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English

Evacuation of migrant workers back to square one 

3-6-2020

Following initial talks about a free of charge or low cost repatriation scheme for migrant domestic workers from Lebanon (https://bit.ly/3dFcHuA), the head of the Syndicate of Owners of Recruitment Offices, Ali Amin, disclosed yesterday that the issue is now back to square one. Speaking to Al Markaziya electronic portal, Amin explained that notwithstanding the declared approval by Ethiopian authorities to bear the cost of the compulsory quarantine, they now seem to be incapable of fulfilling this. According to Amin, Ethiopians repeatedly maintained that the places they booked are now full as thousands of cases enter the country by land every day and are forced to impose similar measures on them which is beyond current accommodation capacity. Meanwhile, the ministry of labor asked Lebanese employers to consider the quarantine period, be it at home or at hospital, as paid sick leave. As for those who wish to deport their workers, they are kindly requested to contact the concerned embassies or consulates to this effect, while assuring the payment of their full dues before departure.  (Al Diyar, An Nahar, June 3, 2020)
 

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President supports unified personal status law, PM backs women’s political quota

2-6-2020

President Michel Aoun yesterday praised the achievements of the National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW) over the past three years in serving women’s issues. He congratulated NCLW members saying: “You have the competence to strengthen Lebanon’s unity, especially if you complete the unified personal status law that makes all citizens equal…. This is my advice to you, to move forward in this direction.” Aoun, who was speaking while receiving an NCLW delegation led by its president, his daughter Claudine Aoun Rukuz, vice president, Nuwar Hassan Diab, and members, at the end of the Commission’s term, pledged to provide all assistance to protect women from domestic violence. The delegation also met prime minister Hassan Diab and presented to him the proposals and draft laws submitted by NCLW, most notably: the amendment to the Law on the Protection of Women and Other Family Members from Domestic Violence, the social security law, the law relating to criminalizing sexual harassment, the law setting for setting the minimum age for marriage at 18, and the law recognizing the right of Lebanese women to confer nationality to their children. Diab for his part, restated his support and belief in the role of Lebanese women, stressing the need to activate their role within the legislative and executive authorities to contribute in the amendment and enactment of laws. He voiced his full backing of the women representation quota in the electoral law in order to allow for a larger participation in politics. Al Diyar, June 2, 2020

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Dana Barqawi wakes up Palestine history in gold and colors

2-6-2020

In its issue of today, Al Akhbar spotlighted artwork by Jordanian artist, Dana Barqawi, 30, which seeks to introduce the young generation to Palestinian history and culture. Barqawi did this by embellishing with golden flakes and colorful threads the black and white photos featuring daily lives of Palestinians between 1890 and 1948. Speaking about her creation, Barqawi said she selected pictures that significantly display the lives of Palestinians in an era threatened to be erased from collective memory. Some photos, which she found online at the Library of Congress, show women carrying water jugs and men picking oranges. As for the colors she used, Barqawi boasted that she was inspired by Palestinian folklore and women dresses in various regions of Palestine. Bottom-line, Barqawi concluded, is that she is trying to remodel and inventively craft traditional phases in a way that appeals to the young generation of Palestinians and all those interested. Recalling, that the first art collection of the Jordanian artist included 7 pieces and the latest included 10 pieces, some of which are now in the Museum of Palestinian People in Washington DC. (Al Akhbar, June 2, 2020)

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Rashayya encourages local farming to support livelihoods

1-6-2020

In the framework of boosting agriculture and reclaiming neglected fields for economic investment, the mayor of Rashayya, president of the Union of Municipalities of Jabal Sheikh, Sale7h Abu Mansur, launched a full-scale agricultural plan to help farmers and encourage residents to return to and invest in their land. In an interview with Al Diyar daily, Mansur explained that the initiative starts with plowing land, harvesting, milling and crushing of crops and grains using state-of-the-art machinery provided by the UNDP, as well as upgrading an ancient mill to this end. This, Mansur expounded, will meet the needs of rural people and reduce cost by 80% on farmers. The above scheme, he maintained, strengthens food security when farmers urgently need assistance to overcome grim living conditions, prohibitive price hike and the shortages in basic food items, in addition to the decline of the purchasing power of the Lebanese. (Al Diyar, May 30, 2020)
 

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Gender & Covid-19 in Lebanon

1-6-2020

In a statement issued on May 29, the United Nations said that the  Covid-19 pandemic has hit Lebanon amidst an unprecedented economic instability. The impact of Corona – in terms of domestic violence incidence and the gender gap in the workplace or in terms of unpaid work- could disproportionately affect women and girls, leading to a decline in the gains made so far to this effect. The UN, the statement added, and in response to the above, continues to coordinate with the Lebanese government and partners and intensifies efforts to meet the immediate and long term needs of women and girls. This involves for example, the provision of support to the ministry of social affairs to help with its emergency health and protection services through development service centers. It also entails boosting national government institutions which are considered the basic response tool to gender-based violence. (An Nahar, May 29, 2020)
 

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Free of charge or low cost repatriation of migrant domestic workers

29-5-2020

An Nahar today revealed indications of an imminent solution to the developing crisis regarding the repatriation of migrant domestic workers, specifically Ethiopian nationals, wishing to return to their countries in the wake of the Corona pandemic (https://lkdg.org/node/19321). Recalling, that the evacuation process was disrupted by the charge inflicted on employers who were forced by Ethiopian authorities to pay the cost of the 14-day quarantine at selected hotels at no less than USD 600, on the one hand, in addition to the airline ticket, on the other. According to head of the Syndicate of Owners of Recruitment Agencies in Lebanon, Ali Amin, an Ethiopian Airline officer is expected to visit Lebanon this Saturday to resolve the compulsory quarantine to this effect. Amin said he anticipated an agreement will be reached next week to completely leave out the quarantine requirement, while keeping the flight fare for the employer to pay, disclosing that to date, there is no promise that it will be less than USD 680. Amin said the evacuation will take place in two stages. The first involves two flights departing from Beirut today and Saturday accommodating 600 Ethiopians having legal problems with their embassy or security authorities. The second is assigned for regular trips, 10 trips in total. On the other hand, Al Akhbar daily wrote that the said ‘Ministerial Committee for the Repatriation of Immigrants’ proposed a gradual evacuation of migrant domestic workers and foreign workers free of charge or at low cost, as long as the planes evacuating Lebanese expats are passenger-free. MEA, Al Akhbar said, was asked to consider operating flights that allow some planes to land in the countries from which migrant workers came. It cited Committee sources as saying the purpose of the proposal is to mitigate overcrowding and address part of the migrant workers’ suffering under the current circumstances. (An Nahar, Al Akhbar, May 29, 2020)

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Saida “Soup Kitchen” feeds 3,000 people daily

29-5-2020

In its issue of today, Al Akhbar newspaper spotlighted the “Soup Kitchen” in Saida set up by Martyr Rashid Brom Dispensary, an affiliate of the “Social Solidarity Foundation”. The kitchen, to recall, opened in the wake of the October 17 Uprising to provide hot meals to poor residents of Saida and those hardly hit by the resulting calamitous living and economic conditions. Today, the Kitchen caters to around 3000 persons as compared to 400 at its opening date, Al Akhbar reported. However, the newspaper went on to say, the new developments and the increasing demand on the soup kitchen has developed a funding crisis, which, luckily, the Solidarity Foundation was able to overcome through the flow of service, in-kind and financial contributions. Noting, that scores of workers, students, teachers, housewives and lawyers participate in the preparation of the meals supervised by volunteer chefs. (Al Akhbar, Mary 29, 2020)

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US$ at LL 3200 raises food prices by 110%

28-5-2020

The Banque du Liban governor, Riad Salameh, issued a circular yesterday to amend facilities the BDL could provide to commercial banks to support imports of food products and industrial raw material. According to the circular, banks can request from BDL to secure 90% of the value of imported raw material in foreign currency to meet the import needs of business enterprises at a total of USD 100 million or its equivalent in other foreign currencies (https://bit.ly/2M46pIO). Noting, that BDL’s intervention came in response to the difficulties the food import sector has been facing as a result of shortage in dollar liquidity, which caused a prohibitive surge in product prices reaching nearly 300%, according to Saadeddine Hamidi Sakr of the General Labor Union, Al Diyar reported. For its part, Al Akhbar daily wrote, the new BDL circular indicates that the exchange rate will be determined according to the mechanism stipulated by the provisions of Article 7 of the Basic Decision No. 7548 involving financing imports. It sets the rate of cash exchange in foreign currency at LL 3200. With this, Al Akhbar went on to say, the decision becomes the first official text supporting the rise in prices of basic food commodities, and thus undermining the purchasing power of Lebanese consumers as it will results in raising prices by a minimum of 110%. At the same time, it helps merchants reconfigure and rebuild their capital from the pockets of the Lebanese twice, once from the depositors’ money confiscated by the banks and the BDL, and another from the wage earners. Furthermore, Saqr mentioned that he met with economy minister this week to discuss the provision of dollars for the importation of basic goods within a set ceiling and exchange rate, and that he received a pledge to secure the dollar at a rate of LL 3200. Saqr pointed out, however, that the BDL mechanism shall not resolve the dilemma, as the food basket targeted by the BDL circular does not include canned food, vegetables, fruits, chocolate, etc. (Al Akhbar, Al Diyar, An Nahar, May 21, 22, 23, 28, 2020)

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‘I am a story’ mural inspires Lebanese women and girls

28-5-2020

Al Akhbar drew attention yesterday to a giant mural on a building in the Hamra neighborhood of Beirut created by artist, Roula Abda, named “I am a story”. The mural, which features, and is a tribute to late Lebanese novelist Emily Nasrallah and artist Hugette Caland, is, according to Abdo, a call for action for women to achieve a gender equal nation and inspires them to shape their own destinies. The work has been curated in coordination with the Art for Change association, Abdo revealed. Al Akhbar highlighted the career life of Nasrallah (1931-2018) as a lecturer, writer and women’s rights advocate who served as an original model of rebel women, that was seen then as bizarre and different from the decreed destiny of rural women. The newspaper also spotlighted the career path of Caland (1931-2019) whose paintings and artworks have appeared in international museums. Her erotic nude paintings reflected a feminist and revolutionary mindset since her first exhibition in Beirut in the early seventies of the past century. What brings Nasrallah and Caland together, Al Akhbar concluded, is their experimental and early struggle, each her own way, to urge women reclaim their freedom and life against authority and what it represents. The new work, to note, will join another giant mural in Hamra street, turning the latter into a visual celebration of three exceptional women experiences in the Lebanese art. (Al Akhbar, May 27, 2020)

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“Ghallatuna" to encourage home farming

27-5-2020

Former minister, Salim Sayegh, last week launched the “Ghalletna” project through VOLUNTEERS association with the aim to inspire people and farmers to invest in and restore life to their neglected lands. This is done through starting simple home gardens in a way to strengthen social solidarity and enhance the relationship with earth. In an interview with Al Diyar daily, Sayegh stressed that basically the project aims to empower every Lebanese household to face the imminent risk of food insecurity. “Ghallatuna”, he explained, started as a pilot project to be tested before being mainstreamed. The pilot targeted some 450 households in the Ftouh-Kestrouan area covering more than 40 towns and villages, where each case was studied separately through questionnaires that identify the criteria for the selection of lands for intervention. similarly, the project director, agriculture engineer, Ruba Bou Ezz, expounded that “Ghallatuna” functions along six axis: 1) the distribution of seedlings and instructions and guidelines on how to plant them, 2), follow up and intervention upon request from beneficiaries, 3) constant training on home farming, 4) encouraging and structuring agricultural volunteering, and finally, 5) preparation of traditional mouneh. (Al Diyar, May 23, 2020)
 

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