
When we launched In the Shadow of Now, we hoped to build a community. What has emerged is something far more powerful than we anticipated: a global network of 500 volunteers spanning 42 countries, united by a shared belief that documentary storytelling can change how the world understands the Palestine-Israel conflict.
The numbers alone are remarkable. In less than six months, we have been joined by translators working across 14 languages, researchers with expertise in international law, Middle Eastern history, and conflict journalism, graphic designers and animators, filmmakers and editors, fundraisers and event organisers, and educators who see the series as a tool for their classrooms.
But the real story is not in the numbers. It is in the quality of the contributions and the depth of commitment these individuals bring. A retired BBC journalist in London has spent weeks compiling a timeline of media coverage that will inform our fact-checking process. A university student in Amman is translating Arabic-language primary sources that have never been available in English. A documentary editor in São Paulo has volunteered to assist with the rough cut of Part One.
"The volunteer network operates through our community portal, where contributors can sign up for specific tasks, join working groups, and participate in discussions about the project's direction. We have established clear workflows for different types of contribution — from quick tasks that take an hour to longer-term research projects that unfold over weeks."
The volunteer network operates through our community portal, where contributors can sign up for specific tasks, join working groups, and participate in discussions about the project's direction. We have established clear workflows for different types of contribution — from quick tasks that take an hour to longer-term research projects that unfold over weeks.
Quality control is built into every stage. All research contributions are reviewed by our core editorial team before being incorporated into the production. Translations are cross-checked by at least two independent translators. Creative contributions go through our standard review process. The goal is to harness the power of distributed collaboration without compromising the rigour that a project of this nature demands.
The geographic diversity of our volunteers is itself a statement about the universality of the story we are telling. Contributors from Palestine, Israel, the United Kingdom, the United States, Brazil, South Africa, Japan, Australia, and dozens of other countries are working side by side on a project that transcends national boundaries.
We are also seeing the emergence of local volunteer hubs — informal groups of contributors in the same city who meet regularly to coordinate their efforts. Hubs have formed in London, New York, Berlin, Melbourne, and Beirut, with more taking shape. These gatherings create a sense of community that complements the digital collaboration happening on our platform.
For those considering joining the volunteer network, the process is straightforward. Visit our Volunteer Hub page, select the areas where you would like to contribute, and our coordination team will match you with tasks that suit your skills and availability. Every contribution matters, and every volunteer is valued.
To those who have already joined: thank you. You are not just supporting a documentary — you are building a movement.
