News updates

As Safir newspaper published a report about the glass blowing factory in Sarafand, the only remaining such factory in Lebanon which refuses to give up despite the absence of markets and the high production costs including the cost of fuel and labor.  All other similar workshops closed and the last was located in Beddawi which closed some ten years ago.

According to the report, the Cedar Environmental organisation who is interested in waste recycling, has lately taken the initiative to provide the factory with a quantity of glass suitable for recycling with a request to turn these into glass chandeliers.  The association will then sell these at reasonable prices so that they can encourage the Sarafand factory to remain open on the one hand and contribute to recycling waste on the other.  Hussein Khalifeh, the owner of the Sarafand factory, goes around glass producers in the area including Tyre, Saida and Ghazieh where he collects damaged glass, for which he pays around USD100 for a ton of clear and transparent glass in addition to collecting used bottles and broken glass from car wrecks.  Although clear glass is better for production, glass collected for dumps is the most profitable.

With the help of Cedar Environmental group, Khalifeh can now keep his oven on.  He notes that the oven cannot be turned off as one hour off will delay production by 6 hours which increases the production costs.  He noted that they pay from USD 250 to USD 300 for fuel and electricity every 24 hour and that is why they produce glass all day long as they cannot afford to rest at night.  This means that 6 workers, all related, take over the shifts and are flexible in receiving their wages which amount to USD1000 per month for each.

Khalifeh deplored the absence of the state.  If, according to Khalifeh, the state took more interest in preserving the environment and recycling waste, it would have been the first to support such factories all over Lebanon. He added that all that is needed is help in marketing and in subsidizing the cost of fuel and electricity.  He pointed out that the MOSA showroom for Lebanese handicrafts has given up on its pioneer role to support Lebanese artists and crafts.  When asked, he added that this may be due to the lack of funds and markets.  He concluded by saying that some citizens do gather their used glass and bring it to the factory.  However, he deplored the role of municipalities in South Lebanon in dealing with solid wastes as they do not have any current plans for sorting and recycling.

Source: Al-Safir 7 May 2014

Al Akhbar newspaper published an interview with the Microsoft regional director, Sayyed Hashish, in which he presented an overview of the company’s investment vision for Lebanon which focuses on small and medium enterprises as well as on universities and youth.  Hashish added that Microsoft collaborates with some 15000 small and medium enterprises in Lebanon through providing them with strategic tools to develop their businesses.  He also added that around 200,000 students benefited from the Office 365 programme which is distributed free of charge.  In addition, Microsoft partners in Lebanon have trained more than 5000 teachers.

Hashish noted that small and medium enterprises are a key pillar of the Lebanese economy as they create employment opportunity for the youth and contribute to economic growth.  As such, Microsoft helped more than 50 Lebanese companies in developing their technical capacities through its BizSpark programme which especially targets small and emerging businesses.  This programme provided beneficiary companies with new Microsoft software and platforms for free in addition to receiving technical support from Microsoft and were able to contact investors, business incubators and emerging companies worldwide and receive technical training and resources and other tools for business development.

The second project which is of key importance to Hashish is the Microsoft IT academy which provides education solutions to 20 universities in Lebanon, in addition to providing IT training for student and merges class lectures with e-learning in order to develop scientific skills in what concerns the preparation and maintenance of IT infrastructure.  Teachers are thus able to prepare their students to enter the job market armed with IT skills required by employers.

Source: Al-Akhbar 7 May 2014

Minister of Industry, Dr. Ali Hajj Hassan, convened last week a meeting to discuss the process of production of pickles and olives with special focus on standards for packaging in jars which respect compulsory regulations and standards.  Hajj Hassan also discussed ways to identify and penalize non compliance and sent memoranda to that effect to relevant Ministries and Directorates.  Following the meeting, Hajj Hassan declared that he will be issuing a formal memo which obligates all producer, trader and suppliers of jars to prove that these are dedicated to food products so as to safeguard food safety and citizen’s health and maintain the continuity of production. Finally, the Minister noted that 90% of pickled products of Lebanon are exported.
Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Diyar 6 May 2014

The coalition of Baalbaq-Hermel MPs met last week with farmers who suffered serious damages to their crops as a result of the last wave of frost. The meeting included MPs Ghazi Zeaiter and Hussein Hajj Hassan in addition to the president of the Baalbaq-Hermel MPs coalition, Hussein Musawi.  Other MPs in attendance includes Kamel Rifai, Assem Kanso, Ali Mokdad, Walid Sukkarieh, Marwan Fares and Emile Rahmeh, represented by George Maaluf in addition to the representatives of farmers and federations of trade unions.
Hajj Hassan noted that the government has yet to take a decision to assess and compensate damages although the subject was discussed thrice.  He expressed his support to farmers for whatever decision they may take.  Zeaiter confirmed that the matter will be discussed during the next Cabinet meeting.  He also noted that farmers are in dire need for help in view of the damages that their cropped suffered.
MPs present also expressed their support to farmers and threatened to escalate their actions should the president of the federation of agricultural unions, Jihad Bluoq, fail to take a positive decision on this matter.

Source: Al-Nahar 6 May 2014

For more information about the farmers struggle with the frost damages, please review the following previous news:
Chehayeb heads a meeting to follow-up on damages to farmers due to frost and confirms seeking aids from government and abroad, 24/4/2014
Beqaa agriculture suffered up to 90% in losses while the state remains absent, 11/4/2014
Farmers of North Lebanon and Beqaa seek government compensation for frost damages and await the decision of the Cabinet, 9/4/2014
Minister of Agriculture supports protecting farmers from natural hazards amidst calls for compensation, 4/4/2014

On the occasion of Workers’ Day, the Palestinian Democratic Women Associations (PDWA) organized last week in the Mar Elias camp a discussion workshop on various issues related to Palestinian women workers.  The workshop covered several topics including the principle of gender equality according to international treaties and conventions namely CEDAW, and tackled the problems and obstacles facing Palestinian women workers in Lebanon. The workshop concluded with a series of recommendations including the implementation of researches and studies about Palestinian women workers, supporting Palestinian women workers in pressuring employers to give them employment contracts, securing equal pay and end of contract gratuities, defining working hours and providing access to health insurance and maternity leave.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 6 May 2014

In  the fourth annual celebration of workers’ day, the founding committee of the MWDW syndicate organized in collaboration with Kafa, Amel, Insaan, Caritas and the anti-racist group a three day activity from 2 to 4 May inclusive, and  calling for the legal protection of MWDW in Lebanon.  The event aimed at achieving social and legal recognition of domestic work as real work which merit protection as well as the abolishing of the sponsorship (Kafalat) system.

On the first day activities included the launch of a booklet entitled “if it wasn’t for the sponsorship system” which comprised stories by MWDW.  The book was collected from testimonials presented at the Monnot theater in Achrafieh where 5 MWDW of various nationalities shared their stories or stories of friends who were not able to come themselves either because of their difficult legal conditions or simply because they were not able to leave home.  The event also included lectures by lawyer Roland Tawk who spoke about the problems associated with the Sponsorship system.  Tawk compared this system with the regular employment mechanism and went through the minute details of recruitment costs, work contract, hours of work, remuneration, entitlements for holidays, and communication with others.  The second speech was by Myrtle Witbooi the president of the International Domestic Workers Federation, herself a former domestic worker who stressed the importance that MWDW lead their own struggles and the need for solidarity amongst them and with civil society.

The second day included cultural and social events gathering MWDW in a Hamra parking lot where participants showcased products from their countries including fabric, clothing, jewelry, music, food and others, while the third witnessed a march which started from Dora and ended in Mar Mikhael.  Marchers held banners with slogans depicting their ordeals and asking for their legal right.  Reaction varied as many chose to show their racism and their shock that MWDW should go out on the streets whilst many activists joined the MWDW in their march.  The end of the event was dedicated to the remembrance of MWDW who died in Lebanon and those who were not able to participate because their employers do not allow them to go out.  MWDW asked for abolishing and replacing the sponsorship system by another that is based on a fair work relation that respects human rights.  Participants also asked for their rights to sever work contracts as well as to well defined working hours, rest hours, holidays and sick leave and for appropriate investigation of cases of abuse and suicide.
Source: Al-Akhbar, Al-Safir, Al-Nahar, Al-Safir 5 May 2014

The President of the National Commission for Lebanese Women, First Lady Wafa Suleiman, inaugurated last week a new NCLW training centre for women’s empowerment hosted within the premises of the Federation of Shuf Municipalities in Baaqline, and falling within the framework of NCLW’s collaboration with the Walid Bin Talal Foundation.  It is to be noted that this new center is the seventh of its kind to be inaugurated by the NCLW in different parts of Lebanon, the first located in Baabda and followed by other 2 centers hosted by the municipalities of Kayta3h in Akkar and Jezzine, then subsequent centers opened in 7hadath Baalbaq, Chiyya7h and Cheb3a.

Suleiman noted in her speech that the setting up of these centers is part of NCLW’s vision to contribute to women’s empowerment and capacity building.  She hoped that the launching of this centre will be a positive indicator for further building of infrastructure needed to build the capacities of rural women and help them access their health, social, educational and other rights.  She also added that the reform of the current discriminatory nationality law is one of the most vital present demands of women in Lebanon which she considers to be humanitarian and urgent.

For her part, the vice president of the Walid bin Talal foundation, former Minister Leila Hamadeh Al Solh, rejected the right of women to transmit nationality and argued that Lebanon is going through a difficult political situation and she considered that the reform of the nationality law is another form of implantation of refugees.  Al Solh proceeded with a poetic note and said that women are daughters, wives, and mothers of all politicians, scientists, economists, workers and even fighters.
Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Diyar 5 May 2014

Al Hayat newspaper published yesterday a report on choices women are often forced to make between paid employment and business entrepreneurship.  According to the report, women prefer to be employed with jobs have fixed working hours whilst men tend to go to business entrepreneurship.  The report notes that this trend is documented and substantiated via the studies and the statistics of the Central Administration for Statistics which shows that only 15% of women are business people or self employed compared to 42% for men.
The report also relays the individual experiences of several women such as for instance Lina Ahmar, a mother of two, who refrained from realizing her dream of opening her own furniture shop and remained employed as the working hours were more suitable and allowed her to pick up her daughter from school.  Hala Saadeh, also an employee notes that there are no incentives for women to become business entrepreneurs as they are overburdened will all sorts of household responsibilities which often forces to leave their jobs even if this means less family income as they are unable to balance household work and their professional obligations.
Social researcher, Khulood Haber, notes that there are several obstacles facing women in business entrepreneurship namely the absence of a favorable environment within the family.  She adds that women who succeed in creating their own businesses are often single as married women face many problems should they want to go along that path.  On the other hand, the report also shares the experiences of women who have succeeded in such ventures and who overcame material or moral obstacles namely Lara Mehanna, an accessories designer, whose work now reaches several Arab countries.  She also runs a workshop of seven workers and is married and a mother of two children.
The report concludes by highlighting the number of interventions which seek to support women business entrepreneurs and which were launched by NGOs as well as by banks and financial institutions.  These include access to capital and technical support from financial and economic experts.  The report that the challenge for Lebanese women is not just in improving their employment status  but also in overcoming societal barriers which have limited women’s capabilities so that they are able to engage with global changes.
Source: Al-Hayat 2 May 2014

As Safir newspaper published a report and a portrait of Shamma, a farmer who works the fields of Fayda in Zahle, and in middle and west Bekaa, and also works in sorting and packaging products in the internal Hangars. Shamma narrated to As Safir her life story as she started working in her beloved Bekaa valley more than 30 years ago, a time that she has spent amidst the potato, garlic, onion and orchards fields in addition to tending to rose plants and other decorative plants.  Shamma has been working in the flower nurseries of Suleiman Samaha in Shtaura for more than ten years now.  Along with other girls, they tend to the rose shrubs and the vineyards.  She also arranges flowers and has been doing almost everything at the nursery.  She noted that when she walks amongst the trees, she feels as if they communicate with her and she can feel thirsty whenever they are thirsty so she brings them water and arranges them. Shamma says that she is not ashamed of her work which she started very early on in her life at the expense of a lost childhood.  However, she does not want to deprive her children from their childhood and thus, she works to secure their livelihoods.
Source: Al-Safir 2 May 2014
 

As Safir newspaper published a report on Amira al Ali, a.k.a. Umm Khaled, who has a small shop and bakery on the Kuwykhat main road in Akkar.  Umm Khaled starts working at the crack of dawn when she prepares the bread dough used to bake Manakeesh and thin traditional Lebanese bread.  Her priority is school children.  Umm Khaled works seriously and with determination.  This has motivated her to expand her small business which now includes a legumes stall.  Umm Khaled’s objective is to secure money to send her children to school because, as she notes, having a degree is necessary. The report goes on to paint a rather romantic and traditional picture of Umm Khaled and portrays her welcoming smile towards her clientele, adding that she never complains but comes to work every day with her Abaya which is worn out by the flames of her oven.  Her clientele is regular and loyal because of the quality of her products and her generosity as well as the solidarity of many who want to help her raise her children as her husband has become invalid after a health accident.
Source: Al-Safir 2 May 2014