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The Saida Challenge Team launched last Friday at La Sale hall in the southern capital a special exhibition, ‘Saida for Young Entrepreneurs’, which included advisory and guidance sessions with successful experts in the domain. Some 21 projects by young students were presented with the theme ‘shou ma kint fik tsir’ (whoever you are, you can become what you like to be). The purpose of the activity is to support innovative initiatives through providing technical expertise that contribute to the development and advancement of society by setting up useful ventures to be later adopted and implemented by the local community.

Representing the Minister of Economy, the UNDP officer, Rafif Birro, pointed out that the ministry is supportive of initiatives that aim to develop the above promising sector and help Lebanon become a hub for creative entrepreneurs. Birro expressed hope the conference could be an opening for a long-term scheme aimed at promoting the concept of entrepreneurship in Saida and encouraging the young generation to enter this field. (Al Mustaqbal, November 14, 2015)

 

In its issue of last Saturday, Al Mustaqbal daily reported the success story of a 17-year old Lebanese from the Chouf village of Kfar Fakoud who completed her first academic year in space engineering at the highly competitive university of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston. Maya Nasr said she hopes to achieve her dream of specializing in the manufacture of spacecrafts and rockets after being chosen by MIT to receive a scholarship for her superior results, particularly in mathematics to study aerospace engineering.

Maya told Al Mustaqbal that it is one of the rare opportunities that the department accepts students from the Arab region, unless they hold the US citizenship. Nasr boasted that NASA was her dream, pointing that Lebanese women, and women in general, are capable of achieving the highest levels in various advanced and sophisticated areas of science. )Al Mustaqbal, November 14, 2015(

 

On the Project Management World Day, and upon invitation from the International Project Management Association (IPMA), the Second National Conference for Project Management opened in Beirut last Thursday with the participation of MP Simon Abu Ramya. Also present were the president of the Federation of Municipalities of Jezzine District, Khalil Harfoush and a crowd of specialists, academics and social, economic and development figures. During the conference, Abu Ramya noted that in the absence of an inclusive national statistical policy, the data reflecting the rate of unemployment among youth at hand is largely incorrect. He mentioned some of the direct reasons for emigration and unemployment, mainly, the “unstable political and security situation and the disparities between the university specialties and the requirements of the labor market, in addition to the competition of foreign workforce.” And while he expressed regret over the slack attitude of the  National Employment Office in providing prospects for the young graduates and other components of society, Abu Ramya declared what he termed as a ‘youth emergency’. He urged the private and public sectors to help the young people of Lebanon to stay steadfast in their homeland instead of promoting policies that encourage emigration. “Lebanon does not exist outside the framework of its youth,” he cried out. (An Nahar, November 14, 2015)

 

As part of the annual Tasting Week, the Minister of Tourism Michel Pharaon inaugurated yesterday the Beirut Cooking Festival and the Salon Du Chocolat at Biel Complex. Present at the opening were the president of the Chambers of Trade, Industry and Agriculture in Lebanon, Mohamad Chukair, the president of the Syndicate of Restaurants, Cafes, Nightclubs and Pastries, Toni Rami and a crowd of diplomatic, economic and touristic figures. The 3-day festival offers diverse activities and workshops demonstrating the latest cooking techniques with a group of famous chefs. In his brief word, Pharaon  stressed that the “economic societies, NGOs and associations concerned are presenting the best through this expo which reflects cutting-edge accomplishments and innovations at all times,” as he said, adding “the exhibition has become an annual occasion we all await.” (As Safir, Al Diyar, An Nahar, November 13, 2015)

 

The Social Training Center, in collaboration with the German Friedrich Ebert Foundation, organized last week  a 4-day training session for empowering women entrepreneurs entitled ‘how can you start your own business?” The workshop which was held at the Center for Development Services-Baalbek, Bekaa, was attended by some 20 women from the city and neighboring villages. The main purpose of the training course was to help those women develop their skills, their social communication  and marketing talents. One participant, Iman Issa, told An Nahar that 2 weeks after completion of the workshop, she was able to sell her homemade products through the mouneh initiative and to better invest in her enterprise. For her part, the Development Center director, Huda Saeed, explained that the course is based on the rationale of ‘building the capacities of women in forming a team of trainees’ program that enables the smooth transfer of knowledge and expertise to the local communities. Elaborating on the issue, the head of the Social Affairs Department in Baalbek, Walid Assaf, said, “There are three groups of women who received the training: firstly, those who aspire to empower themselves in the management of their households ventures; secondly, women who like to enhance their businesses properly and methodically, and finally, the women planning to set up their own enterprises.” )An Nahar, November 13, 2015 2015(

 

In a feature highlighting the agricultural and industrial exports conditions in Lebanon, Al Diyar daily said the sector managed to overcome the difficulties challenging its progress, notably the local political instability and the closure of the borders as a result of the ongoing Syria war, in addition to the absence of government support. The newspaper noted that Lebanese exporters remained resolute and succeeded to a big extent, notwithstanding the relatively high cost they have paid and are still paying to achieve this. 

To shed more light on the subject, Al Diyar spoke to the chief of the Lebanese Industrialists Association, Fadi Gemayel, who boasted the steadfastness of the local industry and the flexibility of the Lebanese entrepreneurs in adapting and changing the course of exports. The World Bank report,he said, pointed out that "Lebanon was the only country in the region to prevail over the standard criterion representing developing states, as per the annual exports per company value and the diversity of exported products."

Gemayel stressed the need for a swift intervention by the government to salvage the situation, mainly concerning the industrial exports, which he pointed have declined by 6.9% in 2014. Meanwhile, he added, the industrialists grouping is doing its best to open new markets, particularly to Russia, Canada and Africa, besides planning programs that boost the export capacity of small and medium enterprises. (Al Diyar, October 26, 2015)

 

As Safir daily unveiled the danger threatening the existence of old stone grape presses in the towns and villages of Hasbaya. It warned that the forsaken traditional crushers could become a lost heritage, particularly after the fall in vine production and the farmers shift to modern press machineries. The newspaper pointed out that the molasses making season offered villagers an opportunity to work together in the vineyards, where they collected, packed and loaded the crops in the press after preparing the firewood. Then, they crushed and cooked the crops into soft molasses, cooled it down and stacked it in earthenware jars that keep them fresh through the year. As Safir said Hasbaya farmers brag about the healthy and nutritious benefits of molasses. Fares, owner of one of the stone presses, told the newspaper that he gave up the tradition after most of his contemporaries turned into the easy to use and cost effective new-fangled equipment. “There used to be 18 presses dispersed across the villages of Hasbaya and Arkoub, but now they all are at risk of extinction,” Fares grieved. Owners of stone  presses finally appealed to the authorities concerned to save the dwindling heritage of that part of the country through the restoration and upgrading of its timeworn components. (As Safir, November 9, 2015)

 

 

In a feature published last week, Al Akhbar daily reported a slide in doing business in Lebanon for 2016, placing the country at rank 123 among 189 states covered by the survey, with a recorded fall from 121 in 2015. According to the review, Lebanon ranked 114 globally for ‘starting a new business’, noting that establishing an enterprise requires 6 measures over a period of 15 days. Also, Lebanon came 109 globally under the ‘ease of access to credit’ profile, whereas, the report saw more strain in the process of the transfer of real estate, pointing to a prolonged property registration measures. 

On the other hand, Al Akhbar quoting the latest statements by the World Bank, pointed out that the remittances of Lebanese expatriates continue to be a receptive reservoir, anticipating an increase to US$ 7.489 billion in 2015 up from US$ 7.446 billion in 2014. “Despite the political and security instability in the region and the geo-political changes worldwide, as well as the paralysis of institutions in Lebanon, the Lebanese expats have proved to remain tough. This is reflected in a business stamina and an exceptional capacity seen in an upsurge in remittances against last year, where Lebanon ranked 15 globally and 13 regionally,” the newspaper said. (Al Akhbar, November 4, 2015)

 

The Daily Star published in its issue of October 30 a briefing of the regional seminar on forced child marriages which pointed to a considerable and worrying rise in early marriages of girls, particularly among Syrian refugees. The seminar ‘Early marriage of girls amidst transition to democracy and armed conflicts’ was organized in Beirut by the Arab Institute for Human Rights in Lebanon and ABAAD association. Participants agreed that the phenomenon of early marriage is an appalling violation of the human rights of girls depriving them of their fundamental rights, namely the right to life, health, education and freedom of choice. They warned this could seriously threaten the well-being and life of both the underage mother and her unborn child/children, in addition to negatively impacting the immediate family, society, and the unwanted human and economic costs that slacken any chances of development.

According to United Nations 2014 statistics, nearly 18% of Syrian refugee girls covered by the survey have married before reaching 18. Similarly, the World Health Organization warned of the biological risks of early pregnancy pointing to the medical implications as being a leading cause of death among girls between 15-19 years. It also noted a 50% increase in the mortality rate of newborns from mothers under 20 years against mothers who became pregnant when they were 20 years and above. (The Daily Star, October 30, 2015)