Rima Saliba from Zghorta joins the leadership council of the PSP

In its issue of today, L’orient le Jour published an interview with Rima Saliba, 37 year old from Zghorta, who is one of the four women elected on February 5th into the leadership council of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP).  Saliba spoke about how she first got to know the PSP and that is through her humanitarian work in Bab el Tebbaneh in Tripoli.  According to Saliba, she was searching for a meaning for social justice and humanity when she witnessed poverty and tragedy in the area where she was working.  As such, socialist ideals influenced her notably the precepts of Kamal Jumblat thus prompting her to join the PSP in late 2006.  Following that, she moved forward in her position within the party to reach its leadership council.  Saliba clarified that the presence of the party is very limited in Zghorta but she reiterated that her aim as member of the leadership council is to increase the outreach of her party across Lebanon in addition to reinforcing the ideal of redistribution of wealth and resources and bringing in a fair taxation system and having balanced development across the various regions of the country.  Saliba also spoke about the challenges she faced notably vis-à-vis her neighbors and friends who found her decision odd and who continuously asked her “what are you doing amongst those people”.  To this question, Saliba would continuously answer “I found myself amongst them”.  Saliba concluded that she will work with her women colleagues on the leadership council to further the participation of women in political life. (Daily Star, February 16th, 2017)