In it’s 19th edition now, and after being an avid reader of the UNDP Lebanon News Supplement for several years, I was asked to contribute to this latest edition in light of my work during the last parliamentary elections held in Lebanon, and what the low turnout of young, first-time voters means for peace building in Lebanon.
You can read the full piece here, in either English, Arabic or French, along with many amazing pieces about #PeacebuildingInLebanon
It is with utmost pleasure and excitement that I announce to you the opening of MARCH Lebanon’s newest peacebuilding project: Hona Beirut.
https://www.facebook.com/HonaBeirutCafeBKaffak/
Hona Beirut comes after the huge success of MARCH’s Kahwetna in Tripoli. What started as a cafe staffed and run by former fighters in Beb El Tebenneh and Jabal Mohsen, quickly grew into a cultural hub that houses not only a cafe, but a recording studion, a cinema/theater and dozens of capacity building classes, events, exhibitions and performances.
In Beirut, MARCH felt that the need for public, safe green spaces was dire, which is why after months of scouting, our team found a disused plot of land owned by the Municipality of Beirut, just across from Horsh Beirut. After removing all the rubble and old cars and motorcycles, MARCH set out to install its prefabricated structure, as well as plant the surrounding outdoor space. This is the gorgeous final result:
This Saturday, we have a jam-packed lineup at Hona Beirut, and we can’t wait to have you there! You can RSVP on Facebook here.
https://www.facebook.com/HonaBeirutCafeBKaffak/
Several bands, rappers, circus performers and DJs will make sure you have an amazing time, with several of the acts on the roster debuting in MARCH’s many projects in Akkar and Tripoli.
Hona Beirut will be run and staffed by young men and women from Beirut’s most marginalized neighborhoods, such as Tarik Jdideh and Khandak El Ghamiq and more. The cafe comes with an adjacent recording studio, where nascent talents who live in our beloved capital can come, create and record their music, free of charge!
Apart form that, Hona Beirut will have many classes offered, such as language courses, computer skills, graphic design, photography musical composing, songwriting, choreography and much, much more.
Most importantly though, Hona Beirut will be a safe space where the city’s youth can come and hang out and have a good time. It will create stable jobs, and help the young men and women who frequent it build up their CVs and skills to get the jobs they seek.
Lastly, Hona Beirut transformed a plot of land that was used as a dump, into a beautiful green space that is accessible to everyone every day, unlike most parks in Beirut which are off-limits for most of us!
See you on Saturday, starting 4PM!
On May 21, UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon)peacekeepers and LAF (Lebanese Armed Forces) soldiers came together at the awe-inspiring ancient hippodrome in Tyre (Sour).
The purpose of this military olympiad is to of course strengthen bonds and camaraderie between the LAF and UNIFIL, but also to support the families of LAF martyrs and wounded soldiers.
Two organizations that support army wounded and martyr families were given 23,000 USD each. The first one is a French NGO: ‘Terre Fraternité’ and the second association ‘Association of the Martyr Lt Col Sobhi Al Akoury’. This NGO is named after the first LAF martyr in the Nahr El Bared battles against Fath El Islam, and is tasked with protecting and supporting the families and children of Lebanese Army martyrs.
Here’s a video highlighting some of the activities in the military olympiad.
I will be doing more in-depth stories about UNIFIL peacekeepers in South Lebanon. In my visits to the areas, I always notice the impact and remarkable relationship local Lebanese communities have with the foreign peacekeepers, like opening restaurants with the traditional cuisines of the nearest country’s base. I’ll also be doing a lot more stories about South Lebanon in time for summer!
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