News updates

The Minister of Labor, Sejaan Azzi, issued a memorandum yesterday calling on all holders of migrant workers employment offices to submit a family register to the Ministry within a one month period.  This move was taken within the framework of re-organising employment offices and ensuring that they are run by their original owners so as to prevent exploitation of the migrant worker and to ensure that they work according to international standards and conventions.  To be noted that, over the past two months,  the Ministry has closed down eight employment offices located in different parts of Lebanon and referred another two to General Security because they sacked Lebanese employees and replaced them illegally with  foreign employees. In a related vein, the Minister of Labor met yesterday with a delegation including representatives of Amel association, ION, and Caritas Lebanon to discuss the situation of migrant women domestic workers and the travel ban exercised by some countries.  The delegation also expressed their hopes that the national steering committee will resume its work soon.
Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Safir 23 July 2014

The Minister of Agriculture, Akram Chehayeb, and the director of Minoprio, Anna Zottola, signed a memorandum of understanding to prepare a twinning programme for agricultural vocational training to take place between the Education and Extension directorate at the Ministry and Minoprio foundation.  The signing ceremony was held yesterday at the agricultural technical school in Baaqline. In his speech, Chehayeb insisted on the importance of developing agricultural education and supporting technical schools with human and material resources.  He noted that this step is within the framework of the Ministry’s strategy and present plan for 2014-2020.  He added that this MoU will enable Lebanon to benefit from the Minoprio foundation educational progress and expertise in vocational and technical training in agriculture especially since the Italian institution works according to European standards and that the twinning programme will bring in educational and scientific experts to Lebanon so as to upgrade local curricula and manage existing schools according to European standards as well as bring in new specialties.
The event was also an opportunity to complete training workshops offered by Minoprio foundation to the faculty of official agricultural schools in Lebanon, which were held between 15 and 19 July by AVSI and which were entitled “Contemporary education fundamentals and agriculture techniques”.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 22 July 2014

In an interview with Al Markazzyah, the president of the Industrialists Association, Fady Gemayel, highlighted the fact that Lebanon is struggling to deal with the negative repercussions of the events in the region.  Gemayel asked for a new and comprehensive economic initiative in order to push the Lebanese economy forward especially as the size of its GDP does not exceed USD 45 billion. Gemayel considered this figure to be shameful compared with available capacities and when considering the opportunities in the neighboring countries.
Gemayel also noted that the realities of the industrial sector are intimately linked with the economic situation.  He emphasized the importance of adopting comprehensive approaches because, partial solutions are no longer useful whilst taking into consideration the significant Lebanese capacities that are available especially in terms of human, youth, industrial and economic resources, and in view of the huge financial resources that are deposited in Lebanese banks and which are estimated at some USD 167 billion. Gemayel called for safeguarding the Lebanese economy and for working in unity to bring about an economic situation that builds on available capacities while guided by a comprehensive socio-economic approach that aims at stimulating the economy while changing current mindsets.  He added that the changes in the region indicate that current events are not of a short term nature and solutions are not likely to be fast.  Hence, and according to Gemayel, if not action is taken, the situation is likely to deteriorate further.
 
Source: Al-Diyar 21 July 2014

The Amel International Organisation organized in collaboration with Aequitas-Cyprus, and with the support of the Anna Lindh Foundation a workshop entitled: “supporting women migrant workers in Lebanon in the absence of legal protection”. The event was held last week at the UNESCO palace in Beirut and started by a keynote address by Amel’s president, Kamel Mehanna, who spoke about the realities of migrant workers.  Mehanna noted that the last years witnessed a rise in the numbers of domestic workers with an estimate total number of 200,000 the overwhelming majority of whom are women.  Mehanna also pointed out to the incidents of abuse and exploitation of migrant workers as well as the local international and local concern with the regular death of MWDW at a rate of one per week.  To be noted that out of 97 MWDW death between 2007 and 2008, only 14 were due to health reasons and that is according to the Human Watch report for 2008.  According to another study conducted by Kafa and which was released in 2010, some 31% of employers detain their domestic workers at home and 88% of employers confiscate their employees travel documents.  In addition, tens of death are registered as “falling off” or as suicide as per the monitoring of local newspapers which covered the period between August 2010 and August 2011.  Mehanna also spoke about the absence of legal protection as MWDW are excluded from the provisions of the labor law whereas Lebanon has still not signed the international convention for the protection of migrant workers.  He added that the latest reforms, namely the endorsement of the standard employment contract, did not secure protection from abuse and exploitation.
For her part, the head of the control department at the Ministry of Labor, Marlene Atallah, noted that although MWDW constitute an important proportion of the labor force in Lebanon, challenges remain great notably given the limited administrative capacities of the Ministry.  Atallah added that the Ministry is doing its best to take the necessary administrative measures regarding this category of workers.
Source: AL-Nahar, Al-Safir, Al-Mustaqbal 21 July 2014

Exports of potatoes has declined considerably this year especially through the land route as hardly 5 trucks cross the Syrian borders daily compared to an earlier record of 20 daily trucks filled with tons of potatoes. Simultaneously, the production of potatoes in the Beqaa region increased by 25% compared to last year and that is according to a report published by As Safir in its issue of last Friday.
According to the president of the union of potato farmers in Bekaa, Georges Sakr, the price of one kilogram of potatoes does not exceed LBP 400 with production hitting this year 350,000 tons (compared to 200,000 tons last year).  Sakr notes that initially import of potato seeds of should not have exceeded 20,000 tons but have exceeded 40,000 tons this year which significantly raised the potato growing areas to 120,000 dunums compared to 100,000 dunums normally, thus largely exceeding internal and external demands. Furthermore, Sakr noted that the decline in the price of potatoes is in line with similar declines recorded in the other countries of the region which also witnessed a significant surge in production. However, Lebanese farmers had to bear the brunt of higher production costs this season making this year potato harvest the most expensive agricultural season in the region. Indeed, the cost of irrigation of one dunnum went up from USD 100 to USD 300 due to the rise of the cost of fuel oil and because of low rainfalls and ground water supply.
Source: Al-Diyar 21 July 2014

The National Committee for the Duma festivals in Batrun kicked off this year’s summer festival last week under the auspices of the Minister of Tourism, Michel Pharaon, represented by Philippe Bustros and with the participation of the Duma Municipal Head, members of the municipal councils and local figures. The festival will take place over three weeks and will including a traditional lunch in the Duma market place, musical evenings, short films produced by USEK students, etc… The festival will close on August 9th with a traditional village dinner.  The festival also includes visits to traditional houses and ecological and touristic landmarks as well as an exhibition by Dar Chaiban for Culture and Art and by Maha al-3ani and a symposium by Maha Khaled and a number of painters.  The festival also includes exhibitions of Lebanese Mouneh and traditional handcrafts.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 21 July 2014

Al Akhbar newspaper published on Friday a report on the draft decentralization proposal which has been released for reviews recently and which is presumably based on the stipulation of the Taef agreement which calls for the creation of smaller administrative units per caza where elected councils will be established and headed by Qaimaqam in an effort to preserve “local specificity” and diversity in the Lebanese social mosaic. Al Akhbar argues that the Taef agreement stipulated a number of reforms notably decentralization however, it also insisted on adopting a balanced cultural, social and economic development at the regional and local levels as a cornerstone of unity and stability of the state.  Yet, successive governments since the Taef agreement all focused on particular and biased sectoral and geographical economic policies and have neglected the setting up of adequate local infrastructure and services outside of the centre Beirut, and few other key poles.
The draft proposal suggests the creation of regional council entrusted by the central state with the responsibility of local development.  However, the report notes that based on real life experiences, this will surely exacerbates tensions and will strengthen confessional ghettos as well as reinforce the strongholds of current political and economic powers over “the constituencies” falling within their jurisdiction.  This of course is music to the ears of profiteers namely investors, real estate traders and banks.  The President of LCPS, Sami Atallah, and member of the special decentralization committee formed by former MP Negib Mikati and former president Michel Suleiman, noted that it is important to move towards implementing decentralization however he criticized the draft law especially since past experiences in dealing with the private sector were not promising. In addition, he added that the draft law preceded the endorsement of the still pending private-public partnership law and granted the “the private partner” some important legal waivers.  On the other hand, former Minister and head of the decentralization committee, Ziad Barud, noted that it will be indeed dangerous to strip municipalities from their resources and prerogatives while shifting these to another power. Nevertheless we reassured that there will be no interference with the present powers of the municipalities within their geographical domains, and that regional councils will have no authority over them. He added by saying that achieving decentralized development requires first and foremost the reform of the central state.
Within the same vein,. Expert Ibrahim Mehanna suggested that municipalities issue special bonds to finance projects same as the case of municipalities in the USA where the real estate assets owned by the municipalities act as a guarantee for their debts. However, researcher and former minister Charbel Na7has noted that copying the US experience in Lebanon will bring in disastrous results especially in view of the fact that the “place of residence” and “place of work” are not the same as the civil register.  Na7has added that within the present socio-economic system, municipalities are de facto cooperatives of real estate holders thus explaining the “creative” exercises in appropriating and apportioning municipality and public properties.
 
Source: Al-Akhbar 18 July 2014

Together we are stronger association concluded its training workshop on women’s empowerment and skills development and which was organized in Anfeh last week with the collaboration of Association D'entraide Professionnelle, AEP, and under the auspices of Diageo.  The workshop extended over two days.  The first day included an encounter with Rola Kerbage which focused on financial management at home and at work.  The second day included a lecture by Kamil Chedid on the importance of communication to ensure success in life.
The director of AEP, Ms. Lena Sayyad, clarified in her brief intervention during the closing ceremony, that the work and objectives of her association revolve around supporting small projects holders and ensure their integration in the national economy through providing them with technical support as well as with training workshops which allow them to succeed and become sustainable in addition to help creating new work opportunities. The president of Together we are stronger association, Dolly Issa, spoke about the content of the training workshop as well as its importance.  She added that her organization is striving to empower women at all levels so that they prove themselves in society and succeed in their personal and professional lives.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Nahar 21 July 2014

The Salam organization concluded its Sama project which was implemented with a number of local associations from the villages of Hibbariyeh, Kfarshouba, Hasbaya, Kfeir, Ayn Qanya in Hasbaya Caza.  The event was held last week with the participation of the president of the federation of Hasbani municipalities, Munir Jaber, as well as representatives of the Indian UNIFIL contingent, the Lebanese Red Cross, heads of municipalities, civil register officials and local key figures.
The Sama project consisted of a series of training workshops on writing project proposals, photography, film direction, and social media all aiming to strengthening communication amongst youth in the area as well as training them to take pictures and document the realities of their villages, and building their capacities and developing their respective youth organizations. During the celebration, a documentary movie produced by the trainees was shown.  The documentary reflected the realities of the participating villages and the problems they are facing.  The ceremony was concluded with the distribution of certificates and the granting of one PC to each of the participating organizations in recognition of their role in ensuring the success of the training workshops.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 21 July 2014

Hayya Bina organized, together with the Bekaa Lebanon association, an Iftar at their centre in Shemstar.  The event was attended by women students and teachers from Riyyaq, al-Marj, Kfar7him and Shmestaar, as part of the extra curricular activities which were being organised within the framework of the English for Women program which the organisation is implementing in 20 areas of Lebanon.
The event included a number of introductory activities supervised by educational expert Mohammad Al-Amin and executive director Sal7ha Naser. This was followed by the screening of a documentary film focusing on the experience of a group of pioneer women from in Afghanistan who challenged social restrictions and opened a restaurant for women only.  After that, the various groups of students presented shared a number of presentations on ways of addressing a number of social issues. Women from Shmestaar dealt with the public habit of gun firing in celebration whereas the Kfar7him group tackled the issue of community reconciliation in Mount Lebanon. For their parts, students from al-Marj focused on the realities of women in their village and those from Riyyaq on the issue of honor crimes.
Source: Al-Nahar 18 July 2014