Every April 24 is a painful day for millions of Armenians around the world. This includes Lebanese Armenians. The horrifying atrocities committed by the Ottoman empire are some of the most terrifying examples of how far humanity can disintegrate and how barbaric and inhuman people can be.
On the eve of this painful memory, we must not let the memory and struggle for recognition and global condemnation of the genocide wane. But Armenia is in the news this week for another reason: massive protests and sit-ins that have forced the prime minister accused of a shameless Putin-style power grab, has stepped down, admitting he was wrong and the opposition was right.
Writing the sentence above, I couldn’t help but notice how simple and relatively peaceful and quick the ruling parties there succumbed to will of their taxpayers. I also couldn’t help but think of how our own Lebanese governments handle outrage and protests by its own people, and how reptilian our own leaders have become, who have no shame and scuff at and snuff out any peaceful methods to demand change and kickstart progress in line with the will of the people.
Despite everything Armenia has been through in the past century, from the 1915 Armenian Genocide, culminating in the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, it is a functioning democracy today, and has showed the world that power-grabs by the right wing in some countries will be successfully resisted with peaceful, democratic means.
Lebanon’s past century hasn’t been much better, but the progress made in terms of a liberal democracy has been a disaster in comparison to Armenia’s.
For those of you not up to speed with what’s going on in Armenia, the ex-president Serzh Sargsyan had served the maximum 10 years allowed under Armenia’s term limits. Before stepping down, he changed the laws so that many of the president’s powers are moved to the prime minister’s. 11 days ago, he was appointed prime minister. This is almost exactly what Putin did: when his term limit came up, he became prime minister, they changed the law so he could run for president again, and now he’s president again.
Now, Sargsyan’s party still has the majority, and maybe him resigning after days of protests and sit-in, won’t mean that him and his party don’t stay in control, but he did step down, and a power grab was indeed averted. He even went as far as saying that he was “wrong” and then opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan was “right”.
Imagine if our prime minister had stepped down when the people were protesting the garbage crisis and its many related issues.
I promised I would endorse candidates and lists I feel will represent our view of how Lebanon should be, and where we hope to get to in the foreseeable future. My first endorsement was in Beirut’s 1st District, where I work and live. The main reason was because the majority of the list is from the Li Baladi political movement that I strongly identify with as a whole, but also as individuals such as Joumana Haddad, Yorgui Teyrouz, Gilbert Doumit, Laury Haytayan and Levon Telvizian.
In the Chouf-Aley district, I have decided that the “Madaniyya” list is the one that has my full confidence and endorsement. This is mainly due to the fact I know many of their candidates very well and they have earned my trust over the years. I have even worked with some of them on humanitarian and development issues in the past 5 years, such as Mark Daou and Maya Terro.
It’s also the list that refused to bow down to the Hillary-Bernie style of compromises that have made many independent lists just a refuge for rejected political party hopefuls, and ambitious newcomers that are untested and have shady origin stories.
I’ve been appalled to see statuses by allegedly independent activists lambasting Mark and his campaign, demanding they bow down and pull out for the sake of a “greater good” which upon closer inspection, is just petty ego-centric political squabbling more akin to our current politicians than the ones we hope to see replace them.
Below are a few key points of why Madaniyya has my trust, and why I encourage Chouf-Aley voters to award them their vote this elections on May 6, 2018. It would be good to watch the Megaphone quick-fire interview with Mark Daou, of the Madaniyya list.
As you can you see above, the Madaniyya list crosses off all the important points on my voting checklist. They want civil personal status laws, are with decriminalizing pot, abolishing Article 534 used against the LGBT community, doing away with the Kafala system that is basically modern slavery, and many more topics that are important for Lebanon’s progress into the 21st Century, and out of the Dark Ages the current ruling elite have kept us in.
1- They’re All Activists with Proven Records
The entire list is comprised of activists and human rights defenders, who worked in or started their own grassroots NGOs, or were part of international organizations like the UN.
Maya Terro is the founder of FoodBlessed, an amazing NGO combatting hunger across Lebanon. I know Maya from when we were both at AUB, and there are very few people I know who are as committed, selfless, kindhearted, resourceful and impactful as her. If I want anyone to represent me in parliament, it would be someone like Maya, who has proven she does what she does to better society and push us forward, not just push herself forward like all our current politicians.
Mark Daou is a person I met while in the field in 2012, where we were going to help out people on the verge of starvation, freezing and lack of medical care in the hinterlands of Arsal. After that, Mark and I became good friends and partners in fighting against the garbage government and its police state tactics against peaceful protesters. He’s taken me on tours of his home district too, and during that time, I realized how committed and in-tune with his constituents he was, and how he’s been working to represent them for years now. He is another candidate I want to represent me in parliament.
2- No Political Party Rejects Posing as Independents
One thing that really grinds my gears is how many candidates are posing as independents, when they are clearly still aligned or just freshly left their political parties who are complicit in putting Lebanon is such a disastrous state with their corruption and ineptitude. The good thing about the Madaniyya list, is none of them are or were affiliated to traditional political parties, like other independent lists in the region.
3- They Are Running Against 5 Minister, Including Environment Ministers
The incumbents running against them include 5 ministers, some of which were environment ministers during the dreadful garbage crisis. The ministers are running for elections, and using their executive position for the benefit of their campaigns, in a clear breach of public trust and mismanagement of public money. Let’s unseat the ministers that were part of disastrous cabinets like the garbage one of Salam, and the current one of Hariri.
4- Their Campaign is Solid, and Hasn’t Sunken to the Level of the Detractors
The vile attacks by self-proclaimed “independents” against the list, only made me surer of endorsing them. Especially when they didn’t sink down to the level of the fresh-out-of-political-parties posers. This is the kind of MPs we want, ones that won’t just curse and be children while Berri tries to shut them up in parliamentary sessions while they discuss hiking our taxes as they hike their lifetime salaries.
5- It’s About the People
From day 1, I said I will not endorse groups across the board, and will count on individual candidates who I think will do good in parliament, especially given the preferential vote which will determine who will get which seat, regardless of how well each list does. Madaniyya has the kind of people I want representing me, who are openly for progressive reforms and don’t try to hide them to woo partisan voters. They’re also tried and tested, and would make fine representatives of people like you and me in parliament.
Vote Madaniyya in Chouf-Aley!
Check out their website, it’s painstakingly specific and detailed and will answer any questions or concerns you might have.
Last week, I announced a series of posts that would highlight the work the European Union (EU) does in Lebanon. The first was about the EU’s help for Khaldieh, a rose farmer in Akkar’s Mechmech village. This week, we move from Lebanon’s North in Akkar, to Qabrikha in South Lebanon.
A constant and steady supply of electricity is still an elusive goal for most of Lebanon, where power cuts for long hours are part of our every day lives. Despite decades and billions poured into this sector, the problem persists.
That’s no longer the case in a village in Lebanon’s south though. Qabrikha is an example of how this power shortage can be solved, while decreasing our carbon footprint in the process. The picturesque southern village of Qabrikha now enjoys electricity 24 hours a day, 7 days a week thanks to a 250kWh solar farm built there.
The solar farm was funded by the EU, and executed by the UNDP in Lebanon. Smart meters were installed in more than 120 households in the village, with plans to supply all 550 homes from this green source of energy in the near future.
This solution to Lebanon’s chronic electric power shortage, is a perfect example of how communities in Lebanon and the EU can come together to find sustainable solutions to what many feel are unsolvable problems. Apart from the eco-friendly nature of the solution, residents benefiting from the new solar farm have cited a 30% decrease in their power bills.
I hope more and more villages, towns and cities in Lebanon follow the example set by Qabrikha, and embark on filling the power gap with renewable energy sources in a country with more than 300 days of sunshine a year.
The Chain Effect is an awesome Lebanese NGO whose mission is to cut down traffic and lessen our carbon footprint, by encouraging people to bike around the city instead of use their cars with often just a single rider. You might know their famous, gorgeous murals that are all around Beirut, such as in Mar Mikhael on Internazionale’s wall, and places like Ein El Mreisseh and Tabaris.
Last year, the first “Bike to Work” day was held, and this year, it’s bigger and better and happening next week on April 25, 2018. Below are 8 reasons why you should participate, whether you live in Beirut or commute to it for your work/university.
1- It’s Free
The following bike rental shops will offer you a bike for the day for FREE. No deposit, no nothing.
If you live too far to bike all the way to Beirut, no problem, there are 3 “park and ride” stations where you can park your car and get a free bike rental. You just need to put down a 10,000LL deposit which you will get back once you return the bike you rented. Below is a list of the shops in Beirut.
North Entrance: Facing Forum de Beyrouth (same space as Cirque du Liban)
To thank everyone ditching their cars to ride bikes on April 25, the below restaurants will offer snack and drinks when you show your Bike to Work ticket!
Urbanista Gemmayze Gouraud St Bliss St BDD Bachoura Kreitem Madame Curie St Downtown M1 Rafic Salloum St ABC Achrafieh
PAUL Arabia (with Juice Up) Gemmeyzeh Gouraud St Bliss St Zaitunay Bay Downtown Foche St ABC Achrafieh ABC Verdun
Cafe Younes Bliss/Omar Bin Abdel Aziz St Achrafieh Independence St Hamra Nehme Yafet St
Trek mountain bike from Bike Zone • Giant mountain bike from Beirut by Bike • Scott mountain bike from The Bike Kitchen • Willier mountain bike from BikeTec • $200 gift voucher from Bike Generation • 5 Coffee packs from Café Younes
5- No Traffic
This reason is enough for me, in Beirut’s never-ending, always-frustrating bottleneck traffic jams.
6- No Traffic Fines
Many of us get fined, for what the cops do on a regular, non-emergency basis. One day you can park somewhere, the next you get a fine. You won’t have that problem with a bike.
7- Bike Lanes and Priority by the Police
Special bike lanes will be designated for the day, and the ISF will give priority to bikers on April 25 over motorists, so don’t worry about not fitting on the roads, the cops will help make sure you do.
8- Universities Are Pitching In
When I was an AUB student, parking was more valuable than gold. So, I’m happy to see AUB, ESA, BAU, ALBA and LAU pitch in this year. LAU went one step ahead and its parking will be closed on the day of the event to cars, only bikes will be allowed!
X- Less Pollution
Other than the other awesome reasons, the most obvious one is less pollution on that day. That black cloud of smog that covers Beirut every day, is mostly due to all the cars (and moteurs el 7ay), so when you ditch your car for a bike, you can take in a breath of air that is slightly fresher, and help decrease the massive amounts of damage done each day to our environment in this country.
I’ve been clubbing for years and it’s been exciting seeing the scene transform from the VIP/VVIP/VVVIP days, to what it is today: a place where many communities and subcultures meet to dance, talk and enjoy their weekends.
What’s even more exciting for me, is how amazing our local, homegrown talents are, and how their sound and style is replacing the mainstream music many folks have gotten used to for far too long.
That’s why I loved the new “Lebanon Remixed” project by Smirnoff. The idea is to team up with the fantastic singer and songwriter Blu Fiefer along with underground sweetheart on the 1’s and 2’s: Jana Saleh, and use Beirut’s different nightlife scenes as open-air studios to mine organic party people sounds to create an original track.
Smirnoff’s Lebanon Remixed already set up shop in Mar Mikhael on April 14th, and this Saturday, they’re going to be at The Garten and their last stop will be an intimate house party somewhere in Beirut. The sounds recorded will be what the song gets made of, with none of the sounds used being synthetic, just 100% party people being awesome and having a good time.
It’s nice to see them include different scenes and crowds, making it more inclusive and expressive, just like you guys and gals when you go out to dance. I personally can’t wait to see what Blu Fiefer and Jana Saleh are going to come up with.
I don’t know about you guys, but I’m gonna be at The Garten this Saturday to make sure my voice shouting is heard in the recordings that will be transformed into the final song.
Unfortunately, the judiciary in Lebanon has been making this law almost impossible to enforce, with a big chunk of Lebanese judges not even aware of its existence. 43% admitted they never refer drug users to the addiction committee. This is unacceptable, and must change ASAP, because the lives ruined and the grief and suffering people that only “appear” to use drugs go through, is far worse than what a rapist or murderer goes through in this country.
The first step is always knowing your rights. Don’t let this 420 be a nightmare for you and your loved ones. Also, since this year is very close to the elections, the witch hunt is ramping up, so that candidates can give you wastas in exchange for your votes. Be safe and here’s to hoping the next 420 will see marijuana use decriminalized in Lebanon!
The European Union and Lebanon have been partners in countless projects long before the refugee crisis, and even since, many of the EU’s projects focus on Lebanese host communities as well, not just Syrian refugees.
In the next few days, I’ll be sharing with you amazing stories about the work the EU is doing with Lebanese communities across the country. This week, we start off with an amazing woman, Khaldieh Hussein Khalil, a rose farmer in the Akkar village of Mechmech. Watch the video below:
Working in the NGO world, I’m well aware of the positive, but sometimes unsung impact that the EU has on Lebanon, from our most rural towns, to the hearts of our biggest cities. Sadly, many people try to paint a picture that sows discord and mistrust between Syrian refugees and their Lebanese host communities. I hope this series of posts will help you better understand the breadth, longevity and diversity of the EU’s programs in Lebanon, how you can help and how vulnerable people in your communities can benefit from the longstanding partnership between Lebanon and the EU.
Those who have been involved in these projects for years, know that the relationship between Lebanon and the EU is a historic one that has never wavered, and hopefully never will, and that the EU sees Lebanon the same way many of its citizens do: a beacon of peace, stability and tolerance in a turbulent region of the world, a stone’s throw away from Europe.
I know many of you might not want to vote. The polls I’m running on my Instagram page and the blog’s Facebook page consistently show that 30 to 40% do not wish to go to the ballot boxes on May 6.
This is troubling for me, because the less voters go out and vote, the more secure the current ruling class’ seats are. You have no excuse not to go vote, if not for someone you truly believe in and respect, at least to derail the political parties’ dreams of staying in power forever, and leaving it to their offspring when they’re too old or about to die.
Forget Blank Ballots
Every empty ballot is one extra vote that makes it harder for independents to secure seats, and easier for the ruling politicians to extend their reign of garbage and darkness further. So, the easy excuse of voting blank, is actually helping the ruling elite in this election, not a protest vote.
That’s why you need to do your research in your districts, and see who your best options are. I will also be helping you make your decisions, based on the below points.
Forget Big Meaningless Titles
Independence, freedom, anti-corruption and all the other drivel on the disgusting political ads littering the airwaves and streets, are meaningless. We all know they are all stooges of Iran or Saudi Arabia, that they are all corrupt, and that none of them actually supports freedom and human rights.
The problem with issues such as electricity, decent Internet and proper infrastructure, is that they are all allegedly for such reforms, but their past 30 years in power, shows that will never change as long as they are ruling us against our will.
Here, we have to make our decisions based on things that are much more easily fixable, if we put enough pressure. They don’t need billions of dollars and decades to implement. It takes a couple of signatures and the necessary political will. That’s at least how I’m making my decisions, and below are a few of the points I care most about that are pragmatic goals that we can see as soon as they get into parliament.
Pot Decriminalization
It’s unbelievable that over 3000 young people are arrested every year for a victimless crime, just so a handful of people can get bribed to sweep it under the rug. When the rest of the civilized world is moving way from criminalizing marijuana, it remains one of the only things the security forces here enforce with zero compromise, and often overreaching beyond their jurisdiction and legal rights.
If I’m going to support a campaign, it needs to commit to actually applying the law, and treating drug enforcement as a health issue, not a criminal one. In other words, I don’t want it legal, where you walk into a coffee shop like in Amsterdam. All I’m asking for is that no one ever steps foot in a sub-human jail cell for weeks and months, for absolutely no good reason. It’s basically the current law, where users are immediately referred to the addictions committee and go home, not rot in jail with suspected terrorists, rapists and murderers.
Freedom of Speech
They all claim they are for freedom of expression, but their behavior indicates otherwise. For a campaign to earn my support, they need to be explicitly committed to freedom of speech, online and offline. The age where social media users go to jail for a status or a tweet, needs to end, once and for all.
They might own most of the TVs, radios and newspapers, but they will never own our personal pages on the Internet, and the fact they’re trying to, goes to show you how disgusting and malicious they are.
Civil Status Laws and Civil Marriage
When addressing personal status laws, the current ruling parties always treat it like some unattainable goal that we might be able to reach in the very distant future. No. It’s something we can do now.
Enough archaic, religious courts that decide who can get married, divorced, custody and inheritance. Enough domestic violence that is OKed thanks to ancient laws belong in 1018 not 2018, laws that religious authorities will never update.
I understand that the violent, religious conservatives will have a seizure if women have equal rights, and they prefer the current status quo, so I’m willing to accept civil marriage remain “optional” at first, till the benefits of a secular set of personal status laws proves it’s exponentially better for everyone, even conservatives.
Plus, most of the progressive people who will not submit to dark age laws, are going to Cyprus, Greece and elsewhere to get a civil marriage. Why do we need to go abroad to get married? We should have that option (I’d prefer it be mandatory to protect those that need civil status laws the most) right here at home. Not all of us can afford offshore weddings on islands in better parts of the Mediterranean…
That way, we move large strides towards gender equality, ensure that no minors are forced to marry while underage and encourage people of different sects to marry each other out of love, instead of just someone from the same sect to make their teta happy.
LGBT Rights
The fact that someone can still ostensibly be arrested for being gay, lesbian, bi, trans or queer, is unacceptable. We might be a long way from same sex marriages, but we must surely be closer to that, than eggs being shoved up rectums to “test” for homosexuality. Luckily, this hasn’t happened recently, and wise and prudent judges have exonerated defendants accused of this non-crime. However, the fact that our brothers and sisters in the LGBTQ community still face a threat of arrest, torture and humiliation, needs to stop once and for all.
Removing Article 534 from the Lebanese penal code must be part of a campaign’s plan if they expect to get my support.
Member of Parliament Salaries for Life and Beyond
All these disgusting political parties talk about fighting corruption, when they get their salaries long after their terms expire, and even after they expire and die, passing it on to their families. They do that while they hike taxes on us.
If a campaign wants my support, I expect them to fix this immediately, and ensure no one gets a salary for life. They’re 4-year-term members of parliament, not life-appointees to the US Supreme Court. Khlosna ba2a.
I Could Go On
But these topics are ones I see an easy fix for, and will better the lives of thousands and hundreds of thousands of Lebanese people almost overnight. Everyone wants to get us 24/7 electricity, or at least claims to. The issues that should make you decide who to vote for, need to be more specific and quicker to implement and easy to hold the candidates accountable if they don’t fulfil their campaign promises.
Of course, we still expect to see their plans for the economy, infrastructure and overall reform-minded legislation, just don’t dismiss the above, because they will have the impact we feel most and in the very near future hopefully.
I know I’m guilty of being too Techno-biased, but every now and then I’ll see what Beirut’s other scenes are up to and share what’s good. Light FM are teaming up with Beirut Jam Sessions to fly in Jalen N’Gonda for a night of Soul at Garden State. Music like Jalen’s “nu-soul” approach is one of the reasons so many folks tune into Light FM to make the hours of stuck in traffic enjoyable.
It’s our dearest Rolbac’s birthday this Friday, and he’s been cooking up a surreal live set for the occasion. Friday Night Live at Reunion will feature Rolbac’s super special live set, and Sven Weisemann and Eli spinning killer sets.
It’s a list-only event though, so make you sign up here.
The Garten’s second weekend this season is an absolute massive one, with three insane headliners for a night that will be broadcast LIVE on BE-AT.TV!
I’m personally extremely excited about Acid Pauli’s long-awaited comeback to Beirut. This man’s presence at KaterBlau’s “Kiosk” stage was what made Sunday nights and Monday mornings there so magical. I can’t wait to see him at The Garten.
Satori needs not introduction. He’s arguably one of Beirut’s absolute favorite acts. He’s at The Garten this Saturday, along with Acid Pauli. Collé will also be joining in, making it a powerful three punches for another awesome night at The Garten.
Alex Niggemann will be coming back to The Grand Factory this Saturday, and this time, Denis Horvat is coming along too. Niggemann needs no introduction to Beirut’s clubbing fanatics, and his set at C U NXT YEAR a couple years ago still is my favorite, and a close second is definitely his showcase at Watergate in Berlin. Who else can’t wait for a Materium nod by Alex? AEON showcase promises to be another epic C U NXT SAT at The Grand Factory.
I fucking adore Paula Temple. Her Awakenings set last year is one I don’t remove from my SoundCloud likes, so I’ve embedded it below. CLOSR are teaming up with VOID to bring Paula Temple’s uncompromising, hard-hitting beautiful Techno, supported by Hasan Awada, Hage and Renata for a night that makes Techno fiends like me really giddy.
Chronicles is back to B018 this Saturday, with Anthon, Schidz, Ziad Ghosn and Three Machines. Personally, I fucking miss the fuck out of Three Machines, so I’m definitely excited about that, and yet another Chronicles special setup at our beloved B0.
If you’re somehow still not partied out on Sunday, then good news: CLOSR are beginning their string of open-air parties for the summer with Fur Coat at Zaarour Club this Sunday starting 11AM and wrapping up at 8PM. Ronin, Rolbac, Claudia Solo and Joe Saikaly will be on the decks too.
It’s getting really close to the elections, and a hectic party schedule is no excuse not to participate in the politics of our daily lives. People dismiss us as just wasting time and being asleep when it’s time to go vote, and we both know that couldn’t be farther from the truth. So, come to LiBaladi’s weekly “Ahadees Beirut” that I had the pleasure of being part before talking about censorship and free speech in Lebanon.
This Thursday, we’re gonna be talking about The Lebanese Civil War on its anniversary, what we want to remember, what we want to forget, to build as a new generation, to plan for a better future out of the ashes of the memory of the civil war.
This morning, the Live Love Recycle app jumped to #1 in productivity on Google Play in Lebanon.
What is it?
Live Love Recycle is a new initiative by my dear friends at Live Love Beirut to help counter the garbage crisis in Lebanon that our government is unwilling and incapable of solving years into the garbage crisis that has drowned our gorgeous seas, mountains and valleys with untreated garbage.
Using the app, you can request a free pickup from your homes a maximum of twice a month, two bags each. The sorted bags will then be taken to Arc en Ciel to be recycled by one of the bikes you see below!
This is an amazing example of going against the powers that be, to prove that problems have solutions, unlike what the government and its institutions, who did not help at all with this program, try to tell us.
Why this matters
The people driving the electrical bikes are all folks who are under the poverty line in Lebanon, and if someone wants to join the team, they still can, just get in touch with the Live Love team! This means that people who need jobs the most are getting them, and the gathering process produces zero emissions, since the bikes use no fossil fuels.
Apart from the bikers, 20 women have also been hired to cook meals for the teams, making this initiative gender-balanced and maximizing the amount of jobs created for the most vulnerable people in Lebanon.
How to expand
At the moment, the capacity of the Live Love Recycle initiative is around 10 tons of recyclable waste a day, which is not nearly enough to cover the thousands of tons of garbage Beirut produces every single day. However, it’s a start, and the project can easily be scalable both in Beirut and beyond.
MARCH, the NGO I work at is already in talks with the Live Love Team to figure out what we can do in Tripoli’s Beb El Tebbeneh and Jabal Mohsen, and I urge everyone who is interested in helping to get in touch with Live Love Recycle and figure out what can be done, especially municipalities that are still unable to find solutions to their treatable waste.
As parties waste time and create more garbage with their campaigns
During elections time, when all political parties are busy polluting our eyesight and airwaves with their stupid, meaningless campaigns, it’s good to see NGOs (which some disgusting “new” political parties want to cut foreign funding from) step up and find sustainable solutions to this disastrous calamity we have been facing since 2015, and even decades before that.
There are always solutions, and waiting around for the government hasn’t helped, it just expanded their plans to steal taxpayer money to dump our untreated garbage into our already inaccessible sea.
No more excuses
You no longer have excuses to not recycle. Other initiatives might charge you to pick up your sorted recyclables, this one does not. Twice a month, two large bags is the current capacity, and that’s a great start. Download the app today, start sorting in your homes or offices or classes, and request a pick up every two weeks. All the recyclables will go to Arc En Ciel who will recycle them and use the money generated for their noble causes.
This is a win-win situation all round, and I’d like to wholeheartedly thank the UN’s WFP and the NGO ACTED for their support to make this initiative a reality.
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