News

The Municipality of M7haydsseh which is part of the Federation of Municipalities of Rashayya launched last week its pilot project aiming at sorting household waste by distributing special nylon trash bags on households and shops. The town’s mayor, Marwan Sharoof, pointed out that the paper and carton, plastic and metal will be treated at special plants for recycling, whereas the organic and food waste will be dumped in accordance with environmental standards and away from residential areas or water springs. As part of the project, Sharoof conducted a pilot experiment on the camp site of the Progressive Party Scouts where some 100 scouts were trained on waste sorting. Praising cooperation between the town’s inhabitants, the mayor pledged to expand this new service in order to preserve the environment of the village, its flora and fauna and the health of its people. He appealed to neighboring municipalities to follow suit so as to spare the area from the negative effects of poorly planned landfills and waste incinerators. (Al Mustaqbal, September 5, 2015)

 

Afaq Association- Center for Development of Rashayya and West Beqaa organized last week a seminar on techniques and mechanisms to develop the beekeeping and honey processing industry in the villages and towns of Rashayya. Attended by heads of agricultural, beekeepers and farmers associations, the workshop sought to shed light on the importance of developing the beekeeping sector with focus on its environmental, economic and health viability. Secretary of the Beekeeping Cooperative in Kfeir and neighboring areas, Majid Halabi, tackled in his intervention the diseases and pests affecting bee incubators as well as treatment and prevention methods. He hailed the attention given by the Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayeb to “improve, support and protect the industry through a resurgence plan that notes the economic gains of processing and producing honey in numerous villages across Lebanon.” 

Furthermore, the Lebanese Association for Alternative Agriculture held a training session on ‘Bee Diseases’ at the social care center in Baalbaq. The workshop was organized in collaboration with the USAID funded Lebanon—Industry Value Chain Development (LIVCD), with participation of beekeepers from Baalbaq and surroundings. Engineer Jad Mahd pointed out during the event to the various bee diseases, particularly those affecting the incubator through infecting the immature stages of a honey bee. Mahd also mentioned virus borne and fungal diseases and ways of treating them, in addition to the Varroa Destructor mites that fatally attack the honey bee. Towards the end of the workshop, beekeeping aide tools and equipment were distributed to beneficiaries. (Al Mustaqbal, September 4, 2015)

 

As Safir daily reported in a feature on fig cultivation published yesterday an unprecedented rise in demand for Al Hasbani fruit this year in domestic markets, particularly by processing and packaging plants. As a result, the price of one kilogram of figs has risen to LBP 2500 (wholesale) and LBP 4000 (retail). It is to be noted that the production of this fruit recorded in the past a steady decline for various reasons, mainly due to the fact that the farmers in the area have forsaken growing this crop replacing it with olive plantations, and because of various climate-borne diseases that have affected it.

The newspaper cited agricultural cooperatives as saying that fig planting areas have shrunk to less than 70% during the past 10 years causing a 50% fall in production. Sources added that total production in the last five years slipped from nearly 100 tons per day, to around 40-50 tons only.

Meanwhile, deputy chief of the cooperative of arid-farming and beekeeping, Nuhad Abu Hamdan, expressed with disappointment with the lack of concern by government authorities to support this agriculture particularly in view of present depression hitting the olive harvest. He pointed out that assistance to local fig growers could be of great value to the inhabitants of border villages especially with the increasing demand and low cost of production. In this respect, one fig dealer Samer Hamdan underscored that presently supply is much lower than demand, while pointing out to frenzied demand from fig lovers and customers of popular souks or big shop marts, and to a larger extent from packaging and processing plants. (As Safir, September 2, 2015)

 

As Safir daily reported that the sudden torrential rains that hit various towns and villages of Akkar last Monday took by surprise tobacco growers in Borj Al Arab who already harvested and prepared the leaves for desiccation to be later packaged and delivered to the Regie, while large hail particles have destroyed vegetables and fruits seasons in the northern towns of Fneidik and Mishmish. In this respect, Borj Al Arab Mayor, Aref Shkeidem demanded that the Regie management in the north to “speedily and unconditionally collect what is left of the produce” and appealed to the Finance Minister to take into account what befell the farmers. “Losses are enormous, literally estimated in hundreds of millions of Lebanese pounds,” he said. Similarly, Mishmish Mayor, Mahmoud Badra called on the Agriculture Minister Akram Chehayeb and the Director of the Higher Relief Commission Mohamad Kheir to quickly assess damages and compensate affected apple farmers in Jord al Kaitaa. (An Nahar, Al Mustaqbal, As Safir, September 1 and 2, 2015)

 

Al Hayat daily pointed out in an article depicting the ongoing demonstrations in Lebanon that the pictures of ‘beautiful women’ or what some Egyptian social media called as ‘Muzoz (seductive) of Lebanon’ have triggered waves of controversy and hostile reactions between nationals of both countries. According to the newspaper, these outbreaks of mutual denouncements during the past two days prove once again the chauvinist attitude sparked by unconventional images of women, particularly visible in their appearance and looks, against stereotypes portrayed in the region. The newspaper said it is not fair to reduce the nationwide protests against corruption and other key problems to a demonstration of ‘muzoz’, stressing the historic struggles by Lebanese women against injustice, sexism and corruption. (Al Hayat, September 2, 2015)

 

Akkar Network for Development (AND) organized yesterday in Chekka the closing ceremony for its ‘Justice for Akkar’ project, in the presence of experts and representatives of civil society organization operating in the region. Funded by the US Embassy Small Grants Program, the project is aimed at promoting awareness on the Law for the Protection of Women and their Family Members from Domestic Violence which was passed in April 2014. In this respect, project manager Nadine Saba pointed out that the initiative “primarily targets women and the Akkar community in order to to familiarize them with the law that protects them as Lebanese citizens.” Within the framework of the project some 100 women participated in intensive workshops on legal and psychological support. (Al Mustaqbal, September 2, 2015)

 

The municipality of Butmeh in the Chouf mountains launched yesterday its fifth annual rural fiesta for culture, art and heritage at the Municipality Hall under the auspices of Taimour Jumblat represented by Dr. Nasser Zeidan. The event which was organized in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Lebanese Army included an exposition of traditional crafts, and paintings by a number of artists from different regions, in addition to folklore and musical events and the holding of a rural dinner. Zeidan stressed in his intervention the importance of solidarity and unity during the present difficulties in order to preserve Lebanon, support legitimacy and the constitutional institutions of the country. (Al Mustaqbal, September 2, 2015) 

 

The Syndicate of Owners of Shops and Commercial Institutions in Beqaa launched its 17th shopping and tourism festival at Kanaan Hotel in Baalbek under the auspices of the Baalbek-Hermel mayor, Basheer Khodr and the presence of trade unionists, economic and public figures and representatives of civil society organizations. Mohammad Kanaan, the Syndicate’s head, said that the festival has become an annual occasion awaited by the area’s inhabitants, pointing that this year’s program included an array of activities, gifts, discounts and valuable cash and in kind prizes during the months of September and October, in addition to the mass wedding ceremony with 150 grooms and brides. (As-Safir, September 1, 2015)

 

Suliman S. Olayan School of Business at the American University of Beirut said it was planning to hold a conference on September 3 at the School’s building to announce the official launch of a local network for the United Nations Global Compact networks. The initiative is aimed at establishing an equitable employer/ director-employee/staff relationship based on 10 principles of business ethics including the respect for human rights and the rights of workers as well as protection of the environment and fighting corruption.

Professor of management at the school of business, Dima Jamali, who was elected at the UN based network as its representative in Lebanon, pointed out that the purpose of the project is to break the ‘vicious circle of the traditional employer-employee relationship. “The endeavor of institutions to make profits is legitimate, however, it should observe the profession’s ethics arising from mutual respect between the two parties,” Jamali said. She disclosed that some 37 local institutions have been accepted by the New York headquarters as members in the Lebanon network on the basis of their commitment to apply the above principles. She stressed that “employing such principles constitutes an essential incentive for increasing the productivity of employees and inspiring confidence between them and their managers”. Jamali announced the start of preparations for next year’s action plan aimed at promoting awareness in society on the importance of corporate social responsibility, adding that she was looking forward to a constructive dialogue between the public and private sectors to craft common grounds.”

(Source: An Nahar, September 1, 2015)