News

Lebanese Rose Bechara received the “2020 Gold Medal” at the International Olive Oil Contest (IOOC) at Palmi, Italy. In an interview with An Nahar daily, Bechara, founder of the Darmmess Extra Virgin Olive Oil brand in October 2019, boasted that she is a native of Deir Mimas (Marjeyoun, South Lebanon), a beautiful small village nested between hills covered with ancient olive trees (600 to 2000 years). Bechara recounted that since her childhood, olive oil has been highly appreciated in her village and in demand in Lebanon. She researched and learned more about olive oil and its multiple health benefits. Eventually, “I decided to promote this green gold which I started dreaming of since 2017,” Bechara said. “I was delighted by the idea of promoting it locally and internationally to people who appreciate it. I started my journey with the one-of-a-kind extra virgin olive oil developed exclusively for true connoisseurs,” she concluded. (An Nahar, June 17, 2020)
 

The Founding Committee of Domestic Workers Union in Lebanon revealed in a statement yesterday the suffering of migrant women domestic workers (MWDWs) brought about by the kafala (sponsorship) system. The Kafal system, the statement said, deprives workers of their legitimate rights, starting from the confiscation of their IDs to denying their weekly day-off, their freedom of movement and fair pay, ending up in racial discrimination and bullying. The above committee demanded official parties to work to abolish the kafala system and end exploitation of MWDWs to this effect and treat them as laborers rather than slaves. The committee also asked the labor ministry, embassies and consulates of the labor sending countries to work to shut down recruitment offices and restrict all MWDW matters to concerned public departments. It called for the suspension of all prosecutions against workers, the cancellation of fines and allowing them to change their employer to the time they leave Lebanon and return to their countries after the corona pandemic eases. In conclusion, the committee pointed out that the amendment draft laws currently under deliberation, including the unified work contract proposal do not safeguard the rights or dignity of MWDWs. It stressed the need to sign the license required to recognize the Domestic Workers Union which has been inactive for five  years in the drawers of the labor ministry, as well as sign the ILO Convention No 189 related to decent work for MWDWs. (NNA, June 16, 2020)
 

The minister of agriculture, Abbas Mortada, discussed his ministry’s agricultural policy during a consultative meeting on June 9 for the agri-food public departments and institutions. Mortada outlined the vision of the support strategy needed to alleviate the anguish of farmers and provide agricultural inputs subsidized in hard currency by Banque du Liban. In this respect, the member of the Liberation and Development Bloc, MP Qassem Hashem, during a tour on farmers and cultivated lands in the Marie and Wazzani areas in the South, demanded more attention to agriculture, specifically in the borderline villages. He stressed the need to develop a clear-cut plan to facilitate the transition from a rentier to a productive economy, provide financial and technical assistance, compensate farmers after the heavy losses they suffered due to the skyrocketing prices of fertilizers and nutrients, the slump of produce and their inability to pay their loans and debts. Meanwhile, Al Akhbar reported on June 6 that the USD hike has hit tobacco growers twice to date. On the one hand, the rise in the prices of agricultural raw material has caused a swift slump of the harvest after more than half the value of the yield dropped as a result of currency fluctuation. On the other hand, the restrictive banks’ policies led to the installment of farmers’ entitlements deposited last year in these banks by the Regie, not to mention the banks’ decision this year to deprive farmers of the ‘privilege’ of so-called ‘mortgage license’. (Al Akhbar, Al Diyar, June 6, 7, 10, 2020)
 

In its issue of June 9, Al Akhbar spotlighted artist Fatima Abdallah who creates small miniature paintings on pebbles she collects from Beirut shores. All artworks are marketed via her social media ‘Art and More’ page. The idea, Abdallah boasted, came up with the start of the compulsory quarantine and the lockdown imposed due to the corona pandemic. When gift and gadget shops closed, Fatima said, she decided to use her drawing talent that is diverse compared to the hardest drawing techniques or painting styles. She opted to start with small stones or pebbles, and moved to small wooden keychains for doors and cars. Speaking to Al Akhbar, Abdallah stated that the dire economic conditions have limited the purchasing power of people and their ability to buy expensive gifts which prompted her to find a substitute that fits all budgets. After being disinfected and packed as a gift, pieces are sold online at prices that vary from LBP 5,000 to LBP 10,000, plus of course the cost of delivery. (Al Akhbar, June 9, 2020)
 

Notwithstanding the easing of the lockdown due to Coronavirus around the world, Kuwaiti- Lebanese film director, Farah Al-Hashem Saturday met the public in a live broadcast via CAP Culture Instagram account. The director of ‘Tarweeqa in Beirut’, talked about producing films on a tight budget. Noting, that CAP Culture is virtual Kuwaiti platform for technical, cultural and intellectual events that contributes to creating a virtual space for reading and dialogue. (Al Akhbar, June 13, 2020)