News updates

An Nahar newspaper published a report by May Abboud Abi Akl on what she considered to be the "forgotten aspect related to the issue of migrant women domestic workers", namely the "violated rights of Lebanese citizens”. In her long tirade, the author talked about the "predicament" of Lebanese citizens who have to pay the "cost of bringing in migrant workers and pay their salaries as well as the cost of their food and clothing".  The author also complained about the hardship that Lebanese citizens face when they have to complete the official procedures for the migrant women domestic workers.  The author did not hesitate to make some blanket generalisations and to refer to associations catering for the rights of migrant women workers as "a mafia" seeking only to raise money internally and externally.  The author even accused some NGOs of stalking migrant workers to get their stories.
A very unfortunate article that clearly reflected the biased views of the author who seemingly did not bother with facts and figures or with investigative reporting.  It is however regrettable that a serious newspaper such as An Nahar would publish this kind of writing.
 
Source: Al-Nahar 9 October 2014

The Agency for Local Development in South Lebanon was launched at the end of last week during an event held in Tyre under the auspices of the Minister of Agriculture, Akram Chehayeb and with the participation of key figures and municipal heads in the region.  In his keynote address, Chehayeb underline the important role that the agency can play in supporting agriculture and agricultural production and in facilitating the return of the youth to work in their land.  He noted that the plan of the Ministry focuses on setting a clear path for developing agriculture and quality agricultural production and in securing food safety so as to enhance competitiveness and to assist in accessing new markets.
 
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 14 October 2014

An Nahar and Diyar newspapers reported on the activities of the current Minister of Labor, Sejaan Azzi, who has issued a decision to close two migrant women employment offices in Bint Jbeil and Tyre.  The text of the decision notes that these measures were taken within the framework of the plan put together to regulate the work of employment offices and to safeguard the rights of Lebanese citizens.  No reasons were divulged however as to the reasons for closing these two offices.
Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Diyar 13 October 2014
 

The BLC bank organized in collaboration with the local partner of the British Cherie Blair Foundation, the Tomorrow’s Youth Association, a series of training workshops in the Beqaa aiming at supporting and empowering women professionally and personally.  The workshops extended between 24 June to 27 August and were managed by business expert, Ara Kartasougian.  They included several topics namely developing marketing strategies, strengthening marketing position, developing costing and competition strategy, and improving salesmanship skill.  The workshops were implemented within the framework of the women empowerment WE initiative of the BLC bank through which it seeks to enhance women’s role in local communities, and to provide financial and technical support so that women are able to develop their personal and professional skills.
 
Source: Al-Diyar 14 October 2014

An Nahda Women Gathering kicked off its Mouneh exhibition in Koura last Friday.  The event took place in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and was held at the Saint Peter High School in Amioun. The head of the Gathering in Lebanon, Mona Fares, noted that this exhibition is the culmination of the persistent efforts of women who devoted part of their time to serve their communities and to showcase their capacity to produce even in financially limited conditions.  The exhibition extended over three days and included a number of traditional products including olive oil, olives, soap, kechek, shanklish, thyme, jams, orange blossom water, rose water, various sorts of pickles, traditional bread, and others.
The event also included an opening address by Father Malek, the director of the high school, who noted that the exhibition is a good example of success for the students whom the school attempts to orient to the agricultural sector and traditional Mouneh as well as preserving heritage.  Malek hoped that the participating women will continue to preserve local traditions in making Mouneh in view of its health value as well as low production cost especially during difficult economic periods.  

Source: Al-Diyar 13 October 2014

The Nature Conservation Center at the American University of Beirut organized last week a ceremony to distribute the prizes of the “my community, my environment” project which seeks to preserve biodiversity in Lebanese villages. The Ceremony was held in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and under the auspices of the general directorate of departments and local councils at the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities.  Certificates were distributed to some 52 villages participating in the project, where Ehden received the prize for the most sustainable administration of highlands and Moukhtara that of most sustainable administration of river banks. For its part, Bentaa3el, received the prize for local collaboration for the preservation of natural heritage and Beshara Salameh received a prize for his pioneer environmental administration for running a sustainable camp in the village of Chah7toul.

The Minister of Tourism, Michel Pharaon noted in his speech that the partnership between the Ministry of Tourism and the Nature Conservation Center is within the framework of the Ministry’s current concern to develop rural tourism in Lebanon as this sector carries an added value which distinguishes Lebanon from neighboring countries.  Pharaon added that the Ministry is currently working to develop touristic packages for youth costing less than USD 1000 through profiling villages, eco-hostels and rural tourism whilst making use of studies carried out by civil society of key touristic landmarks.  Pharaon concluded by saying that the Ministry is also working on studies about the best tourism packages that are likely to succeed in Lebanon namely week-end holidays for Lebanese residing in Lebanon as well as families and religious holidays.

Source: Al-Diyar 13 October 2014

Union for Mediterranean (UfM) organized last Friday a seminar to launch phase I of the “Skills for Success: Employability Skills for Women” project in the presence of the Secretary General of UfM, Fathallah Sijilmassi and Ambassador Delphine Borione.  The project seeks to help 450 women and youth from Lebanon, Jordan, Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia to acquire new tools and knowledge necessary to enter the job market.
Parallel to that event, Al-Nahar conducted an interview with Mr. Sijilmassi in which he outlined the Mediterranean aspirations of his institution and described the current projects which will benefit Lebanon.  He noted that the Union has launched a series of investment projects to strengthen the basis of regional cooperation and complementarity as well as projects of a social and economic nature with focus on youth and employment, and on strengthening the social and economic role of women.  He further added that Lebanon will benefit from six UfM projects. Four of these projects aim to strengthen employment, noting that the first is the above-mentioned project, while the second aims to support youth in setting up their own businesses.  The third project will target young women business entrepreneurs and will provide university students with training on ways of successfully searching for jobs and for launching their own businesses.  Finally, the last project is implemented in collaboration with UNIDO and will seek to develop cultural and creative industries.

Source: Al-Nahar 10 October 2014

IMF released a new report in which it warns against the current political crisis in Lebanon and the implications of the Syrian crisis on the economy and on poverty and unemployment.  The report expects a growth rate of 1.8% for the current year and 2.5% for the coming year.  The IMF also repeated its call for structural reforms in order to increase growth in the medium-term, to help create new jobs and to improve livelihoods, stressing that market and educational system reforms are likely to increase social capital and productivity.
In a related vein, the World Bank announced that the Lebanese economy is stiff affected by regional political and military development.  The World Bank predicted a growth of not mores than 1.5% in 2014 while noting that the raging war in Syria and the continuous influx of Syrian refugees have had a very negative affect on the environment especially given the currently blocked political situation in the country.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 9 October 2014

The Minister of Tourism, Michel Pharaon, inaugurated yesterday the wine fair 2014 organised by Vinifest at the Beirut hippodrome with the participation of the EU Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst as well and other European diplomats and key public figures. The president of the Lebanese wine federation, Zafer Chaoui, noted in his opening speech that the overall wine production in Lebanon is 8.5 million bottles of wine of which 32% are exported.  He also noted that wine import from European countries exceeds export and that is why, the EU is working in collaboration with member states to increase imports from Lebanon, knowing that the Lebanese wine is already present in the markets of 24 European countries, namely the UK, France and Germany.
For her part, Eichhorst noted that Lebanon is considered amongst the most important wine producers given the diversity of its soil and as indicated by its record of 32% exports. The Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Louis Lahhud saluted the Lebanese winemakers who are extending great efforts for raising Lebanon's name and for making wine a main ambassador of Lebanon all over the world.  He added that his Ministry is currently carrying out preparations for holding the Lebanese wine day in New York in May 2015.

Source: Al-Diyar 10 October 2014

The Minister of Agriculture, Akram Chehayeb, announced during the ministerial meeting held yesterday by the FAO in Rome and entitled “Governance and International Commodity Markets” that Lebanon is preparing its national strategy for agriculture for 2015 - 2020.  The strategy will seek to strengthen food security, and sustainable rural and agricultural development.  Chehayeb clarified that his ministry will implement this strategy at different levels namely through increasing productivity, providing safe food supply, increasing the contribution of agriculture to GNP, curtailing rural exodus, raising agricultural awareness and the rational use of natural resources. In a related vein, Chehayeb indicated that total annual imports of food have exceeded now USD two billion thus recording a 90% increase over the past ten years.  Chehayeb added that this situation makes Lebanon vulnerable to fluctuations in the prices of food and agricultural products.

Source: Al-Safir 10 October 2014