News updates

The European Union representative in Lebanon, Angelina Eichhorst, inaugurated a number of projects in the area of Akkar starting with water and sanitation project in 2andkit, an ICT training centre in Hisheh, and a the launch of a mobile clinic and an emergency room run by Al Makassed association in 2amayer.
Eichhorst indicated that the European Union has launched a strategic plan for the development of Akkar in collaboration with municipalities, mayors and citizens.  The first intervention was the large scale water and sanitation project with a total cost of some EURO 80000.  Eichhorst also reminded the audience that the EU has financed the programme to support local development in North Lebanon which is being implemented by the CDR and which has thus far rehabilitated 9 kilometers of irrigation canals and 21 kilometers of roads in the Bqay2a plain.  She added that the Economic and Social Fund has contributed through financial support in implementing a number of projects in Wadi Khaled namely a mobile clinic run in coordination with the Ministry of Social Affairs, equipping an emergency room for a health care centre run by Al Makassed as well as school support for more than 400 students.
Eichhorst concluded her tour in Akroom where she held a meeting in which she spoke about the projects which will be implemented there namely a centre for agricultural extension, an olive press and a project to secure drinking water.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 20 June 2014

The Collective for Research and Training on Development Action convened on June 18 and 19th the Core Group Meeting of civil society and women organizations partners in the sustainable economic opportunities regional project.  The regional meeting was attended by 11 organisations from Egypt, Morocco, Yemen, Libya, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon, which reviewed and discussed the current situation of women in the Arab region since 2011 and how to push the work of their organisations forward at the level of strengthening women's economic rights.  The participating organisations expressed their concern regarding the growing status of violence and internal division within and amongst Arab countries and the continuous degradation of overall economic situation.
The meeting concluded that high hopes placed on the civil movements in some Arab countries did not bring in an improvement in individual and general freedoms, failed in addressing needs of the population, in advancing the rights of women and in achieving inclusive citizenship and equality.  Discussions during the regional meeting also emphasized the need to come up with new political and economic alternatives which will go beyond the current duality in the regional and the limited choice between conservative fundamentalist powers and the old totalitarian systems.  The participating groups also agreed to press on with the implementation of their common work plan for the remainder of the year while focusing on strengthening the role of women in re-drafting Arab constitutions and legislations and highlighting the importance of women's work in general, and women's informal work in particular. (CRTD.A 20 June 2014)
Source: NNA, Al-Safir, Al-Diyar, 23 June 2014

The Daily Star newspaper published today an interview with Nidal Achkar, the woman credited with pioneering the modern theater movement in Lebanon back in the 1960s. Achkar is also the woman behind the Beirut Theater Workshop, the Arab Actors theater company and the cultural institute Masrah al-Madina.
Achkar attributed her radical approach to her upbringing, saying that she was lucky because her parents were very open and believed that girls and boys were the same. She indicated that upbringing has a big effect on a young girl’s morale, self-confidence, and ambition, adding that: “All that has to do with the future become different when your parents encourage you”.
As for the fate of women in Lebanon, Achkar admitted that she is not entirely positive about it, saying that: “Lebanese women’s situation is difficult”, adding that as long as women continue to live in a closed society in which their lives are dictated for them, it will be difficult to change the situation. She also stressed the need for the introduction of civil laws that would protect women, and that women should come out of their shells, leave behind their confessional bias and their political allegiances, and venture out on their own, saying: “I imposed myself on the Arab world. Nobody was able to deter me, not in the arts, not in politics, not in anything.”
Source: The Daily Star 23 June 2014

The Beirut Association for Social Development inaugurated in Zaitunay Bay yesterday the 12th edition of its handicrafts production Afkart under the auspices of ex PM Saad al Hariri represented by MP Mohammed Kabbani.  The exhibition seeks to encourage the creativity of Lebanese artisans as the association believes in the importance of supporting this sector which preserves heritage and contributes to developing special and high quality Lebanese production, while improving the livelihoods of artists and artisans through marketing their products in Lebanon and beyond.
The coordinator of the women sector in the Future Movement, Afifeh al Sayyed, noted that this exhibition is important for small artisans as it helps them to market their products and encourages women to participate in economic life and improve the livelihoods of their families. The Afkart project benefits some 70 men and women artisans from different parts of Lebanon and includes various pavilions which reflect Lebanon’s culture and heritage.  The pavilions exhibit handicrafts and other products namely furniture, accessories, jewelry, garments, embroidery, handbags, household items, greeting cards, as well as paintings of textile, awareness raising material, soap, candles, and paintings with various media. To be reminded that the exhibition will be open for 5 days until next Sunday and it will convene again during Christmas.

Source: Al-Mustaqbal 20 June 2014

The Goguikian Foundation opened yesterday its Extraordinary Art Exhibition, which was organized within the framework of its recycling campaign launched in Burj Hammoud and aiming at drawing attention to Lebanon’s solid waste problem. Rather than organizing a conference or lecture series, the foundation decided that an interactive and creative approach to environmental action would spark more meaningful responses from the public. The materials used in the compositions are largely inorganic plastics and metals which do not break down easily and take up space in Lebanon’s increasingly overburdened landfills.
Suheila Hayek, executive director of the foundation, told the Daily Star Newspaper that Lebanon is in desperate need of a national dialogue on solid waste, recycling and resource usage, adding that the exhibition offered the 40 participating artists the chance to lend their voices to the conversation, through making something out of what others might consider waste.
Hayek also indicated that Lebanon now is in trouble with its landfills that are oversaturated.This, she believes, is a matter of concern to all but; nevertheless, people tend to assume that politicians are the sole responsible for resolving this crisis.
Source: The Daily Star 20 June 2014

Carnegie Middle East Center launched yesterday the ESCWA report entitled “Arab Integration: A 21st Century Development Imperative” during a celebration held at the Phoenicia Hotel with the participation of former PM Fuad Siniora, MP Bahia Hariri, in addition to the EU representative in Lebanon, Angelina Eichhorst and other participants who all stressed that the paths to Arab integration are no longer a luxury or optional but rather an urgent necessity at the level of the region.

According to the ESCWA report, simple mechanisms such decreasing transportation costs and increasing the size of labour exchange amongst Arab countries are likely to increase Arab gross national product by more than USD 750 billion within just a few years and will create more than 6 million new work opportunities.  The report also noted that one fifth of the Arab population lives under the poverty line and one third suffer from illiteracy.  Furthermore, Arab youth population suffers the highest rate of unemployment in the world and women have the lowest economic participation rate.  The report also indicated that malnutrition is rampant amongst 50 million Arabs and the number of children threatened to die from hunger reaches 500000 children in Yemen and one million in Somalia.  In addition, the report refers to the very high number of displaced people and fatal casualties in Syria, Iraq and other countries in the region.  The report pointed out to that after decades of development, the Arab region has not succeeded in diversifying its economies and today is less industrialized than what it was in the 1960s while its scientific production accounts for hardly 1% of global production.

The report provided a new analytical strategic vision of Arab integration and highlighted the major problems that undermine regional integration.  The report also focuses on past internal, external, regional and international failures.  The executive secretary at the ESCWA in Beirut, Rima Khalaf noted that the report rests on three pillars namely: 1) political cooperation among Arab countries that support democratic governance. 2) Deepening economic integration starting with implementing Arab integration activities leading to Arab economic unity that would work to achieve Arab countries’ economic prosperity and that of their citizens. And 3) educational and cultural reform to revive creativity and free mind sets from extremism and despotism.

Source: Al-Safir 19 June 2014

A livelihood development project entitled “Local Development Project”, supported by Italian Cooperation and CTM Onlus, inaugurated last Saturday an exhibition of traditional local products in Tyre.  The event was attended by Palma D'Ambrosio, the First Secretary at the Italian Embassy, as well as representatives of the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment. During the opening ceremony D'Ambrosio noted that this annual event which will continue until 30 September, aims at contributing to the marketing and developing local products in South Lebanon and consequently to play an important role in local development.  She added that this is a special initiative which offers an opportunity for developing the skills of cooperatives in the region and improving their production.  Some 25 local cooperatives, association and business women, have benefited from the skill building workshops that were organised by the Italian Association CTM Onlus in collaboration with Tyros Local Action Group (Tyros LAG) and NOWARA.

Source: L’Orient Le Jour 19 June 2014

 

The Daily Star newspaper published last Monday an article about Nada Abdelsater-Abusamra, the international lawyer who represented the interests of the victims of the Feb. 14, 2005, attack that killed former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 21 others. Abdelsater is also the chairperson of the Lebanese Transparency Association (LTA), a member of the Maronite League, a managing partner of ASAS Law Firm, and a former law lecturer at the American University of Beirut.
As a young woman, Abdelsater took part in community service through distributing books to schoolchildren who could no longer afford them because the civil war caused a steep devaluation of the Lebanese currency.  She also organised various social activities for war orphans. In 1994, she joined the law program at St. Joseph University, and later earned her Master of Law degree at Harvard. She passed the New York bar exam and returned to Lebanon in 2000, where she married and had three children with her husband, Walid Abu-Samra.
As to how she manages to balance her many responsibilities as well as spend time with her children, she says that she gets a lot of help from her mother-in-law, but she added that private companies should work harder to help women, for instance, by offering daycare services to give them the opportunity to be on par with men in the professional world. Nonetheless, she concluded by saying that a work-life balance is not the only challenge facing working women. Arab society often tends to see women simply as feminine, without acknowledging their professionalism. Abdelsater added that men, everywhere, are often condescending at first when addressing women colleagues and some are insecure in the presence of highly qualified women.
Source: The Daily Star 17 June 2014

A workshop aiming to strengthen the development capacities of Tripoli was held yesterday at the Syndicate of Engineers under the auspices and with the presence of former PM Siniora upon the invitation of Abdel Ghani Kabbara, former PM Saad al Hariri advisor for North Lebanon affairs.
Kabbara headed the first axis of the workshop which focused on the planned development projects in Tripoli. He spoke about the city’s special economic zone whilst highlighting the importance of linking the region to neighboring countries via land routes and highways, which would decrease production costs.  He also referred to various tax waivers which would increase competitiveness.  Kabbara added that such measures would create incentives to foreign investors to invest in Lebanon thus creating job opportunities resulting in invigorating economic activity in Tripoli and the North especially via the Tripoli port, the Rashid Karameh International Exhibition Centre, the railway and the René Mu2awad airport.
Ogero’s CEO, Abdel Menhem Yussef, described the central role that Tripoli can play in developing and improving the digital economy as well as communication services in Lebanon.  Tripoli’s municipal head Nader Ghazal headed the second axis which focused on Tripoli’s infrastructure and basic services.
At the end of the workshop, former PM Siniora noted that the government cannot be blamed for all ills as it is not able to assume all burdens and everybody should work together.  He added that there are many things that CSOs and the public sector must do.
Source: Al-Diyar 17 June 2014

As Safir newspaper published a report about the commercial activity which is picking up, albeit slowly, after the formation of the new government and the stable security situation.  According to merchants in Hamra, Mar Elias, Jdaideh and Zalka, that As Safir visited, activity has increased by some 30% compared to the same period a year ago and especially after three years of regular decline during which tens of shops were closed and thousands of workers were discharged in order to reduce operational cost and as a result of a 60% overall decrease in commercial activity (according to the sources of the Beirut merchants association).
Despite this small increase in commercial activities, the heads of the merchants associations in Hamra, Mar Elias, Jdaideh and Zalka noted that they have yet to see an effective comeback of Gulf visitors although many GCC countries have formally lifted their travel ban on Lebanon.  They added that the commercial activity declined drastically in the past few years and any current improvement is small compared to the previous decline that affected small and large establishments.  Merchants hoped for a speedy recovery of the economic activity as well as the rapid comeback of GCC tourists during Ramadan.
Source: Al-Safir 17 June 2014