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In its edition of yesterday, As Safir newspaper reported on a poll carried out by Information International that highlighted a number of key right issues of importance to Lebanon’s public: the right of Lebanese women to grant nationality to family members, optional civil marriage and the right of women to a comprehensive health insurance plan and old age pension. The phone poll conducted during the period between November 8 and 10 covered some 500 respondents divided along sectarian lines and distributed as such: 52% males against 48% females, essentially targeting the above 18 years- age group. The survey indicated that nearly 72% of respondents supported the right of Lebanese women to grant nationality to their non-Lebanese husband and her children against 22% who opposed it. The survey also showed a higher level of support among Muslims, as such: 84% for Sunnis and 71% for Shiites, falling to 64% for the Greek Orthodox and 62% for the Maronite confession. Regarding the issue of optional civil marriage, about less than half of respondents (48%) were in favor, against 44% opposing. Across the religious confessions, the level of support was higher among Christians recording respectively, 77%, 67%, 64% and 54% for the Catholics, Armenian, Maronite and Greek Orthodox respondents, while falling to 38% among Muslim Shiites and 29% among the Sunnis. On overall health insurance and old age pension, the overwhelming majority of respondents where in favor (97%) against only 2% who opposed, the survey concluded. (As Safir, November 15, 2016)

 

The Islamic Center Association for Guidance and Higher Education inaugurated last Thursday its ninth Orientation fair at UNESCO Palace in the presence of industry minister, Dr. Hussein Hajj Hassan. Under the theme, ‘Your specialization  is not a matter of luck’, the exhibition is expected to last until today, with the participation of about 27 universities. Representatives of higher education institutions carried out pilot activities in front of the visiting students, including broadcasting news in front of a live camera. What initiated this event, the chair of the Association, Ali Zalazali, told Al Safir, is that students lack the right information on the requirements of the labor market, coupled with the absence of educational guidance in schools, and sometimes in universities and colleges. He pointed out that the Islamic Center seeks to help students find proper disciplines that best suit their preferences and personalities through a simple scientific experiment  to this end. About the most wanted disciplines, Zalazali mentioned the education sector, which he said, is always in need of specialists, in addition to future jobs in the promising oil and gas industry. Zalzali also disclosed that introducing ‘educational guidance’ into schools has been proposed before the state-run Educational Center for Research and Development (ECRD), but while conceding its significance, the response of ECRD was that this was not possible for the time being. (As Safir, November 12, 2016)

 

After two weeks of news blackout around Syrian government decision to import Lebanese bananas in exchange for its citrus products, (:http://bit.ly/2elJaM6), Agriculture minister, Akram Shehayeb, acknowledged yesterday the decision to trade Lebanese banana in exchange for Syrian citrus fruits, without disclosing further details, while noting that his Lebanese industry counterpart has negotiated with the Syrian authorities the decision which will enter into effect in the few coming hours. Moreover, NBN TV said yesterday that Syria’s deal to open its borders to Lebanese banana for 24 hours comes after efforts by Parliament Speaker, Nabih Berri, with the Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon. Meanwhile, the President of Lebanese Farmers’ Association, Antoine Howayek called off yesterday and until further notice the ‘Banana Farmers Day of Rage’ planned for today, Monday, while the vice chair of the South Farmers Gathering, Rida Fadel, confirmed that the freeze of the protests was only for 48 hours. In related news, Homs Customs Director, Mazen Makhluf, revealed last Saturday that the directorate has one day earlier confiscated a refrigerated truck loaded with nearly 22 tons of bananas smuggled from Lebanon. Makhluf said the truck is the second to be seized in the past 10 days, pointing out to the failure of smugglers’ attempts to obstruct the decision of the Syrian cabinet to import Lebanese bananas in exchange for Syrian citrus. (As Safir, Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, The Daily Star, L’Orient Le Jour, November 14, 2016)

 

Pursuant to the government decision on November 6 to compensate for wheat farmers losses, the minister of trade and economy, Alan Hakim, issued last week a directive asking wheat and barley growers to benefit from the support package for the 2017 season and clarifying the required documents to this effect. (for more on the ordinance: http://nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/show-news/253758/ ). On the other hand, Al Akhbar newspaper published a special feature on the local production of honey in line with the agriculture ministry estimates. There are some 6340 beekeepers in Lebanon, the newspaper wrote, who own nearly 274 thousand beehives and produce a maximum of 25% of the local demand (according to the last BLOM Bank monitor). As a result of climate change, honey production has dropped to 1920 tons in 2015 (USD 11 million), prompting Lebanon to import in the first 6 months of 2016 some 232 tons of honey (at USD 1.83 million), Al Akhbar noted. The majority of honey producers in the country are farmers who have no trademarks for their products, except for the leading trademarks, L’atelier du Miel, Mount Lebanon and Kaddum. The newspaper described the competition in the local market as timid for it does not meet domestic demand. Each farmer, the newspaper went on to say, boasts his own clientele, as most of the Lebanese opt to buy honey directly from the farmer, rendering it more expensive than a honey brand. In a similar vein, the Balamand University and the Chamber of Tripoli and North Lebanon organized last Thursday a‘National Olive Day’ in the district of Akkar in cooperation with the ministry of agriculture. Sideline activities included, an exhibition which showcased a variety of olive made products, and a workshop on the sensory evaluation methodology of olive oil and highlights on the principles of conservation agriculture in olive plantations. (L’Orient Le Jour, Al Diyar, Al Akhbar, November 8 and 11, 2016)

 

Previous related news:

Olive production in Hermel declines by 80%, amidst the mushrooming of cooperatives

Long list of agricultural demands awaiting the new cabinet

Minister of Industry calls on the new cabinet to support olive production, agriculture and industry generally

 

The heated policed rivalry regarding the distribution of seats in the proposed cabinet points out the continuous marginalization of women, despite the circulation of the name of former minister Leila Solh Hamadeh, vice chair of Walid Bin Talal Foundation, as a potential candidate, and as reported by L’Orient Le Jour today. In this respect, the newspaper referred to the president of the Civil Society Dialogue Table and women’s rights activist, Hayat Arslan’s disappointment over what is going on.  “Our motto has always been: a government that has no women is underdeveloped”, Arslan told Al Markaziyah electronic portal, expressing regret over the absence of the active participation of women. There are many qualified women deserving to be in leading positions, Arslan boasted. “We were looking forward to a reform that would fairly represent all elements of society be it in the cabinet or in public institutions,” Arslan maintained, stressing as well the significance of youth representation in the government to be. For her part, the environmental activist, president of the Green Party of Lebanon, Nada Zaarour, disclosed to L’Orient Le Jour, that she has had talks with concerned circles advising them not to give up on women in the upcoming cabinet. Zaarour said she believes the subject is just as important as the environment. She lambasted the preoccupation of politicians in so-called ‘sovereign’ ministerial profiles, whereas, they consciously disregard the environment dossier which has direct impact on the life and health of citizens. (L’Orient Le Jour, November 11, 2016)

BLC bank and the Alumni Central organized yesterday joint seminars at the Beirut Four Seasons Hotel, including a workshop for women entrepreneurs in Lebanon. The session tackled challenges women in business usually face, in addition to highlights of the opportunities at hand. Participants were also introduced to applied mechanisms that help empower women and secure their presence in various fields, notably in the domains of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. On the occasion, BLC assistant general director, Tania Msallam, pointed out that Lebanon’s national resources owe much to women’s efficient contribution in society at all levels, but lamented the under-representation of women in most sectors of the economy which, in fact, hinders the country’s prosperity. (Al Diyar, Al Akhbar, November 11, 2016)

The labor ministry announced this week that it had received a letter from a leading local textile company notifying it of the decision to foreclose after 40 years in business and to subsequently lay off 42 of its Lebanese employees, and asked to consult with the ministry in this regard. The reasons for the forced closure, according to company owner, Mohamad Sinno, are purely economic, and it started with the outbreak of conflicts in the Arab region and the resulting flooding of the domestic markets with Turkish and Chinese goods. The ministry  mentioned another local company, 106-year old printing press which also asked to consult with it for the dismissal of 13 of its staff for the same reasons. The labor ministry also pointed out to many grievances it received from employees and workers who were arbitrarily laid off from their jobs. For the complete list of companies, kindly visit the following link: http://bit.ly/2g0DHL4. ;

On foreign workers, the ministry disclosed that it is tracking enterprises that recruit foreign laborers, namely Syrians. In this respect, it cited a number of complaints from medical doctors and patients at Bhanis Hospital claiming that the Lebanese dialect is barely being heard on the site as most nursing staff are now Syrians. Moreover, the ministry pointed out that its inspection team has recently seized 33 Syrian nationals working as nurse aides and in other occupations and has taken the appropriate penalties against the violating institutions. The ministry has also suspended the licenses of some 29 agencies recruiting domestic workers for violating rules. (Al Diyar, Al Akhbar, November 5 and 9, 2016)

 

In its edition of today, An Nahar newspaper referred to the failure the long negotiations with the Syria over the entry of Lebanese bananas into Syrian markets, without pointing out to contrary news that originated from Damascus (http://bit.ly/2elJaM6) . As such, agricultural unions, according to the newspaper, are resuming their protests demanding a solution before the month of January, which is the maximum period bananas can hold before going to waste. In this respect, southern banana growers sent an open letter to the president of the republic, house speaker and the director general of Hizbullah to intervene for opening the Syrian markets to their products. In the same vein, the Gathering of Farmers of the South held yesterday a meeting at the banana packaging center in Adloun, Tyre, in preparation for their planned demonstration on Monday, in which they are expected to block the Southern highway at Gaziyeh, in protest over the government’s inexcusable indifference.  Meanwhile, the agriculture minister, Akram Shehayeb, who denies the existence of any crisis, and who believes that the decision to close borders with Syria was in answer to persistent demands by different unions representing Lebanese farmers, as reported Al Akhbar on November 7, is still discussing with the Egyptian Consul in Beirut the possibility of exporting Lebanese apples. The Lebanese Army in the meantime, has begun an assessment survey of apple cultivated farmlands in line with a cabinet decree to compensate apple growers for loss of exports. (Al Mustaqbal, An Nahar, Al Diyar, November 10, 2016)

 

A delegation of the Women in Parliament coalition handed Prime Minister Designate Saad Hariri yesterday a memorandum asking him to promote women’s participation in politics and endorse their positions in all other sectors. “We are fully confident that your upcoming cabinet will commit to the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and to the recommendations of Beijing Platform of Action in everything related to women’s participation in political life,” the memo said. It also reminded Hariri to help secure a women’s representation quota of not less than 30% of the Parliamentary seats in the projected electoral law, as well as the involvement of women in the upcoming government. The delegation concluded by saying, “We are hopeful that you will seek to change Lebanon’s abysmal position among world countries in terms of women participation in politics.” (Al Mustaqbal, November 10, 2016)