“Peace Building in Lebanon” project’s newsletter ISSUE NO14 - QUARTER 4 - 2016 WITH THE SUPPORT OF: PEACE BUILDING THROUGH LOCAL COMMUNITIES Newsletter Content Implementation of Mechanisms for Social Stability (MSS) The UNDP “Peace Building in Lebanon” project is in the in order to enhance their active involvement and become process of implementing the established Mechanisms for agents of change in their respective communities. Social Stability (MSS) in Akkar, Minieh-Donnieh, Bekaa, South and Nabatieh. Riyaq organized a marathon aimed at bringing all the communities together and reducing the social burdens • The joint committee in Sahl Akkar filmed and produced that affect the Lebanese and Syrian communities alike. PEACE BUILDING PEACE BUILDING PEACE BUILDING PEACE BUILDING a short video about its region and its unique features. The THROUGH LOCAL THROUGH EDUCATION THROUGH CIVIL SOCIETY THROUGH MEDIA video received its first public screening on December 9, Makseh is currently holding music courses to reduce COMMUNITIES 2016. the social gap between Lebanese and Syrian children and youth of both genders. Implementation Mount Lebanon The Life Journeys Discussing the • In Minieh-Donnieh, the English and computer courses 03 of Mechanisms 07 public schools fight 12 of the Fighters 13 Journeys Behind the launched by its local committee have started, to end in early Kab Elias will be organizing a cultural and entertainment for Social Stability against violence for Peace Now Articles of the 13th January 2017. The Sir Committee’s tourism plan for the days for Lebanese and Syrian youth aiming at promoting (MSS) Available Online Issue of the Peace- village, which aims to promote tourism and development peaceful coexistence and non-violence. Finally, Ali Al Building News locally, was presented and discussed on December 16, Nahri successfully implemented leisure, sports and Talents from “Together We Stay”: 08 “The Other” Supplement 2016. Deir Ammar and Assoun will be holding their local cultural activities, which were open to people of all ages, 04 Aramoun School Lebanese and Syrians Through Artistic community public events and the public space cleaning to reduce tensions within the community. Fight Violence in West Bekaa Send Expression campaigns early next year. Through the Arts 14 Local Reporters a Message Through and Facilitated Also in West Bekaa, the Darb El Salam NGO staged a from Saida: Towards Theater Discussions • In Bekaa, the local MSS committees organized a number play titled Together We Stay (Maa’an Nabka), which was Implementing the of activities to introduce themselves to their communities. performed by talented young Lebanese and Syrian actors 09 Revisiting the Codes “Journalists’ Pact for The implemented activities aimed at enabling the committees and aimed at creating a state of stability and a space of of Conduct for Non- Strengthening Civil 05 Community-Based to play a major role in preventing or reducing tensions and real and meaningful dialogue between the communities. Violence in Bekaa Peace in Lebanon” Analysis and different types of conflicts between the different local Conflict Prevention communities. • In South Lebanon, Kfar Jarra and Lebaa carried out their Youth Residing youth and community activities aimed at bringing together “Peace” Takes Over 15 Sports Events Against 10 in Lebanon is at Baalbek implemented many activities in the framework the residents in a positive environment. The Seddiqin 06 Walls of Jbeil and Violence the Center of the Chyah Schools of its Sports Peace Month, which included various sports committee implemented its green village day advocating “Peace Building in games to demonstrate the importance of cooperation recycling and cleanliness. Lebanon” News among the various segments of Baalbek’s population. Supplement • As for the Nabatieh area, its five villages implemented the Hawsh Barada will be organizing a traditional villager’s established MSS by organizing social activities. The Choukine breakfast early next year in an aim to enhance social youth committee organized a traditional dinner to enhance interaction among the village’s various local groups. social cohesion among various local groups living in the village. Kfarchouba and Ibl al-Saqi worked separately on Talia’s committee is currently holding music courses to enhancing social interaction by organizing a hiking trip and promote positive social interaction between Lebanese a traditional dinner. In Kfarouman, the established committee and Syrian children. designed an awareness campaign about the dangers of drug use. The campaign included sessions on drug use Kfar Zabad organized an environment day aimed at prevention delivered by a specialist, a marathon and a raising awareness about environmental issues. In addition, puppet show promoting alternatives to prevent youth from it organized a number of other cultural activities aiming slipping into addiction. Marjeyoun’s environmental committee at empowering the local population, in particular its youth, implemented awareness sessions on sorting waste at the source that targeted all of its stakeholders. 02 03 PEACE BUILDING THROUGH LOCAL COMMUNITIES PEACE BUILDING THROUGH LOCAL COMMUNITIES “Together We Stay”: Lebanese and Syrians Community-Based Analysis and Conflict Prevention in West Bekaa Send a Message Through Theater “Social Development Centers affiliated to the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA) play a leading role in strengthening For the first time, more than 700 persons gathered in social stability and local development in addition to fostering Ghazzeh Touristic Theater to attend the play. communication between the municipalities and local Ali Bitar, director of the play, said that this theatre play was groups,” explained Mrs. Suheir El Ghali, National Coordinator a reflection of the reality in the villages of West Bekaa. He of the Lebanon Host Communities Support Project (LHSP) added, “We are trying to promote peaceful coexistence at MoSA, during the launching session of a capacity-building despite of the crisis. We will live together, accept each other, program for MoSA personnel. and share the good and the bad.” This session is part of a series of capacity-building sessions The play aimed at creating a state of stability in the targeted organized by the UNDP “Peace Building in Lebanon” project villages and a space for real and meaningful dialogue within the framework of the LHSP in partnership with MoSA, between the Lebanese and Syrians residents, in order to and designed to enable the MoSA Social Development overcome the differences between the two communities. Centers (SDCs) to play a more central role in the development the capacity-building workshops. Social workers, “This play that I am part of has many goals; to elicit empathy of the Mechanisms for Social Stability (MSS). This activity coordinators and heads of centers took active part in the After months of training and rehearsals, Lebanese and form the viewers with ‘the other’ and to display the situation is funded by UK DFID. assessment phase of the process and shared personal Syrian youth performed the Together We Stay (Maa’an of the Syrian displaced and the Lebanese host communities. stories and achievements as ice-breaking activities before Nabka) social play for the first time on November 12, 2016, During the rehearsals, we learned a lot from and about The MSS process is designed and implemented by the getting familiarized with the MSS methodology. The same to officially announce the vision and mission of the newly each other. All the misconceptions were gone, and our UNDP “Peace Building in Lebanon” project to preserve participants will be trained in upcoming sessions on the established West Bekaa NGO “Darb El Salam” (Pathway behavior has become more positive towards each other,” social stability and enhance relations within communities, development of the Mechanisms for Social Stability. to Peace). said Ola, a Syrian participant in the play. particularly in light of the Syrian crisis, and provide host communities safe and common spaces to discuss their Hassan Sabra, a social worker from Tebnine, believes that This NGO is the result of the joint efforts of active local The Darb El Salam NGO has managed to coordinate with fears in public and to suggest strategies to resolve those these trainings are a good example for showing the important actors from Al Marj, Ghazzeh, Al Qaraoun, Hawsh El Harimi, other villages to hold additional performances around Bekaa. concerns. With the participation of a group of community role of MoSA’s intervention in the affected communities. Machghara and Joub Jannine and the Mechanisms for The NGO took “Together We Stay” to Bar Elias on December leaders (mayors, members of municipal councils and Social Stability (MSS) process implemented by the UNDP 29, 2016. The audience was looking forward to seeing the mukhtars) and actors from different local sectors, an analysis The workshops were divided into two parts. The first part “Peace Building in Lebanon” project and funded by KfW. famous Bekaa play and the actors shared this excitement, of the underlying causes behind the conflicts in the selected focused on exercises for transmitting inclusive messages The organization was created when nine members decided as they were thrilled to be performing for a new audience. region was undertaken. Based on the data obtained, the and identifying intolerant behaviors. The second part was to institutionalize their mediation and reconciliation skills group developed the Mechanisms for Social