News

The Mresti kicked off yesterday under the auspices of MP Walid Jumblatt represented by Mresti Sherif Fayyad.  The event which was held at the municipality stadium in Mresti, includes an exhibition of agricultural products, Mooneh products and handicrafts in addition to artistic soirées, and hiking activities in collaboration with the Shuf Cedars Reserve. In his opening speech, the Municipal head, Nasser Zeidan, called on the youth to preserve their heritage and environment and to re-ignite interest in agriculture.  He expressed his appreciation of the aid contributions of the GreenPlan affiliated to the Ministry of Agriculture and which include assistance to farmers in rehabilitating and using their lands, opening and expanding agricultural roads and creating water ponds.

Source: Al-Mustaqbal 10 September 2014

The Arab Business Women board held its general assembly meeting in Cairo last month in order to elect a new board as well as honorary members and consultants for 2014 – 2018 in addition to endorsing the financial and administrative plan of the previous board.  Some 50 business women, investors, economists, experts and consultants in economy and investment, representing 19 Arab countries, took part in this event.  Carmen Zughayb, Lebanese, was elected as member of the new Board while May Daher Yaakoob, also Lebanese, was selected as the Board media consultant.

Source: Al-Nahar 10 September 2014

Kafa Exploitation and Violence and the Legal Agenda launched yesterday a joint study entitled “Dreams for Sale: a journey of exploitation of migrant domestic workers from Nepal and Bangladesh”.  The study relies on semi structured interviews and the survey of migrant domestic workers from Nepal and Bangladesh currently in Lebanon or who had returned home.  The study also includes interviews with representatives of employment agencies as well as employers and officials who were asked about mechanisms and practices for recruiting workers from these two countries and their subsequent employment in Lebanon.
The study noted that migrant workers were duped in what concerns their conditions of work and their lives in Lebanon or were not given important information or were provided by false information by the middlemen.  The study exposed forced work subjected to migrant workers who are denied rest and weekends and whose papers were confiscated.  Other practices include forbidding them from going out alone, forcing them not to leave home, forbidding them from calling their families as well as subjecting them to physical and sexual violence.  The study notes that the sponsorship (kafala) system creates unjust relations of power amongst employers and employees.  This system has prevented workers from changing their work and employers and henceforth fleeing becomes the only way to terminate a poor work relation.
The study concludes with recommendations which would contribute to changing the mechanisms of recruitment as well as limiting exploitation of migrant workers.  These include strengthening the role of the state, exchanging bilateral agreements between Lebanon and countries of origin, strengthening control of employment agencies and limiting corruption, providing incoming migrant workers with sufficient and accurate information and holding accountable those who violate the rights of migrant workers.

Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Safir, Al-Akhbar 9 September 2014

The organization “Say No to Violence” is getting ready to launch its “satchel and book” project which targets school children in poor and marginalized areas.  Abir Ghanem. In charge of immigration at Say No to Violence noted that the project will seek to address some of the needs of students namely in securing their books and stationary.  She reiterated the importance of enrolling children in schools, combating school dropout and social violence which are often the result of losing the family’s breadwinner and the inability of families to buy school material for their children.

Source: Al-Mustaqbal 9 September 2014

The Libanbel association which focuses on the rights and interests of children undertook the rehabilitation of a special room at the Baabda prison for women to allow children who are less than 13 years of age to meet with their incarcerated mothers and to improve the conditions of such visits.  The rehabilitation of that room has started on the second of September in collaboration with the general directorate of the internal security forces.

Source: Al-Diyar 9 September 2014

Four months after the wheat harvest and storage in the wheat storages, the government has yet to take decisions concerning the modalities of receiving, and paying for this year’s harvest despite various lobbying actions of wheat farmers and which included holding meetings with PM Salam as well as with the Minister of Economy and Trade, Alain Hakim.
Some wheat farmers told As Safir newspaper that they were more pessimistic after their meetings with officials who were indifferent.  They noted that this year’s production is now threatened with damage given the prolonged storage period and the deterioration of the packaging bags.  Wheat farmers have designed a new road map for their upcoming actions which will include the closure of the Shtoura international road in addition to the organisation of a number of sit-ins in front of the Serail in Beirut and in front of the Ministry of Economy and Trade.  Farmers also noted that they had repeatedly called on the government and on the Ministry of Economy to resolve the problem and to place their demands on the Cabinet agenda but to no avail.

Source: Al-Safir 9 September 2014

For further information on the wheat harvest of 2014, please review early news posted on the WEEPortal:
“Wheat farmers in the Beqaa threaten government with escalation to clarify modalities for collecting their new harvest”, on 20/8/2014;
“Wheat production in Beqaa drops by 25% and the Ministry of the Economy is absent”, on 11/7/2014;
"Akkar farmers demand a raise of wheat prices to guarantee sustainability", on 27/6/2014.

The Development Forum of the Aley highlands concluded its summer festivals which were held in the village of Majdelbe3na in collaboration with the federation of the Aley municipalities as well as with a number of associations and clubs.  The festivals included cultural, sports and traditional activities. The president of the fraternity association, Hussein Abdel Khaleq, noted in his speech during the closing event that the idea for these festivals is to strengthen collaboration and joint work amongst villages, municipalities and NGOs in order to contribute to social development and to the economy.  For his part, the head of the Forum, Fuad Jabbur, underscored that Lebanon is successfully confronting fears and difficulties with these festivals which are being held despite the worsening security situation.  
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 9 September 2014

Al Mustaqbal newspaper published a report about this year’s pear season in Zghorta which, unlike previous season, had a poor yield which is unfit for marketing and for jam making.  The report noted that the reason for this poor season vary and relate to the quality of fertilizers that farmers bought from traders as well as the damage caused by climate change.  The report shared examples of the predicaments of pear farmers.  According to Mariette Makhul, housewife, the pear in her region were quite poor this year and the skin was spotted which means that it is no good for jam making or even for fresh household consumption.  Lamia Rafful, who owns a shop selling jams, said that the production cost of pear jam is quite high because of the increased cost of pears which reached 4000 per kilo.  According to farmer Youssef Milad Issa, owner of a pears orchard, the problem resides in the power of monopoly exercised by middlemen who stock on production and do not market it as it should be in addition to the high cost of chemicals this year.  Issa called on the Ministry of Agriculture to interfere and regulate the cost of drugs as well as to take care of farmers who depend on their agricultural production for their livelihoods in order that they remain on their land.

Source: Al-Mustaqbal 8 September 2014

Thirty women decided to submit their candidacy for the next parliamentary elections and that is within the framework of an initiative launched by “Women in Front” and with the support of the “Women in Parliament” gathering which groups some 120 CSOs and women groups.  The new candidates expressed their refusal to the extension of the mandate of the current parliament while considering that move as a threat to democratic life which is the basis of Lebanon’s Constitution.  The Candidates also noted that the current electoral law is not ideal and does not reflect the aspirations of women.  They highlighted however that they will not miss a chance to exercise their leadership role and to prove themselves on the political scene. Women in Front called on all women wishing to present their candidacy for the electoral elections to come to participate next Wednesday 10th of September at 9:30 AM in the sit-in event in front of the Ministry of Interior in Sanaye3h.

Source: Al-Nahar 8 September 2014

The Ministry of Social Affairs organized last week in Baabdat a handicraft exhibition entitled “our heritage”.  The event was implemented within the framework of the project entitled “encouraging and developing crafts and handmade products”.  The director of the MOSA development services in Baabdat, May Shamaa, noted that this event is the culmination of concerted efforts between the project and the MOSA centres in Baabdat and Salima and as part of the MOSA social endeavor to support and develop the handicraft sector given its economic, cultural and heritage importance. The MOSA representative, Suhad Maati, noted that the project aiming to encourage and develop handmade products also seeks to raise the visibility of Lebanese heritage and traditional crafts and that is through the implementation of a number of training workshops in contemporary soap making.

Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Mustaqbal 8 September 2014