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‘It is time to change the mentality’ women campaign

29-11-2017

The National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW) said in a statement yesterday that, in coordination with the UNFPA and as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, it launched its campaign for this year under the motto, ‘It is time to change the mentality’. The campaign, the statement mentioned, has been chosen to draw attention to the abuses against women and girls inherent in popular sayings which while demeaning the woman, they are reproduced in the prevailing cultural mindset. This nurtures discrimination against females and justifies violence against them, the statement said. In an attempt to uncover the cruel upshots of similar sayings and clichés, the NCLW sought to direct them towards males instead in order to expound their dreadful and humiliating effect, on either males or females, the statement added. The upside down proverbs will be aired and published on TV screens, billboards and online, for ‘it is time to change the mentality’ and blow the lid off the unacceptable violent ramifications of such sayings. The above campaign went viral particularly among the young social media users. On the other hand, The Commission has also hoisted and lit in orange a banner which read, ‘No to violence against women and girls’, which will remain on its Baabda premises throughout the 16 Days of Activism period. (Al Mustaqbal, November 29, 2017)

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Tripoli slowly progress economically on the silk road

28-11-2017

As part of continuous efforts to Bolster Tripoli’s economic role, the president of Al Faiha’a Union of Municipalities, Ahmad Kamareddine, signed on Saturday an agreement with the president of Silk Road Chamber of International Commerce (SRCIS), Li Zhonghang, to join the SRCIS alliance. Following the signing, Adnan Kassar, the chief of the Lebanese Economic Associations and head of Fransabank Group, underlined the pros of the agreement to be translated through the promotion of participating projects and the growth of transformational industries, in addition to firming up the trade and logistic services sectors, as well as, unleashing the cycle of Lebanon’s economy bound for the Arab and African markets. Zhonghang, for his part, stressed Lebanon’s old-new standing as a strategic location on the international commerce road. On the subject, president of the Special Economic Zone (FEZ) and former minister, Raya Hassan, pointed last week, during her participation in  ‘Developments on SEZ’ seminar, to positive negotiations with the World Bank and international donors concerning the special zone. This, Hassan stated, has pushed SEZ to set a3-year timescale to complete the infrastructure works instead of the normal 5-year timetable set for similar undertakings across the globe. In a related vein, the minister of transport and public works, Youssef Finianos, discussed with a delegation of China Harbor engineering company the possibility of implementation of the fourth phase of the expansion and development of Tripoli’s Port. Finianos also received a catalogue on the Port master plan from the Port’s director, Ahmad Tamer. Meanwhile, the secretary general of the Federation of Arab Chambers of Commerce, Khaled Hanafi, visited the chairman of the Chamber of Tripoli and the North, Toufic Dabousi, who briefed him on ‘Tripoli is the economic capital of Lebanon’ initiative. Also, Tripoli’s Tourism Association, in cooperation with Tripoli Chamber and Tripoli Bar Association, organized last Saturday a talk entitled, ‘Tourism in historic cities: Tripoli a model.’ (Mustaqbal, Al-Diyar and Al-Akbar 15,17,26,27,28 November 2017)
 
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Tripoli linking with New Silk Road

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Lebanese Forces & Al Azm also support women’s economic empowerment

28-11-2017

The Lebanese Forces (LF) Apparatus for Activating the Role of Women- Production Bureau will kick off its first artisan fair (December1-2, Mar Elias-Antelias Church) with the aim to empower women economically. The exhibition, held under the patronage of LF Party leader Samir Geagea, comes as part of the Party’s key mission to strengthen women’s political, economic and social role in the community, according to the invitation wording. The show opens on Friday (from 5 pm- 10 pm) and on Saturday (from 10 am- 10 pm), the invitation said. In a related incident, the Women’s Sector at Al Azm Movement organized an awareness seminar yesterday entitled, ‘Bread, Oil and Olives’ at the Bader Hassoun Ecovillage in Dahr al Ain, Koura in the North. In her talk, Sonia Abiad, head of the Agricultural Center in Tripoli and Minyeh, underlined the significance of olive oil as a unique fine food if extracted in the manner of virgin olive oil which preserves its rich antioxidants. Abiad focused on the proper scientific method of storing olives in preparation for extraction by a strictly hygienic press, cautioning against leaving the product more than 48 hours without squeezing. (Al Diyar, November 28, 2017)

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IDAL support agro-food industries at German/ NYC fairs

28-11-2017

The Investment Development Authority of Lebanon, IDAL, announced in a statement on Friday that as part of its mission to assist, promote and market made-in-Lebanon products, and by virtue of IDAL’s decision and the Cabinet’s approval to support Lebanese exhibitors at the respective Anuga, Fancy Food Show and Gulfood in Germany, NYC and Dubai, the Authority has paid the sum allocated to Anuga and Fancy Food Shows. To this effect, IDAL chairman, Nabil Itani has handed a cheque with the amount of USD 160,000 to Ahmad Huteit, chief of the Syndicate of Owners of Agro-food Industries, according to L’Orient Le Jour. Itani pointed to the agro-food sector’s multiple edges which allowed it to make a quantitative leap in the past few years, (2.6% of the GDP) with exports reaching 21% of the overall exports in 2016. For his part, Huteit underscored the assistance provided by IDAL to the Lebanese exhibitors in international expos, noting the increase in the number of partaking Lebanese industries as a result of this participation which he described as “very good”. This, Huteit added, has helped realize two main goals: firstly, the disposal of production of each participating company, and secondly, marketing the image of Lebanon as a reliable producing country in its first-rate products and in the quantity needed by foreign markets. (Al Diyar, An Nahar, L’Orient Le Jour, November 25, 2017)

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Silvana Lakkis, civil activist and LPHU chief

27-11-2017

In its issue of November 25, Al Ittihad newspaper focused on the life of activist Silvana Lakkis, President of the Lebanese Physical Handicapped Union (LPHU). Lakkis who has been living with paralysis since her childhood years, refused to be wheelchair-bound and instead took the case of the handicapped to the regional and international platforms, Al Ittihad wrote, describing her as the “Octopus Woman” (the woman with many arms). Lakkis has taken the determination and vigor after her mother who went all out to ensure that her daughter enjoys all her rights, like any other child. This has strengthened the qualities of leadership in the girl who grew to be known as the ‘mukhtar’ (chief) of the neighborhood’s kids. Reminiscing the disappointments in her life, Lakkis brought to mind the first setback when she was rejected by a private school close to where she lived on the pretext that “the school lacks the proper facilities and for fears of student bullying.” Later, after her transfer to a specialized institution, she became aware that people with disabilities were segregated and excluded, Lakkis told Al Ittihad reporter. Nevertheless, this incident has built up inside her a deep sense of struggle for human rights. The second mishap was when she was refused employment as a language teacher, knowing that she holds a translation degree which she earned during her medical trip to Czechoslovakia. In 1986, Lakkis joined the LPHU and moved to Saida which saw an outpouring of her capacities and potentials when she organized the LPHU’s early round of accomplishments. But she never gave in on her universal battle. She, and LPHU colleagues, staged protests against the war, resisting the partition of the country, and supported civil causes and the rights of disabled persons. Lakkis and her colleagues were among the leading activists who helped pass the 2000/220 Law on Persons with Disabilities in Lebanon. (Al Ittihad, November 25, 2017)

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International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

27-11-2017

Marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women which falls on November 25 each year, the President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, declared violence against women is a form of barbarism resulting from the absence of human conscience in both men and women. Aoun’s words came during his lifting the curtain off statue in tribute to women victims of violence on the Presidential Palace road in Baabda. The President said the first thought he contemplated after his election was to work to eliminate legal gender disparities, which he maintained are still far from acting as a deterrent in reducing the incidence of violence against women. On the same occasion, the Presidential Palace’s main façade was lit in orange, the color of the campaign. Meanwhile, the United Nations launched the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence with the logo: ‘Leave no one behind: End violence against women and girls’ which will last till the Human Rights Day on December 10. In the same vein, Kafa, Enough Violence and Exploitation, kicked off its campaign, #this is also sexual violence#, as part of its continuous struggle to eradicate all the effects of the Penal Code Article 522. To recall, the Lebanese Parliament on August 16 partially scrapped Article 522 and retained relevant articles related to sex with a minor. Also, the minister of state for women’s affairs, Jean Ogassapian, said there should be in-depth studies that evaluate the difference women can forge if they seize seats in the Legislative. Ogassapian who was participating in the ‘Win With Women’ conference organized by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in cooperation with Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), said the Lebanese woman is able to make that difference. )Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, November 25, 26, 27, 2017)

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Basket weaving revival in Jbeil

27-11-2017

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)

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Accord on banana exports to Syria still not in effect

24-11-2017

Seemingly, the Lebanese government’s respective arrangements with Jordan and Syria to facilitate the marketing of agricultural products, particularly bananas, have not been effected. To recall, the Lebanese and Jordanian agriculture ministers agreed in September to export certain products to Jordan starting 15/10/2017, and to increase the export of Lebanese bananas; and so did the Syrian government which imported more than 50,000 tons of these goods as of October 1, 2017 giving them edge over others. Meanwhile, Al Ittihad newspaper mentioned in its November 8th issue that  the minister of agriculture Ghazi Z3ayater was very close to an agreement with his Syrian counterpart regarding the marketing of certain crops from Lebanon, in line with the talks he had in the Syrian capital this past October. In a related vein, banana growers and exporters staged a peaceful sit-in on November 15 on the coastal highway between Saida and Tyre. They appealed to the President of the Republic, the House Speaker and heads of political factions to secure an entry into Syria of their bananas according to a mechanism that prevents further losses on farmers, ensures an equal non-restricted importation of the Lebanese banana and that produced in the neighboring state. Farmers also demanded the Syrian government to exempt Lebanon’s bananas from any taxes or custom fees consistent with the principle of reciprocity. (Al Diyar, Al Ittihad, November 8, 17, 2017)

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Re-exporting of Lebanese potato to Jordan and increased exports of apples, bananas and onions
 

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Khan Al Jookh in Beirut Souks promotes designers & craftspeople

24-11-2017

At 6:00 pm this evening, Solidere will launch the Khan Al Joukh event in the Gold Souk, Beirut Souks, which is dedicated to talented young designers and craftspeople. A collective of five residents will be there, and they are: Starched, founded by Rabih Kairuz, helps promote Lebanese emerging designers bringing together 12 Starch alumni; Studio 2, home to 2 Lebanese designers, Stephanie Nehme and Sahar Hafda, working with textiles and paper; Salim Azzam Boutique, for embroidery; BlockSfinj by Chriystel Karam, merging industry and architectural design, and, finally, Creative Space, Sarah Hermez, a free equal opportunity school for fashion design providing creative education to talented ambitious youth who lack the resources needed to pursue a degree at expensive institutions. On the initiative, Solidere’s general manager, Mounir Douaidi, said it seeks to revive and preserve Khan Al Joukh which was part of the old souks in the downtown district before the civil war. ( Akhbar, L’Orient Le Jour, November 24, 2017)

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Opening of Safadi Accelerated Vocational Training Center

24-11-2017

The Tripoli-based Safadi Foundation announced on Tuesday the beginning of classes at the Safadi Accelerated Vocational Training Center set up as part of the Revival of the Old City’s Society and Economy (ROSE program). The initiative implemented with the support of the Regional Development and Protection Programme for Refugees and Host Communities in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq (RDPP), aims to enhance the vocational skills of young people and facilitate their economic integration through employment generation in Tripoli and the North. A statement by the Safadi Foundation clarified that the center will provide beneficiaries (aged between 16-24 years) with free-of-charge training in some 13 disciplines on a duration of two months. Sessions already started in sanitary ware, painting and isolation, while other specializations will be gradually introduced during this month. The director of vocational training, Samer Fatfat, disclosed that at the end of the training courses, graduates from the Center will receive an experience certificate from the Safadi Foundation certified by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Tripoli and the North Bar Association. To note, the latter has few days ago signed a protocol of cooperation with the Foundation and several local and international organizations. Fatfat pointed out that beneficiaries will also get a complete professional toolkit and will assist them in finding jobs in the area in the framework of projects executed by the Safadi Foundation. (Al Diyar, November 22, 2017)

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A new vocational training center in Tripoli to empower youth, create jobs
 

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