News updates

The Minister of Industry, Hussein Hajj Hassan, met yesterday with the president of the General Federation of Trade Unions, Marun Al Khaouli, and its general secretary, Farid Zeinoun, to discuss the situation of Lebanese workers in the sector.  Al Khaouli indicated in a statement after the meeting that the size of the employed Lebanese labor force continues to decrease as it is being replaced by foreign and notably Syrian labor.  Al Khaouli said that Lebanese labor in the industrial sector constitutes only 10% of totally employed, noting that this increases unemployment amongst the youth and negatively affects the economy. Furthermore, he pointed out to the negative effect on the national economy resulting from large transfers of remittances aboard by some 100,000 foreign workers. The size of these transfers is currently estimated at hundred of millions of US dollars every month.
Al Khaouli further said that the general federation requested during the meeting that a strategy be developed with the Ministries of Industry and Labor in order to protect the rights of Lebanese workers especially in the industrial sector.  He added that Minister Hajj Hassan expressed his understanding and solidarity with Lebanese workers and noted that his Ministry will be taking concrete measure to address this issue.

Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Diyar 17 October 2014

The Daily Star newspaper published a report last Saturday on “People of Rashiddiyyah,” a social media project that was launched recently by Mohammad al-As3sad, a 21-year-old Palestinian student from the Rashiddiyyah camp, located south of Tyre, in collaboration with Mary Mitchell, his former English teacher. “People of Rashiddiyyah” profiles stories focusing on women, youth and children from the camp on Facebook and Tumblr platforms, and was modeled on the widely popular “People of New York” project, which documents the stories of ordinary New Yorkers.
A3saad and Mitchell noted that they were motivated by the desire to tell the stories of Palestinians refugees who live a life of exile and exclusion in Lebanon, in an attempt to highlight the various aspects of Palestinians’ lives, and away for traditional media coverage. As3aad pointed out that the project focuses on young adults in particular, to profile the absence of choices and opportunities available to them, and the harsh realities they face.  Examples include their exclusion Lebanese law from a wide range of jobs and professions (some 70 banned jobs in total), particularly engineering and medicine domains, in which many graduates remain unemployed. As3aad concluded by saying that the project aims at brining the public closer to the reality of Palestinian in Lebanon who have been traditionally the subject of unfair discrimination and prejudice.

Source: The Daily Star 11 October 2014

As Safir newspaper published a report last Tuesday on the production of grape molasses in Rashaya.  The report noted that grape molasses is an important commodity for marketing internally and externally and provides a substantive additional income for small land and large land holders thus helping in improving their livelihoods and economic situation. It is also to be noted that grapes used for this production do not qualify for export and is of a lower quality of what is available for domestic consumption according to Sheikh Suheil al Qidmani who owns one of the largest grapes press in Rashayya.
Qidamni noted that there are currently only three operational grape presses in Rashayya al Wadi and they process around one quarter of all the grapes production.  He added that operating one press requires around 10 to 20 skilled workers.  However, this work is seasonal and extends over two months only starting in mid September of every year.  Qidmani also noted that Rashayya produces around 10,000 tons of various sorts of grapes most of which is used for food processing especially in wine and molasses production, where the production of molasses averages some 250 tons a year.  He added that the various phases of producing grapes molasses include: pressing, sedimentation, cooking and packaging into either liquid molasses or the more viscous one, after which it is placed into special jars for local or external marketing.  External marketing essentially targets Lebanese in the Diaspora in the USA, Canada, Australia and Latin America.  According to Qidmani, production costs heavily depend on the cost of fuel and vary between LBP 2500 to LBP 3500 per kilo, while sales price reaches LBP 8000 for liquid molasses and between LBP 10,000 to LBP 12000 for solidified molasses.

Source: Al-Safir 14 October 2014

Atayeb al Reef organized yesterday a seminar on food safety standards and food processing in the village of Kfarhabou in Zghorta with the participation of women from the Agriculture Cooperative Association of Beekeepers.  The workshop was held within the framework of the project entitled "improving the living conditions of women in North Lebanon" and which is implemented by the Rene Moawwad Foundation, DOT Lebanon, Mada, and the NGO Committee for Follow-up of Women’s Issues and which is funded by the EU.  The seminar focused on the importance of hygiene in food processing sites, packaging, personal hygiene, protecting food from pollutants and other matters related to food safety.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 16 October 2014

The women sector of the Future Movement in Akkar organized yesterday a ceremony to celebrate the graduation of 20 women who completed the one month training course in hairdressing for women which was provided by experts in the field.  The general coordinator of the Al Joumeh sector of the political movement, Issam Abdel Kader, highlighted in his speech the importance of empowering women in Akkar so that they are able to enter the job market and access productive jobs.  He promised that more training workshops matching the needs of the local job market in Akkar will be organised in the future.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 16 October 2014

The ILO concluded yesterday its workshops organized within the framework of the project entitled "Promoting Rights of Women Domestic Workers” (PROWD) and in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor and Tanmya organizations.  The event was held at the conference room in the Ministry of Labor under the auspices of the Minister of Labor, Sejaan Azzi.
In his somewhat moralistic speech, Azzi noted that the holding of the workshops about the rights of migrant women workers at a time when the Middle East is burning and suffering from war, terrorism and border invasion, is indicative of Lebanon’s special role in upholding human rights and in rejecting of any form of injustice vis-à-vis any worker “serving” a Lebanese family.  He underscored this special role of Lebanon which he claimed places the country in a distinctive position within the Orient.  In talking about the failures of his Ministry, Azzi threw the blame on the high level vacancies in his ministries and shortages in human resources which prevent social workers from performing their role, hence calling, on the occasion, the Cabinet to fill gaps in human resources.  For his part, the representative of the ILO, Hans van de Glind, encouraged Lebanon to ratify clause 189 and to abolish the Kafala system.  He also noted that training workers within the Ministry has enabled them to reach international standards which undoubtedly will reflect positively on the situation of women and men workers and society.
Source: Al-Nahar 16 October 2014

The Ministry of Agriculture organized last Tuesday, in collaboration with CIHEAM, a seminar on Lebanon’s experience in implementing the first stage of the ENPARD programme, which extended between December 2013 to October 2014.  The event was held under the auspices of the Minister of Agriculture, Akram Chehayeb and with the participation of the ENPARD president Jean-Paul Pellissier, who expressed his appreciation of this experience and clarified that the programme operates through three key stages.  The first stage consists of designing agricultural and rural policies which meet aspirations whilst the second stage deals with the implementation of these policies through technical programmes.  The third stage entails the exchange of experiences and success stories at the international level.  Based on this, Pellissier identified three topics which will kick off the second stage namely agricultural extension, accessing new markets, and better understanding the field through statistics and studies.
In a similar vein, the steering committee of the agricultural and rural development project held last Monday its annual meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture.  The meeting was presided by the Minister of Agriculture, and was attended by the EU Ambassador to Lebanon, Angelina Eichhorst.  Chehayeb noted that the last three years were very important in building the capacities of his Ministry to enable it to play its leading role to develop, guide and support the agricultural sector.  He added that, currently, work is focusing on supporting farmers and their cooperative organizations in addition to encouraging investment in the land and return to agricultural production.  Eichhorst for her part spoke about the progress made since the start of the programme.  She highlighted one of these achievements namely the Euros 6.8 million channeled through Kafalat and which targeted Lebanese farmers.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Diyar 14 October, Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Diyar 15 October, 2014

The first forum of the Iklim Kharroub Economic Council held a press conference last week at the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Trade in Beirut and Mount Lebanon to announce its recommendations which focused on the needs of the area and based on various studies.  A number of keynote addresses were made notably by the president of the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Chambers, Mohammed Shoucair, the President of the Federation of Mount Lebanon merchants, Nassib Gemayel, and the president of the association of Iklim al Kharroub merchants, Ahmad Muhieddine Alaeddine, who stressed that the Iqlim area needs some 3000 news job opportunities every year. He also highlighted the key recommendations of the various consultation meetings and encounters organized by the association of the Iklim al Kharroub merchants with the Federation of Chambers in Lebanon and various local economic actors.
The main recommendations which covered four key economic areas were as follows; a) supporting the capacities of workers in the agricultural sector to improve its competitiveness in local, regional and international markets, b) demanding the setting up of the industrial city in Qrey3ah and link it with a network of new roads in the Shuf, Iklim al Kharroub, Jezzine and Saida, and financing scientific studies and research collaboration.  Furthermore, and given the existing skills and capacities in Iklim al Kharroub, a particular recommendation was made to c) create an economic council focusing on technology so as to study ways to render the area attractive to investments.  Finally, the recommendations concerning the tourism sector focused on the need to create new eco and rural tourism projects and for collaboration with the Ministries of Tourism, Culture and UNESCO to re-start the programme aiming at preserving historical sites in the area.
Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Diyar 15 October 2014

The Daily Star newspaper published last Thursday a report about the emerging trend of women DJs in Lebanon. Despite their talents, women DJs are still facing some gender-specific obstacles, according to the experience of Priscilla Bakalian, who is a 20-year-old student at the American University of Beirut, and has been DJing professionally for more than two years. Commenting on the issue, Bakalian noted that Lebanon is a sexist community and many men remain often skeptical towards her and do not take her musical skills seriously. She also recalled being pushed off the decks by other men DJs who wanted to take control. Bakalian noted that women DJs in Lebanon also have to challenge the traditional perception of their parents at home.
For his part, Mohammed Ghibris, a DJ School owner in Beirut, noted that the number women students increased from August 2013 until now, to the point where 65% of his students were women, adding that it is indeed a clear shift in direction, as the Lebanese DJ scene was until recently largely dominated by men. However, Ghibris also noted that women models are often hired as DJs because of their flattering looks.  Bakalian responded to this particular point by saying: “Do not disgrace other women like us who are genuinely trying to succeed music-wise.”
Source: The Daily Star 9 October 2014

The president of the apple growers association in Lebanon, Gaby Semaan, reminded the Minister of Agriculture in a statement issued last week of his promise to facilitate the marketing of this year’s harvest. He called on the minister to secure a ship that will carry the excess apple harvest to buyers in Egypt and other Arab countries.  The statement noted that the present situation represents a real disaster which is born entirely by the apple growers while enquiring about who will compensate their losses.
Semaan added that, according to data, apple production this year reached some 135 thousand tons of which, only some 3000 tons have been sold.  He further revealed that the producer association will be organising an “apples day” next Saturday 18 October, while calling on all apple farmers to take the streets at 11:00 am of that day and hold road barrages to distribute apples on passersby and to throw apples in front of the media.

Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Akhbar 14 October, Al-Diyar 15 October 2014