Lebanon’s present descent into ever deepening crises is ultimately traceable to the Lebanese’s excessive loyalty to sectarian community and leadership over and against the common national good. This sectarianism both facilitated the bloody inter-communal violence of Lebanon’s Civil War (1975-1990) as well as the subsequent… Read More »Black Saturday: Launching Truth and Reconciliation for Lebanon
The year 2022 brought the first national Lebanese elections since the turbulent 17 October Revolution in 2019, and many eyes were turned towards what has been popularly called “civil society,” or “mujtama3 madani” in Arabic. This term refers to the political change movement whose seeds… Read More »Report: The Political Metamorphosis of Lebanon’s Civil Society
In 2018, the Lebanese Parliament passed Law 105 on Missing and Forcibly Disappeared Persons. It was a historic milestone for the families of the thousands of disappeared who have struggled for decades to secure their rights: the right to know, the right to justice, the… Read More »A New Strategic Plan for the National Commission for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared
Honey is a singular element of the Lebanese kitchen: the spoon of honey at breakfast is a daily ritual. On the other hand, the environmental conditions of its entirely local production are neglected. In other words, those who have a religious deference toward honey are… Read More »Local Bees and Urban Beings: Launch of the Brand
The Parliamentary elections in May saw the change movement gain some 13 seats, including some of the participants of ARA’s year-long “Leaders of Change” project. However, the change movement, both in and outside of parliament, does not always move as a political bloc, while the… Read More »First “Agora” White Paper: the Sovereign Wealth Fund