News

The Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) association launched in collaboration with MAVA - the nature foundation, and UNWomen an environmental project in the town of Anjar in the Bekaa.  The project is entitled “the role of women in managing and preserving the environment and improving livelihoods”.  The project seeks to raise women’s awareness on the environment and improve their participation in its management.
In an interview with L’Orient le Jour, Dalia al-Jawhary, the project director of SPNL noted that the project, which will be implemented during three years, has two main objectives namely facilitating women’s participation in local community and in tackling environmental issues as well as building their skills and capacities in leadership and decision making, in addition to creating new economic opportunities for them.
The SPNL association also implemented a second project in Anjar with funding from MAVA and entitled: “for recreating the ecological habitat systems through supporting sustainable management of local water resources”.  The aim of this project is to improve and rationalize the use of irrigation water.

Source: L’Orient Le Jour

The Horeca annual exhibition kicked off at Biel last Tuesday under the auspices of the current Minister of Tourism Mr. Fadi Abboud and with the presence of several ambassadors and public figures including heads of syndicates and civil society organisations as well as exhibitors in the event.  During the opening, the President of the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Chamber of Commerce, Mohammed Choucair, granted the executive director of Horeca, Joumana Dammous-Salameh, the armor plate of the union of chambers in recognition of her effective and unique contribution to the food and hospitality industry in Lebanon.  Salameh had announced that Horeca 2013 includes a special initiative in the form of a day for awareness raising on the Lebanese agro-industry with a focus on challenges and solutions for export.  This event is organised in cooperation with the syndicate of food industries in Lebanon.  Salameh also noted that the exhibition seeks to strengthen food production as a positive contribution rather than focusing on crisis.

Participation in the Horeca exhibition of this year does not seem to be negatively affected by the crisis in the region which is having its toll on tourism and hospitality.  In fact, the number of exhibitors increased from 50 in 1992 to 350 exhibitors in 2012 and 400 exhibitors in 2013 with the participation of many international exhibitors.

Industrial consultant Talal Hijazi noted that the Syrian crisis has actually benefited the Lebanese food industry (especially in terms of packaging) which has increased by 10 to 13% since the start of the crisis two years ago.  This is largely due to the demands created by the Syrian displaced for basic daily goods such as rice and sugar which are being purchased and distributed by international organisations or imported and packaged in Lebanon.   Hijazi warned however of this increase calling for a more sustainable economic growth.

Source: The daily star 11 April 2013

The Lebanese-American Chamber of Commerce organised in collaboration with the US embassy in Lebanon as well as BIEL- Beirut International Exhibition & Leisure Center the Taste of America exhibition.  The event was organised within the framework of HORECA 2013 and was attended by the president of the organizing chamber Mr. Salim Zeenni.

US Ambassador Mora Connelly noted in her opening address the importance of trade exchange between the two countries which has increased four-fold between 2005 and 2010 (i.e. by 279%).  She also revealed that the US agricultural exports to Lebanon have reached 113 million dollars in 2012 with the overall trade exchange between the two countries recording 1.9 billion USD in 2011.  Connelly also highlighted the various form of US support to Lebanon including this event which was organised within the framework of trade exchange between the two countries also pointing out to USAID support to the agricultural and food sector in Lebanon while seeking to strengthen productivity and marketing links between local and international buyers.

USAID has invested since 2008 some 80 million US dollars in building the capacities of small and medium agricultural enterprises including women enterprises so that they improve their performances and strengthen subsequently the production chain.  This support involves collaboration with farmers, exporters, laboratories, bankers, distributors and buyers with the aim of facilitating technical assistance, marketing, investment in new technologies, as well as well as access to financing.    USAID also plays the role of a conduit to facilitate knowledge exchange and provide assistance to facilitate communication between the different actors and stakeholders in this sector.  The main aim from these various interventions is to strengthen links, upgrade skills and improve productivity.  Within the same vein, Maymooneh also received support from USAID.  It is to be noted that Maymooneh is a women owned enterprises that produces canned and preserved foods in addition to jams, dried fruits, pomegranate molasses and rose water.

Source: Al-Nahar 11 April 2013

As Safir newspaper published a report about the Khanka in Tripoli which serves as a home and refuge for widows who have lost their spouses and who have nowhere else to go and which is managed by the Islamic Endowments Center.

Khanka is a historical building dating back to the Mamlouk era and located in the old Tripoli quarter.  The space is now sadly decrepit and threatened to disintegrate given the lack of care and maintenance of what is a historical monument. Walid Al-Shami of the Islamic Endowments Center notes in his interview with As Safir that the building has suffered from a long time of neglect and he points out to the responsibility of Islamic Endowments Center in failing to protect it.  Women hosted in Khanka are occasionally taken care of by charitable organizations.

As Safir points out to one of the women residents who has been living there for 36 years and who notes that the living conditions are now very harsh as the space used to have a fountain with clean latrines.  However, the walls are now moldy and insalubrious.  Another 70 year old women resident who has been on site for the last 30 years notes that the place is now in a terrible condition especially in the winter while stating that some families from the neighborhood help with food occasionally.  However, she adds that she is living there whilst waiting for death to become her in a situation that is untenable to other people.

Source: Al-Safir 9 April 2013

Hayya Bina organised the day before yesterday in Chtaura a training session in English teaching as part of its continuous program of English teaching which is implemented in more than 35 locations in Lebanon. The training workshop included training in communication and conflict resolution.

Hayya Bina has begaun this programme some five years ago with funding from the US embassy in Beirut and with the aim of teaching English to adult rural women.  Some 800 women benefit from this project on a yearly basis.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 09 April 2013

The Palestinian youth center is organizing a literacy training session for women and girls of Ain el Helweh.  The organization works with the refugee community within the camps and provides assistance by university graduates who help participants in the literacy training.

Dima Chaaraoui, one of the university students who work at the organization notes that this particular geographical area covered by the organization, namely the Bararaksaat area, is not included within UNRWA’s jurisdiction and as such does not benefit from UNRWA’s services.  She also added that the literacy training is not time bound but only seeks to help students as long as they benefit from it and persevere.  The training was organised with the organization team’s own financial and human resources.  The trainees’ age bracket is between 16 to 30 years with a majority of participants falling in the lower age bracket.

Source: Al-Safir 09 April 2013

The Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH) issued a statement yesterday requesting a formal inquest into the incident whereby a Lebanese military allegedly tortured a migrant domestic worker whom he suspected of having stolen a weapon as well as jewelry from his house.  The association is calling for the punishment of the perpetrator should the allegations of torture be verified asking the authorities to take the issue of torture very seriously.
CLDH notes in its report that the military person in question allegedly took the domestic worker outside his house along with other people in order to torture her despite the fact that she had not committed any crime.  The victim was tied from her feet and hung upside down and beaten with electrical rods and burned with hot knives until she admitted to the thefts under torture.
The statement issued by the human rights organization notes that despite the complaints made by the domestic worker and the signs of torture which were visible on her body, she was still convicted to one year in prison and her request for continuance was denied. In addition, her former employer refused to pay the ticket for her repatriation after she fulfilled her sentence. The organization paid for her repatriation even though she had been released for over ten months.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 9 April 2013

UNDP and the Live Lebanon Project in collaboration with Bank of Beirut and the Municipality of Tell Zenoub in the Western Bekaa opened yesterday the Tell Zenoub model traditional village.  The event was attended by the former Minister of Tourism, Mohammed Rahhal, the UN goodwill ambassador, Ms. Boran Bweiry, a representative of the Live Lebanon project Haneen Faqih, UNDP director, Raghed Assi, the marketing director at The Bank of Beirut and Arab Countries, Tarek Bilal, The Sahl union municipalities director Ibrahim Badran, in addition to heads of municipalities in the region.

The UNDP programme director Raghed Assi noted that UNDP involvement in this initiative aims at supporting the development of marginalized regions in Lebanon based on existing resources.  He referred to the provision of the Taef agreement notably the need to kick off a decentralization process in order to support local municipalities in strengthening local development.  He also pointed out that the Bekaa suffers from endemic neglect and that the UNDP will not spare any effort to help it despite the overwhelming global economic crisis.

It should be noted that the cost of the project which is the first of its kind in the Western Bekaa is circa USD 450,000 of which USD 60,000 has already been allocated and spent whilst the project stakeholders are now seeking to secure the remaining funds.

Source: Al-Mustaqbal 9 April 2013

The campaign calling for a women quota in the upcoming Tammam Salam cabinet organised a sit-in yesterday in the Riad Solf Square calling for reserving a number of ministerial seats for women.  Participants in the sit-in held slogans such as “A cabinet from all of Lebanon and not a cabinet of men in Lebanon” and “why am I forbidden from becoming a minister”.

The sit-in follows a campaign on social media which was launched few days ago after the nomination of Tammam Salam as MP and following the resignation of former PM Mikati.  The Campaign noted that it is unacceptable for the Lebanese people, and women in particular, to condone the marginalization of women from political leadership, governments and political parties.  The participants then headed to the Parliament to deliver 128 copies of the Campaign’s statement.

Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Mustaqbal 9 April 2013

The Administration and Justice Parliamentary Commission approved during its meeting of yesterday a law petition for the setting up of a syndicate for midwives.  The meeting was headed by the Commission’s president MP Robert Ghanem with the presence of Dr. Naji Gharious representing the parliamentary Health Commission as well as Antoine Romanos representing the Ministry of Public Health.  The meeting was also attended by the president of the association of midwives Yolla Al-khoury Atallah, the treasurer of the association of midwives, Hanaa Khaled in addition to representatives of the midwifery school at the Lebanese University Randa Boustany and Daad Akoum, and the representative of the midwifery school at Saint Josef University.

Ghanem noted that his Commission approved the law petition in keeping with the interests of the said Syndicate which mandate will be in regulating the profession especially since the number of midwives in Lebanon is now nearly 1400 women.  The Syndicate will also ensure that the rules of public health are kept as well as make sure that practitioners enjoy a pro[per certification.  To be noted that the midwifery certificate is obtained after two years of university studies after completing the Baccalaureate Part II.  95% of all the practicing midwives have the proper university degree whereas those who do not are mostly very old midwives who do not practice anymore.

Source: Al-Mustaqbal 9 April 2013