In Lebanon» Project, Funded by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development Through Kfw
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The Implemented by: Special Edition This supplement is produced by the UNDP «Peace Building in Lebanon» project, funded by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development through KfW. The original Arabic version is distributed with An-Nahar and As-Safir newspapers while the English version is distributed with The Daily Star and the French In Lebanon version with L’Orient-Le Jour. The supplement contains articles by writers, journalists, media professionals, researchers and artists from Lebanon and Syria and Palestine; they cover issues related to civil peace in addition to the Joint news supplement repercussions of the Syrian crisis on Lebanon and the relations between Lebanese and Syrians, employing objective approaches Issue nº 12, June 2016 that are free of hatred and misconceptions. «We’ll be back in six days... God willing» A work by the Palestinian artist Abdul Rahman Katanani This work represents a refugee family fleeing the war. In 1948, the Arabs promised Palestinians that they would be back to their villages in six days. The phrase «God willing» was used to reaffirm this. However, ever since the Nakba in 1967, the Palestinians have remained refugees. Agial Art Gallery Agial Art © 03 Season of Migration to Lebanon 08 - 09 Boosting Municipal 04 A Refugee Through the Eyes of A Refugee Capacity in Light of the Refugee Crisis 05 I Say Tomayto, You Say Tomayto 06 Palestinian Gatherings: More on the Expanding Margins 07 Between Work and School 10 Municipalities: A Services Bridge for the Displaced 11 Curfews and Human Rights Within the Syrian Context in Lebanon 12 The Syrian Camps Shawish 13 It Still Stands With Us on the Bank of Our Dream 13 Beirut is My Home and Family... 14 Between Damascus and Beirut: Scents of Thyme and Orange Blossoms 15 Metro al Madina: Beirut’s Beautiful Side 16 The Urgent Ethical Mission The In Lebanon Issue nº 12, June 2016 2 Joint news supplement Despite some skepticism preceding the process, in particular. First, the number of women elected been exceedingly generous in providing for refugees. Catalyzing Lebanon has managed to hold the four-stage to municipal councils, in comparison to the 2010 Municipalities, with extensive support from UNDP municipal elections on time and successfully. In elections, increased by 15%. Despite the fact that this and other partners, have been able to accommodate change many ways, these elections reflected Lebanon’s deep does not represent a significant increase in the total and provide for displaced families, although the attachment to democratic values and the ability of number of women in municipal councils, it is step in situation remains difficult. government institutions, the Ministry of Interior and the right direction and indicates a shift in attitudes I would like to conclude by discussing the new Municipalities particularly, to organize the process. and behaviors. The second positive indicator is the supplement at hand. The stories included in it They also displayed the capacities of the Lebanese increase in the number of youth who ran for elections. shed light on how communities are facing different Army and Internal Security Forces in providing a safe Their creativity and dynamism was welcoming and challenges. We at UNDP believe that such ventures environment during the voting. emphasized the strong will to engage in governance. It encourage public discourse about civil issues and Throughout the month of May, citizens practiced is the youth, after all, that will pave the way for a better provide room for expression. Through such mediums, their right to have a say in who is going to run their future and add some vibrancy to the political decision- the increasing negative trends of prejudice and municipalities for the upcoming six years. Heading making process. discrimination can be alleviated, both publicly and to the polls, Lebanese nationals across the country The newly elected leaders – like their predecessors – within the media. were given the opportunity to hold their local are confronted with the arduous challenge of not only representatives accountable and decide how their governing the affairs of Lebanese residents, but also We hope you enjoy reading it. communities will develop for years to come. coping with the implications of hosting a large number There were many positive indicators regarding of Syrian refugees within their communities. On top Luca Renda these elections, but I would like to highlight two of its already existing local hardships, Lebanon has UNDP Country Director Beware of the same refrain... Help end Syria crisis for the Municipalities: The Lebanese political class is desperately incorrigible. Nearly 70 years after the exodus of the Palestinians, the same refrain about the fear of resettlement sake of the refugees The cornerstone has been picked up again but this time against the Syrian refugees flooding in. A couple of weeks after Lebanese officials angrily voiced their indignation at U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s suggestion that host countries should Undoubtedly, concern in Beirut is fully justified considering the Palestinian consider granting citizenship to the refugees under their care, the uproar of peace building precedent, which had triggered the civil war, especially that the number of the appears to have died down. newcomers is incomparable with that of their predecessors. But do we have the The international community, it seems, has finally recognized the harm that Spearheading efforts to respond to right to rewrite the same story? Lebanese leaders are without equal in putting could befall Lebanon if the country were to go along with Ban’s proposal. the blame on others by obscuring their own dereliction. At the time, they had Lebanon’s fiercely protected delicate sectarian balance is essential in the needs of host communities and allowed the gangrene of politics infiltrate Palestinian camps, tuned a blind refugees, municipalities have proven maintaining stability and security in a country located in a region rife with eye to weapons of all caliber entering the camps under the pretext of the fight turmoil, and naturalizing over a million Syrian refugees, more than a quarter of over the past five years to be active against Israel, watched in indifference the rise of groupuscules that loathed one the country’s current Lebanese population, would disrupt that status quo and local players, doing their best to meet another... until they formed a true State within the State, shamelessly meddling likely lead to internal conflicts. the growing challenges of the Syrian in all the intricacies of Lebanese politicking. Furthermore, neither the country’s infrastructure, which for the greater part refugee crisis. Today, our leaders appear set on playing the same hand, repeating the same remains in need of an overhaul since the Civil War, nor the economy, which is They have been at the forefront of derelictions and violations against the displaced Syrians: chaotic registration of seriously troubled in large part due to the conflict Syria, is in any position to newly arrived displaced persons, impossible conditions for obtaining residence accommodate the weight of such a huge number of people. Both, in fact, are local entities responding to the crisis, permits, cronyism and influence peddling, not to mention the strategic error strained even now as a result of the refugees being hosted. working on the ground to provide of digging their feet in refusing to establish clearly organized refugee camps As for the refugees themselves, no one should assume that they’re looking to services to meet basic social and similar to what has been done in Jordan and Turkey. The result is perfectly clear: permanently leave their homeland. The majority of Syrians being hosted by health needs, in addition to those mushrooming of wild camps, lack of hygiene and inexistent infrastructure, Lebanon, other regional states such as Turkey and Jordan, and even a most of related to transportation, economic helpless refugees without the right to assistance from the UNHCR disappearing those who have reached Europe, have fled their country for fear of their lives, into thin air. and in order to be able to feed and house themselves and their children in a safe, development and safety. secure environment for the duration of the war. And a great many, even among The recent municipal elections And herein lies the danger of resettlement! It is the sum of all these errors that will lead to making this transplantation take root and become permanent over those in Europe, have expressed their desire to return to their homeland as soon as possible. have highlighted the crucial the years. It will obviously not happen as part ofan improbable conspiracy of an In the meantime, the best thing the international community can do to ease the role municipalities can play in official ceremony for handing out Lebanese passports and offering Lebanese encouraging and facilitating the refugees’ suffering is to provide adequate aid to host countries in order to improve sweets to celebrate. refugees’ living conditions, and to make serious efforts to finally bring the Syrian participation of various actors in conflict to a conclusion so these desperate people can return to their homes. peace building. Municipalities have Gaby Nasr initiated dialogue, consultations Managing Editor Nadim Ladki and campaigns to reinforce their L’Orient-Le Jour supplements Editor in Chief - The Daily Star role in conflict mitigation and developing relations at once with local communities and refugees. To Syrians: Turn Down Two Tests The idea that strengthening the capacities of municipalities at the The refugee is synonymous with tragedy. Fleeing a country ravaged by war. Into a Naturalization country that fears him. His country has turned into hell. The country of asylum local level would contribute to I wish to address the Syrian refugees themselves in the present editorial to ask looks at him as a perpetrator, by his mere presence, deprived of any protection.