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English

LGBT 2019 night, former Mufti objects

26-9-2019

The LGBT rights advocate Beirut Pride organizer announced the opening night for 2019, this Saturday, September 28 at Aresco Centre, Sanayeh, Beirut, noting that the events will run from September 28 until October 6. Upon the announcement, the former Mufti of the Republic, Mohamad Rashid Qabbani, declared war on same sex marriage, homosexuality and what he calls “debauchery”, as he alleged. In a statement he released to this end, Qabbani asked, who is responsible for the protection of the security of public morality in the country so as to act responsibly and hunt violators and bring them to justice, as he says.  He advised Lebanese officials to be realistic and respond quickly to the demands of the Lebanese and immediately stop the projected concert which sustains the rights of LGBTs and defends the legalization of same-sex marriage. Recalling, this is not the first time Qabbani objects to pro-LGBT activities, as he advised last year the banning of what he alleged to be a gay party at the AUB. The Beirut Pride 2018 coordinator was arrested and the event cancelled. (An Nahar, September 26, 2019)
 

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Culinary art exchange between Lebanon & Japan

26-9-2019

Upon the invitation of the Japanese Embassy in Beirut, and in cooperation with the Syndicate of Owners of Restaurants, Cafes, Night Clubs and Patisseries, the Japanese Cultural Attache, chef Keigo Tamura, visited a number of Lebanese eateries and lectured on Japanese culture and culinary art at Radisson Blu Hotel, Verdun. Present were the Japanese ambassador and members of the Lebanese Syndicate and a crowd of owners of restaurants members of the Syndicate. Tamura introduced prestigious Lebanese chefs to Japanese cooking techniques through a workshop he organized to this end, and concluded his tour with a Japanese dinner hosted by the Shogun Restaurant in collaboration with the embassy and the syndicate. After serving an assortment of Japanese dishes, he expressed his admiration for the Lebanese cuisine and praised the lure of food as an attraction in destination marketing and tourism. (Al Diyar, September 26, 2019)
 

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Campaigning for zero tolerance towards violence against women

26-9-2019

The Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering jointly with Najdeh Association launched on September 23 a media campaign to promote ‘zero tolerance for violence against women and girls’. This comes as part of a regional campaign (VAWG) involving 7 Arab countries in the Southern Mediterranean region, namely Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. The campaign, which is kicked off under the umbrella of the feminist initiative Euromed and with funding from the EU, seeks to bring violence out of the private sphere by encouraging women and girls to speak out and share experiences of violence through using the hashtag ‘shu qistik’. It basically targets men and women with the aim to shift the blame from the victim to the perpetrator. The campaign gives women a safe platform to have access to information on existing services tailored for victims of violence. It also highlights the challenges in Lebanon including the abolishing of discriminatory personal status laws and the penal code, and advises for the adoption of a civil law, amendment of the bill on domestic violence and the endorsement of a law on harassment in the workplace. (NNA, September 25, 2019)
 

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Prospects for agriculture: no clear strategy, protection recommendations

25-9-2019

Prime Minister Saad Hariri said yesterday that the state is not doing enough for agriculture, adding, the main glitch is in the archaic agricultural policy and the absence of a clear strategy, adding that smuggling constitutes a real problem. The government, he stressed, has developed plans to revive the sector through projects approved by CEDRE. Hariri was speaking during the opening of the Agriculture Development Conference (https://bit.ly/2n3OqJj) organized by the agriculture ministry and attended by 400 participants, including representatives of around 76 agricultural coops and 27 agricultural unions. On the occasion, the Deputy CEO of Al Ikisad Wal Aamal Group, Faisal Abu Zaki pointed out that due to the degeneration in the productive sectors and in export activity, Lebanon is experiencing huge deficits in the trade and payment balances. He emphasized the need to revive the agricultural economy and create incentives to attract investments to this effect. For his part, the president of the Federation of Chambers in Lebanon, minister Mohamad Shukeir, proposed the formation of a permanent committee under the auspices of the ministry of agriculture to follow up the implementation of recommendations in coordination with all concerned parties. In his turn, the minister of economy, Mansour Bteish, warned, no growth or prosperity without the revitalization of agriculture, industry and tourism. Commenting on the legalization of the cultivation of cannabis endorsed by the McKinsey Plan, Bteish said this can only be resolved through political compromise. Similarly, the minister of industry, Wael Abu Faour, maintained that the economic status quo in the country has once again proved that reliance on the rentier and services sectors did not bring about prosperity. Abou Faour suggested several provisos that could remedy the situation and which are based on sustaining and providing protection for the domestic productive pillars, as well as reassessing the Arab Facilitation Agreement or the agreements signed with the EU in this regard. Finally, Hassan Lakiss, the minister of agriculture, hoped the conference will come up with bold sanctions that will motivate agriculture and strengthen partnership between the private and public sectors. (Al Diyar, September 25, 2019)

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1600 female graduates of USPEAK

25-9-2019

USPEAK and the US Embassy in Lebanon held a ceremony yesterday for the graduation of female students who participated in the ‘Teach Women English’ program as well as the 11th anniversary of the said program. The event which took place at the Palace of Conventions, Dbayeh, saw the presence of the US Embassy cultural affairs officer, Raisa Dukas, and the director of the program, Rawan Yaghi. Dukas in her address said learning the English language helps in the empowerment of women all over Lebanon and in breaking barriers to their integration and participation in all areas of social, cultural and political life. Similarly, Yaghi, said last year graduates celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of Independence in Rashaya Fort and contributed to increasing the number of applicants to reach 1600 female students. “We started with 1000 applications. Around 40 women have become productive within entrepreneurship and other businesses,” she said. The program has helped women master the language, teach their children and interact with them and with the community and with their relatives abroad in English, Yaghi maintained. (NNA, September 24, 2019)

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Lebanese Vinifest 2019 from 2-5 October

25-9-2019

The minister of economy, Mansour Bteish, announced the opening of the 12th edition of the Lebanese Wine Festival, Vinifest, 2019 (from October 2 to 5) at the Hippodrome of Beirut, anticipating a large participation despite the precarious economic situation. Bteish revealed that China will be the guest of honor this year to learn about the Lebanese wine production in preparation for entering the market. The minister also pointed out that the domestic food producing sector, including wine, stands out globally, stressing the need to strengthen its production and marketing here and abroad. Known as the largest vine festival in the Middle East, the 4-day event, according to An Nahar, is expected to attract some 30,000 oenophiles from Lebanon and outside. It gives showgoers the chance to taste an assortment of Lebanese wines and discover novel brands produced by wineries across the country,that are not widely known, in addition to the famous Lebanese wines. (An Nahar, Septembe 21, 2019)

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Economic empowerment of women in Kfarman, Ain Wzein and El Mina

25-9-2019

The Partnership Center for Development and Democracy announced in a statement yesterday the launch of ‘Enhancing the presence of women and the role of municipal members through economic empowerment’ project in Kfarreman, El Mina and Ain Wzein areas. The project, to note, comes within the framework of a partnership agreement between the ministry of state for the economic empowerment of women and youth and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. This initiative aims to support the economic empowerment of women locally through engaging municipal council that have women on board, and in partnership with women-owned businesses operating within the municipality. The project also seeks to promote the presence of women and the role of municipal members by developing small enterprises run by women in their towns and creating a proper framework of coordination with the municipal council and small businesswomen. This is facilitated by identifying needs priorities, as well as starting joint initiatives to promote and to market their products. (NNA, September 24, 2019)

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Agriculture: legalization of cannabis in parliamentary discussion and ministerial efforts to revive sector

24-9-2019

In its issue of September 22, Al Diyar daily addressed agricultural concerns in Lebanon. Since the shutdown in 2003 of the sugar beet factory in Bekaa by a cabinet decision, the Bekaa Valley has been facing indefinite problems. A majority of farmers have shifted to the cultivation of potato, onion, grains and vegetables, especially with the suspension of export to Arab countries and the invasion of foreign products via illegal border crossings, Al Diyar wrote. Bekaa farmers now look forward to the Agriculture Development Conference held today in Beirut which will focus on two main axes: Restoring the role of the agricultural sector, and emphasis on the cultivation of cannabis for medical uses in line with McKinsey Plan report. On this subject, Al Diyar pointed to demands by farmers and agricultural unions to expand cultivated areas in order to secure the return of USD one billion and two hundred thousand. The newspaper went on to say, the agriculture minister Hassan Lakiss, stressed the need to come up with alternative and productive crops, revealing that the legalization of cannabis bill is being seriously studied by the concerned parliamentary committees. On the other hand, Lakiss said in a discussion meeting with LOST in Baalbek on September 20, that local agriculture remained forsaken for decades by the successive governments, mentioning multiple challenges and hitches facing it, stressing efforts to resolve them through the development of strategic plans. Lakiss also said work is underway to overcome obstacles in export, particularly those facing land export activity, mentioning his visits to many Arab and European countries for this purpose. He clarified that in order to open new markets, the ministry has planned national days to promote Lebanese olive oil, apples and honey this coming October as well as other events devoted to organic farming and citrus fruits. (Al Diyar, September 20, 22, 2019)

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Hundreds of Moroccan women rebel against outdated laws

24-9-2019

Hundreds of Moroccan women declared in a manifesto published in the front page of the French daily Le Monde they were outlaws. They stated that they have broken the country’s unjust and outdated laws related to abortion and social norms. The women said: “We are violating obsolete and unfair laws. We are having sex outside marriage. We have been forced to terminate a pregnancy, we enabled or were complicit in abortion.” The text which was released in a form of petition open to men read: “The culture of lying and social hypocrisy leads to violence, arbitrariness and intolerance. Such freedom destructive laws that are impractical have become tools for political vengeance or personal revenge.” The statement co-edited by French-Moroccan author, Leila Sleimani, carried 490 signatures symbolic of Article 490 of the Moroccan Penal Code which punishes sexual relations out of wedlock. To note, the launch of the manifesto coincided with the third hearing in the trial of journalist Hajar Rainoussi who was arrested at the end of August over alleged illegal abortion and extramarital affair. (An Nahar, September 24, 2019)

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Women's quota proposal, draft law for incriminating sexual harassment

24-9-2019

The Future Movement MP Dima Jamali submitted to the legislature yesterday a draft bill on the women’s representation quota. Jamali pointed out during a press conference held to this end, that the referral of said proposal summons the beginning of the end of a period laden with marginalization, silence and discrimination against the role of women in politics, development and in society. The lawmaker urged parliament members to approve the law for the public interest, reiterating the need to increase women’s representation and abolish all forms of prejudice against them. The purpose of the quota, Jamali explained, is not only to bring women to the House or elected councils, but also to raise and deliberate women’s issues and concerns, engage them in the process of development, and correct erroneous political drifts to this effect. On the other hand, the Parliamentary Woman and Child Committee led by MP Enaya Ezzidine met on September 18 to finalize discussion of the draft law, presented by Ezzedine, which criminalizes sexual harassment. It was agreed to postpone the discussion till next week for further study. (Al Diyar, NNA, September 19, 23, 2019)

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