In collaboration with UN Women, the Japanese Embassy and the ministry of social affairs, the Safadi Foundation on Friday announced the launch of the revival of the basket weaving industry in Byblos project. The latter focuses on training local women on how to employ palm fronds in making baskets. According to the Japanese Ambassador to Lebanon, Matahiro Yamaguchi, the project aims to empower some 600 women through the provision of useful entrepreneurial skills, and contributes to achieving the desired equality between men and women. L’Orient Le Jour, which reported the news, said three women from Jbeil, Byblos are the masterminds of the initiative. They are: Alice Edde, an activist in the protection of traditional artisan skills; Najwa Bassil, local development expert and architect, Mouna Yazbek. Bassil pointed out that the idea of the undertaking is to revive a trade or craft that essentially associated with the country’s heritage. And while stressing the need to engage contemporary designers to update traditional basket making methods in such that they appeal to modern tastes, she hoped the initiative will leave positive impact on tourism and commerce activity. Yazbek for her part disclosed that in order to facilitate the implementation of the project, she sought out elderly women who boast the required expertness. (L'Orient Le Jour, November 25, 2017)