issue number 118 |May 2012 LEBANON’S MUNICIPALITIES AND THE INDEPENDENT MUNICIPAL FUND GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF STATE SECURITY “THE MONTHLY” INTERVIEWS www.iimonthly.com # Published by Information International sal CYNTHIA NOUHRA UNDP AND THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS WHO PAYS WHAT ? Lebanon 5,000LL | Saudi Arabia 15SR | UAE 15DHR | Jordan 2JD| Syria 75SYP | Iraq 3,500IQD | Kuwait 1.5KD | Qatar 15QR | Bahrain 2BD | Oman 2OR | Yemen 15YRI | Egypt 10EP | Europe 5Euros May INDEX 2012 4 UNDP AND THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS 7 LEBANON’S MUNICIPALITIES AND THE INDEPENDENT MUNICIPAL FUND 9 MINISTRY OF LABOR BUILDING 10 THE 1972 LEBANESE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS (1) 12 DUAL NATIONALITY DRAFT LAW 13 CONTRACTING RETIRED PUBLIC SERVANTS P: 24 P: 12 14 HARVEST OF THE 2011 PARLIAMENTARY WORK 15 GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF STATE SECURITY 18 MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE IN LEBANON 20 CREMATION AND PRIVATE CEMETERIES 21 MEDICAL HARMS, SCREENING HARMS, & NOCEBO EFFECTS: DR. HANNA SAADAH 22 THE CODE OF LIFE: ANTOINE BOUTROS 23 THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THE P: 18 IMPORTANCE OF VIRGINITY IN WOMEN IN THE MIDDLE EAST: DR. MICHEL NAWFAL 24 INTERVIEW: CYNTHIA NOUHRA 41 STANCE ON BKERKE’S POSITIONS 26 A NATIONAL FLOWER FOR LEBANON 42 MARCH 2012 HIGHLIGHTS 27 NOBEL PRIZES IN CHEMISTRY (2) 46 KUWAITI PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 30 AJIALOUNA ASSOCIATION 32 POPULAR CULTURE 47 REAL ESTATE PRICES IN LEBANON - MARCH 33 DEBUNKING MYTH #57: VENTING ANGER 2012 34 MUST-READ BOOKS: MY STORY 48 FOOD PRICES - MARCH 2012 35 MUST-READ CHILDREN’S BOOK: EXPRESSIVE 50 THE PALESTINIAN DEMOGRAPHY AROUND STORIES FOR THE YOUTH THE WORLD 36 LEBANON FAMILIES: AKKAWI FAMILIES 50 BEIRUT RAFIC HARIRI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - MARCH 2012 37 DISCOVER LEBANON: ANOUT 51 LEBANON STATS 38 CIVIL STRIFE INTRO (3) |EDITORIAL RASS EL ABED In what follows, we publish the introduction of the save he who dies at the hands of the book Discrimination in Lebanon from the series “Bee” Syrian army and one may become for civil education, published in 2008 by Information oblivious of a Chidiac member who was International and Inma Association. The Monthly judged killed by the Israeli airforce during his it advisable to highlight this introduction, especially work at LBC… and perhaps those are victims only in following the skirmishes witnessed on Monday 16 April the eyes of their parents and in ours, we, who did not hail 2012 at “Bi Mawdouiyeh” talk show hosted by Walid any Za’im or foreign country… One may also condemn Abboud on MTV. or glorify Samir Kuntar… And perhaps all these are indicators of discrimination and fanaticism… but to “Rass el Abed1”, “Festoq el Abeed2” and “Ma call MTV’s talk show “Bi Mawdouiyeh”, introducing Testakredni3” [ “I am not sure whether the company, which launched the to question May Chidiac’s moral disposition daring famous “Rass el Abed”, a favorite treat of the children her to come clean on what she was “doing” before the in the1960s, was racist or not when it chose the name. explosion…”? This is self-abasement at its lowest. Similarly, changing “Rass el Abed” later to “Tarboush Would this question have been raised if the victim had Ghandour” does not necessarily erase the racist overtones been a male? Should the focus be on what the victim marring our society. I believe that we, the connaisseurs of was thinking or doing before he/she was attacked or “Rass el Abed” and the devoted fans of the “Hajj”, who rather on the condemnation of the attack itself? many preferred to call “Dekkanji4”, did not know at the Sadly, racism and fanaticism are not only restricted to OP\ “Festoq el Abeed” and “Rass el Abed”, but expand to form of racism. We also used to couple the “Sudanese ! Festoq” (Sudanese peanuts) with a “black man” who used to roast the peanuts at the Burj Square, and those peanuts still are called “Festoq el Abeed” (Niggers’ peanuts). Many do not deem themselves racist when they make racial comments, and rarely do they realize how discriminatory and intolerant most of their practices are. “Black nigger”, “Christian…”, “Sri Lankan…”, “Khaliji…”, “Palestinian…”, “Egyptian…”, as well as “handicapped” are all words that are often meant to carry negative or inferior connotations. These descriptions are but a few entries in our racist dictionary for we, the “outstanding Christians”, the “Shia’a majority”, and the “not-very-few Sunnis”, have agreed to be racist while at the same time, ironically, preaching freedom and human rights. Could the ardent Lebanese enlighten us on the meaning of the expressions “Don’t treat me like a Kurd” (Ma testakredni) or “Armenian from Burj Hammoud”? The Bee series introduces this book as another step towards statehood and the building of a new Lebanon.” The Monthly"[#!$ %&#' This is how the introduction was concluded and Social Nationalist Party, in response to Jawad Adra’s continuing on similar lines: *++5 7;+7! < [ “One may hate May Chidiac, (if there is room in one’s included the following: heart for hatred) and may agree or not with what she “Mr. Jawad Adra stated in his article the following: “This says… One may care little about the death of any “Ali”, is how Jean Aziz narrated the events he encountered the day Al-Assir and his allies took to the streets in Martyrs’ Square, thus prompting a counter protest staged by the 1 Rass el Abed: Nigger’s head Baath Party and the SSNP... “. 2 Festoq el Abeed: Nigger’s peanuts As a matter of fact, the SSNP did not call for or participate 3 Ma testakredni: Don’t treat me like a Kurd 4 Dekkanji: Shopkeeper [=! 4 | LEADER UNDP AND THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS WHO PAYS WHAT? Many agreements have been signed over the past few decades between the United Nations and some Lebanese ministries. The two parties have joined hands, through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other UN agencies, to provide the funds necessary for the management and execution of projects that enhance the quality of life for people and champion the poor and the disadvantaged in the marginalized areas. The cooperation has also [ Ministry of Social Affairs was one of the parties which established a number of agreements with the United Nations represented by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). A UN mission visited Lebanon in September 1996 to review the national population program and develop population strategies under the administration of the UNFPA. The mission carried out an evaluation study of the population and proposed a 4-year national program aimed at helping the Lebanese government through two programs: 1. Population and Development Strategies in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs. The budget allocated for this program stands at LBP 500 project in addition to USD 75,000 donated in-kind million and is covered equally by the UNFPA and while the share of the UNFPA stood at USD 540,000. the Ministry. The Cabinet approved the extension of the project and the contracts of those working on it until 2009. 2. Sexual and Reproductive Health/ Family Planning in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs. Sexual and Reproductive Health Program The budget allocated for this program stands at LBP The project included seven employees and lasted for 21 6.563 billion of which LBP 4.337 billion are covered months, from April 2005 until December 2006, during by the UNFPA and LBP 2.225 by the Ministry of which the Ministry of Social Affairs contributed USD Social Affairs. 334,000 against USD 102,500 granted by the UNFPA. The project was also extended until 2009 following the The Cabinet approved pursuant to decision No. 69 dated approval of the Cabinet. November 12, 1997 the signing of the agreements with the UN and the allocation of the necessary funds for them. Upon the expiry of the two programs, the Cabinet decided to extend the agreements for another four years by virtue of decision No. 2 issued on November 28, 2002 as follows: Population and Development Strategies Program The duration of the project was set at 49 months, starting in December 2002 and expiring in December 2006. The contribution of the Ministry of Social Affairs has reached USD 500,000 throughout the issue 118 | The Monthly is published by Information International s.a.l. LEADER | 5 Purpose of the project The Sexual and Reproductive Health project aims in its Development of a guidebook detailing the practical current cycle (2002-2006) at improving the quality of steps for the management and execution of life for the Lebanese through: awareness campaigns: USD 5,000 Improving the status of reproductive health Production of educational media materials and Q=XX adolescent messages focused on sexual and Achieving a balance between population dynamics reproductive health: USD 36,000 and development strategies Specialized training sessions for the project employees: USD 8,000 It is worthwhile noting that the national program Instructive seminars on media strategies- education for reproductive health will focus its activity and and communication through conferences: USD intervention on those disadvantaged areas for which 10,000 recommendations and work plans reached the World Workshop aimed at raising the awareness of service & = "Y = providers on the youth’s sexual and reproductive meetings need to be put into effect. A set of adequate health at the quality service centers. The workshop indicators was tailored to measure the impacts of the targets around 50 doctors, nurses and midwives: project and evaluate its success. They are the following: USD 10,000 Lower mother mortality rates Instructive workshop for workers in visual media Lower infant mortality rates on the youth’s sexual and reproductive health: USD Lower total fertility rates 8,000 Higher human development index Marketing and advertising regional meetings to Higher gender human development index develop educational media materials: USD 15,000 Higher female adult literacy rates IT equipment: USD 2,500 Lower HIV prevalence rates for those between 15 Audio-visual equipment: USD 4,000 and 24 years old Auditing and accounting: USD 1,200 per year i.e.