Labora vows to continue mainstreaming Christians into civil service

Labora organization held its 7th anniversary at Al Sufara Hall, Casino Du Liban, in the presence of archdiocese of Byblos, Archbishop Michel Aoun and MPs Hadi Hbeish and Marwan Faris. Labora President Father Toni Khadra stressed in his speech that Christians in Lebanon are breaking the cycle of frustration and neglect towards public sector employment and are now targeting jobs in state institutions. According to Labora statistics, Christian beneficiaries from both sexes until the end of 2014 were distributed as such: 56697 Christians oriented, 6919 Christians trained and 9569 effectively recruited. The economic profits resulting from the created jobs were estimated at USD 758 343 250, adding a fundamental economic and social component to the Christian presence in the country. Labora secured in 2014 some 2120 new posting for Christians in the military service and achieved a balance in the Public Security apparatus, in coordination with Major General Abbas Ibrahim, and almost parity in the State Security and the Internal Security Forces. Likewise, the collaboration of the association with the Minister of Finance, Ali Hassan Khalil, created a fifty-fifty balance in the Military Customs Department. However, the biggest challenge remains to increase the Christian presence in the army, from 20% currently to at least 30-40%. Meanwhile, Labora will continue to aim at creating more job prospects for young Christian men and women in all various public sectors, as well as the private. More concretely the association ambitions for 2015 to enlist some 5880 Christians in the military services, a target which will necessitate funding amounting to USD250 000 in order to cover orientation and training activities. (Al Diyar, An Nahar, 5 May 2015)