The Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training

Women in Lebanon: Reality & Challenges

2012-02-23T19:39:00.000+02:00

As part of the Women’s Political Empowerment (WPE) Project funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Lebanon, the Lebanese Organization of Studies & Training organized a seminar entitled: “Women in Lebanon: Reality & Challenges” delivered by the lawyer and social activist Ms. Manar Zayter at LOST-Hermel center on the 20th of February 2012 in the presence of more than 80 women.

Ms. Zayter defined “Woman” as an individual equal to “man”. “Woman” is a Lebanese citizen who faces the same challenges and problems that any Lebanese man is facing. Accordingly, Ms. Zayter emphasized on the importance of the cooperation between men and women in order to overpass any kind of difficulties.

In addition, the lawyer and the socialist activist affirmed that women have to participate in the decision making process whether at homes or in societiy. “Human rights are indivisible between men and women” and rights are not exclusive to men. So the Lebanese women should be active participants in the policy-making process of their communities and country, she added.

On the other side, Ms. Zayter highlighted several legal issues that perpetuate “Violence against Women” in the Lebanese law. She said that the laws encompass different degrees of domestic violence against women and violence in Lebanon remains without any legal protection and expose women to disgrace in case of disclosure or talk.

The seminar was followed by a long and interesting debate and finally all participants were invited to a cocktail.

حقوق المرأة: واقع وتحديات ندوة للجمعية اللبنانية للدراسات والتدريب ضمن مشروع "تمكين المرأة سياسياً"

2012-02-23T19:36:00.002+02:00

ضمن مشروع "تمكين المرأة سياسياً" الذي تنفذه الجمعية اللبنانية للدراسات والتدريب بالتعاون مع سفارة مملكة هولندا أقيمت ندوة بعنوان "حقوق المرأة: واقع وتحديات" في مركز الجمعية في الهرمل للناشطة في مجال حقوق المرأة المحامية منار زعيتربحضور حشد من الفعاليات

بعد النشيد الوطني اللبناني القت لينا أيوب كلمة باسم المشاركات في المشروع شكرت فيها الجمعية اللبنانية للدراسات والتدريب لإهتمامها بمشاريع تخدم المرأة و تعمل على مدّها بأسباب القوة لتصبح أكثر فعالية في مجتمعها كما شكرت سفارة مملكة هولندا لدعمها هذا المشروع.

ثم بدأت المحامية زعيتر الكلام بطرح فكرة "أنّ الرجل والمرأة مدعوان للتعاون معاً لحل مشاكل الانسان , خصوصاً أنّ هناك مشاكل وتحديات كبرى تتناول الإنسان في كل دولة على حدا بالإضافة للمشكلات العالمية التي تشكّل تهديداً للبشرية جمعاء ثمّ تتطرقت إلى ضرورة مساهمة المرأة في إتّخاذ القرار وذلك عن طريق المشاركة الفعّالة في العملية السياسية و خصوصاً لناحية العدد والمواقع المهمّة.

عن واقع المرأة في لبنان أشارت زعيتر أنه دون ما تقتضيه شرعة حقوق الإنسان، بحيث تتقاعس الدولة اللبنانية عن القيام بدورها في الإرتقاء بأوضاع النساء، وهي تسهم في إستمرار دائرة التمييز والعنف الممارسين بوجه النساء برفضها تعديل القوانين التمييزية بحق النساء وإستحداث تشريعات تحمي النساء من العنف الممارس بحقهن، لأن هاتين الظاهرتين هما نتاج بنية إجتماعية تاريخية تتصف بالتراتبية والسلطوية وتتمثل بعلاقات السلطة بين الرجل والمرأة، وتتمتع هذه البنية الإجتماعية في بلادنا بالحصانة القانونية.

وأضافت، أن عدم توفير الأمان للنساء له علاقة بالإرادة السياسية وبالوعي المجتمعي لإشكالية العنف ضد النساء ولحقيقة واجب الدولة بتقديم الحماية الكاملة لمواطنيها بغض النظر عن جنسهم وألا تكون الدولة نفسها شريكة في إنتهاكات الحقوق الإنسانية للمرأة، لأنها لم تنتهج بكل الوسائل والتدابير الملائمة، سياسة حاسمة ترمي إلى التمتع الفعلي بكل الحقوق الإنسانية، فالعنف والتمييز ضد النساء يشكل إنتهاكاً لكرامة المرأة وتهديداً لسلامة الأسرة وإستقرارها وعائقاً أمام نمو المجتمع بسبب الحد من قدرة النساء على التمتع بالحقوق والحريات الإنسانية ومن قدراتهن على المشاركة الحقيقية والفعالة في عملية التنمية الشاملة بجعلهن مستهلكات لها فحسب، وهو يصبح أكثر فتكاً عندما يمارس بإسم القانون، عندها يعزز ثقافة التسلط والإقصاء داخل الأسرة ويؤدي إلى تنشئة جيل على قيم غير ديمقراطية تنتهك حقوق الإنسان على الرغم من إن القانون وضع لحماية الإنسان ومعاقبة من ينتهك قواعد العدالة والمساواة.

وتأتي هذه الندوة ضمن فعاليات وانشطة مشروع "تمكين المرأة سياسيا" الذي تستفيد منه اكثر 120 سيدة والذي تنفذه الجمعية في مراكزها الأربعة (بعلبك، العين، بيت شاما، والهرمل) وفي مركز جمعية جسور في عرسال وبلدية تلعباس الغربي في عكار ، وهو ممول من سفارة مملكة هولندا ويتضمن ورش مدنية حول المواطنية، المشاركة المدنية، حقوق المرأة، حقوق الإنسان والمدافعة، كما يتضمن تعليم السيدات اللغة الإنكليزية والإعلام الإجتماعي بالإضافة إلى أنشطة وندوات تثقيفية وتفاعلية.

English Language Course for the Region’s Community Organizations

2012-02-20T16:54:00.001+02:00

The Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training (LOST) conducted a training course in English language for the community organizations of the Baalbeck-Hermel Region in an effort to empower these entities to achieve their objectives by obtaining the necessary human capacities and talents and also to enhance their abilities to communicate and network effectively with potential donors to obtain funding for their development initiatives.

The course also included training in organizational administration, social media, journalism, networking, project writing and administration and organization of donor conventions. It was sponsored by LOST via The Lebanese Center for English and Computer (LCEC), a division of LOST specialized in providing English language and information technology training for the local communities of the Baalbeck-Hermel Region.

دورة في تعلم اللغة الانكليزية للهيئات الاهلية

2012-02-20T16:54:00.000+02:00

استكمالا لبرنامج "تمكين الهيئات الاهلية في منطقة بعلبك الهرمل" الذي نفذته الجمعية اللبنانية للدراسات والتدريب والهادف الى تمكين الجمعيات الاهلية في المنطقة لكي تمتلك القدرات والكفاءات البشرية لتحقيق اهدافها والقدرة على التواصل والتشبيك لتستطيع الحصول على مشاريع وبرامج، وبعد الانتهاء من التدريب على الموضوعات التالية: ادارة الجمعية، الاعلام الاجتماعي، الاعلام، التشبيك، كتابة وادارة المشاريع واقامة مؤتمر الهيئات المانحة وبناء على طلب الجمعيات قدمت الجمعية دورة مجانية في تعلم اللغة الانكليزية لاعضاء الجمعيات في المركز اللبناني لتعليم اللغة الانكليزية والكومبيوتر (LCEC) لما في ذلك من اهمية في تمكين عمل الجمعيات والتواصل مع المؤسسات المانحة.

رسم صورة عامة عن انتاج المعرفة حول بناء السلم الاهلي للدكتور الباحث رامي اللقيس

2012-02-16T18:15:00.001+02:00

نظمت الجمعية اللبنانية للدراسات والتدريب لقاءً حوارياً حول دراسة حملت عنوان "رسم صورة عامة عن انتاج المعرفة حول بناء السلم الاهلي" للدكتور الباحث رامي اللقيس في مركز الشبكة الشبابة اللبنانية في بعلبك بحضور علي شمص ممثلا السفير الايراني في لبنان، ممثلي الاحزاب اللبنانية رؤساء واعضاء مجالس بلدية، رؤساءجمعيات، مخاتير وفعاليات.

بعد النشيد الوطني اللبناني قدمت المحامية منار زعيتر الباحث والدراسة واشارت الى اننا نعيش في منطقة تشهد الكثير من مظاهر النزاع، حيث يسود حالة من القلق وفقدان الثقة بين المواطن ومحيطة سواء في علاقاته مع المجتمع او في علاقاته مع السلطة كاطار منظم للمجتمع او في علاقة هذه السلطة مع القوى الدولية والاقليمية، وفي ظل هذه التوترات والنزاعات تبرز الحاجة القوية للعمل على السلام وبنائه سواء من خلال الدراسات والابحاث او التربية على السلام.

ثم قدم الدكتور اللقيس دراسته التي تناولت تعريف بناء السلام وتصنيف انتاج المعرفة حول بناء السلام في منطقة الشرق الاوسط وشمال افريقيا وعلاقة بناء السلام وحل النزاعات والحوكمة الرشيدة والتربية واشراك الشباب والسير نحو الديمقراطية.

واعتبر اللقيس في دراسته ان هناك حاجة لبذل جهود مضاعفة بغية سد التفاوتات والثغرات في التعامل مع مفهوم السلام ومقارباته وادواته، ناصحا باتخاذ مجموعة من الخطوات، تقضي الخطوة الاولى بضرورة نظر المنظمات الحكومية وغير الحكومية، المحلية منها والدولية بمضاعفة جهود التشبيك المنظم الذي من شأنه ان يؤدي الى عقد عدد اكبر من المؤتمرات والندوات التي تساعد في تقليص هذه النواقص، اما الخطوة الثانية فتكون من خلال اجراء المزيد من الدراسات لتوسيع مجال المناقشات المتعلقة بمسألة بناء السلام ونطاقها، ويمكن تطوير هذه الخطوة عبر اطلاق المزيد من المراكز التي تجث على اجراء بحوث محلية وتشجع عمل الناشطين في هذا المجال، واخيرا يجب ان تشمل مناقشات بناء السلام، المجتمعات الحكومية والمدنية على حد سواء.

وختم اللقيس بالاشارة الى ان النقص في الاصدارات المتعلقة ببناء السلام في مجتمعاتنا يعود الى ضعف المجتمع المدني وغياب الديمقراطية والالتباس في المفهوم بالاضافة الى الكم الهائل من المشاكل الاقتصادية والاجتماعية والسياسية التي تجعل من مفهوم السلام ليس من اولوياتنا.

LOST Hosts A Discussion Forum on “Peace-Building in the MENA Region”

2012-02-16T18:06:00.002+02:00

The Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training (LOST) hosted a discussion forum on the topic of “Mapping a Public Picture on Civil Peace-Building Knowledge Production” in the MENA Region at the headquarters of the Lebanese Youth Network (LYN) on the Ras-El-Ain Avenue in Baalbeck.

The forum is based on a research study published by Peacebuilding Academy and authored by the latter’s Executive Director Professor Ramy Lakkis titled “Mapping Peacebuilding Knowledge Production in the MENA”. The study is a qualitative evaluation of research-work on peace and conflict in the Region and defines peace-building in the context of MENA. It reveals four categories of peace-building research including Peace-Building and Conflict Resolution, Peace-Building and Governance, Peace-Building and Youth Engagement and Peace-Building and Democratization and two methodologies followed in the field and which include the Normative Approach and the Analytical Approach. In addition, the study provides an overview of the peace-building research production field in Lebanon and recommends additional research initiatives in peace-building and a more-organized approach to peace-building research, as well as the creation of opportunities for networking among stakeholders.

LOST trainer Manar Zaayter delivered the opening remarks of the event and served as the forum’s moderator. Professor Ramy Lakkis, the study’s author, headed the forum discussion. Lakkis is a holder of a Doctorate degree in International Affairs from the University of Durham in Britain and of a Master and Bachelor degrees from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. He founded LOST in 1997 and ever since then has managed over USD 2 Million in grants for development projects in the Baalbeck-Hermel Region from some of the premier international donors including the Government of the United States of America and of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The “Mapping Peacebuilding Knowledge Production in the MENA” research study is a LOST product and aligns with LOST’s mission of serving as a development research institution in the Baalbeck-Hermel Region. In addition, LOST leads development initiatives in the same region aimed at raising the standard of living and building a democratic civil society therein.

CISCO الجمعية اللبنانية للدراسات والتدريب تطلق دورة

2012-02-15T11:59:00.001+02:00

للمرة الاولى في بعلبك أطلقت الجمعية اللبنانية للدراسات والتدريب بالتعاون مع Object Technology CISCO Academy في شتورا، الدورة الأولى من شهادة CISCO التي تقام في مركز الجمعية في بعلبك رأس العين.
تعتبر هذه الشهادة الأولى من نوعها في علم شبكات الكومبيوتر والإتصالات التي تخول حاملها من تطوير وتحسين وحماية شبكات الكومبيوتر وشبكات الاتصال .
ويستفيد من هذه الدورة طلاب الكومبيوتر والاتصالات وموظفي المعلوماتية في المستشفيات والمدارس والمؤسسات التي تعتمد على شبكات الكومبيوتر في عملها.
مدة الدورة سنة كاملة وتشمل أربع مستويات، رسم الدورة كاملة 600$ لا غير.

تبدأ الدورة الجديدة في 4/3/2012 للتسجيل مراجعة مركز الجمعية اللبنانية للدراسات والتدريب – بعلبك، رأس العين الطابق الثاني.
أو الإتصال على الارقام التالية:

08-377075

08-370882

The Electronics and Commercial Arts Center in Baalbeck Welcomes the New Year with a Fundraiser

2012-01-19T19:31:00.000+02:00

The Electronics and Commercial Arts Center (ECC) in the City of Baalbeck had organized a fundraiser on the eve of the 31st of December of 2011 to pay farewell to 2011 and greet 2012 in an effort to raise funds for the Center’s operations and expansion efforts in the coming year. The fundraiser, which hosted over 200 guests, started at 10:00 pm in evening and lasted until the late hours of the morning of the first day of the New Year. Hadi Rifai, the event’s Disc-Jockey, welcomed guests to the celebration and launched the party with a parade of Oriental and Western tunes under which the Al-Sharq dance troop performed popular Lebanese folklore dance routines. Cotillions, raffle drawings and prizes, and a Baytna Restaurant-catered full course meal were among the key features of the evening. Managed by LOST in 2011, ECC is headquartered in Baalbeck in the Bekaa Province of Lebanon.

With “More Than Vocation Training! A Job Opportunity” as its slogan, ECC aims at granting local residents the qualifications necessary for them to become active participants in the economy of the Baalbeck-Hermel Region and at aiding them in realizing their full potential. The Center offers courses and diplomas in photography, computer, floral design and work, accountancy, presidency of accountancy, engineering and architectural drawing, hairdressing and makeup, and secretarial work. In addition, it offers BP, BT and TS specialties in kindergarten education, construction and general work, information management, nursing and information technology. ECC is located in the Lakkis building on the Ras-el-Ain Avenue in Baalbeck. For more information, contact the Center at +9618370882.

Al-Jadeed Television’s Former Reporter Talks Women’s Rights at a LOST Forum in Hermel

2012-01-07T11:12:00.002+02:00

In line with the scheduled programming of the Women’s Political Empowerment (WPE) project, LOST organized a forum on the topic of Women’s Rights in the Workplace starring the Lebanese journalist and Al-Jadeed Television (NEW TV) reporter Ogarit Dandash at the Hermel branch of LOST in the presence of WPE participants and LOST staff.

Welcoming participants and the guest speaker, the director of the Hermel branch of LOST Ahmad Alsaheli delivered the opening remarks of the forum and emphasized the importance of the latter in fostering dialogue among local women about their issues and in initiating a social movement to shape the social and political institutions of the region to resemble the ideal of a democratic society characterized by justice, liberty and opportunity.

Dandash, who is a native of the city of Hermel in Northern Bekaa, spoke on the status of women in Lebanon. She insisted that despite women’s willingness to and aptitude for work, their immeasurable contributions to their families and to society and their deep-rooted yet institutionally repressed spirit of giving, women in the region continue to lack their basic civil rights and especially their rights to take an active role in the local marketplace and in public life.

After Dandash’s speech, participants engaged in a question and answer session with the guest speaker and focused on the topics of women’s rights and of women’s independence and productivity.

The forum is among the key elements of the WPE project which was launched in 2011 and aims at empowering 100 economically-disadvantaged and politically-disenfranchised women from the Baalbeck-Hermel region of the Republic of Lebanon politically via a curriculum encompassing education on the civil rights of women and practical experience organizing community projects on local governance matters. WPE is fully-funded by the government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands via its Embassy in Beirut.

Yemeni Non-Governmental Organization Visits LOST

2012-01-03T18:39:00.000+02:00

PARTNERS-YEMEN, a Yemeni Non-Governmental Organization, visited the headquarters of The Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training (LOST) in its round of visits to Lebanese organizations and projects involved in the field of Conflict Resolution and Peace-Building, thereby exchanging expertise and strengthening their ties with LOST.

PARTNERS-YEMEN delegation’s visit aims at studying LOST’s organizational culture, strategy and operations, learning about and from its strategies and projects and ultimately adopting the theoretical and practical lessons which best suit PARTNERS-YEMEN’s circumstances but most importantly vision and mission in the Republic of Yemen. Also, it aims at sharing with LOST its experiences and knowledge gained from years of activism in Yemen.

LOST’s Executive Director and founder Ramy Lakkis delivered a welcome address where he greeted the delegation and welcomed their initiative to learn from LOST and its programming in the Conflict Resolution/Peace-Building domain and to share with his organization their experience in Yemen. In acquainting PARTNERS-YEMEN with LOST, Lakkis elaborated on LOST’s programming in the concerned field but especially on LOST’s youth programs which constitute the primary machine for implementing the organization’s Conflict Resolution/Peace-Building agenda.

In his welcoming remarks, Lakkis acknowledged the fact that “Lebanon suffers from sectarian and religious divisions which come in the way of development and represent the latter’skey impediment. Adding to the dilemma is the structure of family in Northern Bekaa which alleviates this division and unbalanced development. It is for this reason that LOST strives to lessen the severity of such factors via its various programs and to uproot these factors via its research-development and knowledge-sharing efforts.”

Abdel-Halim Afeiry, PARTNERS-YEMEN’s Deputy Executive Director, and four trainers representing four provinces in Yemen, comprised the delegation. “Despite the sectarian diversity in Yemen, our country hasn’t witnessed any divides or clashes, sectarian or otherwise, yet for we approach our differences in a manner that is civilized, progressive and respectful,” remarked Afeiry; “Our organization is attempting to spread the idea of individual freedom which is already spreading across our country and it is this very element that is contributing to the elimination of existing problems which impede the path of development therein.” At the end of his speech, Afeiry presented LOST’s Executive Director a memorial shied in recognition of LOST leadership in the Conflict Resolution/Peace-Building domain in the Middle Eastern region and for LOST’s warm welcome of the delegation.

PARTNERS-YEMEN is a Yemeni branch of PARTNERS-INTERNATIONAL, a Non-Governmental Organization established in 1989 in the United States and with presence in 20 countries around the world. The organization’s purpose is to develop the capacity of organizations and of civil frameworks around the globe and to enhance their role in development in general and in democratic development in particular. Also, it aims at emanating skills and knowledge of conflict management and consensus-building around local issues. For further reading about PARTNERS-YEMEN, please visit the organization’s web site at www.partnersyemen.org

Lebanese Military’s Commander-in-Chief Honors LOST

2011-12-19T19:00:00.000+02:00

The Commander-in-Chief of the Lebanese Military Jean Qahwaji commended LOST for its “noble national sentiments,” cooperation with the institutions and personnel of the Military and initiative on the Independence Day of Lebanon in 2011 involving the Lebanese Army orphans.

LOST organized an Independence Day celebration event in November of 2011 honoring the nation’s heroes and thanking them for their selfless dedication to Lebanon’s security and independence. The event was attended by the families and orphans of the Lebanese Army martyrs and also representatives of the Military and included an opening ceremony, entertainment, gifts and food.

Recognizing the significance of the Military in preserving the nation’s Democratic institutions and its civil society, LOST involves the Lebanese Armed Forces in most of its programming and never fails to appreciate their contributions to and service and sacrifice for the people of Lebanon in general and the people of the Baalbeck Hermel Region in particular.

Developing Generation Y’s Civic Intelligence-Shaping the Nation’s Democracy One Youth at a Time

2011-12-18T11:08:00.000+02:00

In line with its purpose, the seventh annual Academy of Youth at LOST launched the Universal Declaration of Human Rights exhibition at ten secondary schools across the Baalbeck Hermel Region as it executes the second month of its program.

Over 150 youngsters from ten schools in the communities of Baalbeck, Hermel, Ain and Shmustar are participating in the exhibition which is set up to acquaint local students with their rights as citizens of the global community, and which—thanks to the leadership of the United Nations organization—have become inborn rights for all. The exhibition includes poster-displays, theatrical plays and roll-upsset up at the participating schools and all of which emphasized the thirty articles of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Academy of Youth at LOST is an annual project designed to educate youths about public life with special emphasis on democracy and democratic governance. It trains them on the use of technical tools essential for a pro-active approach to civic participation where they learn about information technology, social media and English language tools and goes further to engage them in projects offering practical experience implementing the material they learn in the classroom.

In the Academy, Youths complete a comprehensive curriculum with four components. The Civics-Training component educates Academy participants about civics and democracy and trains them on the use of technical skills to implement projects of civic nature while the Activity component engages them in civic projects in their respective communities. The Events component promotes the Academy and its works to the various communities in the region in an effort to attract more youths to future academies at LOST. Finally, the Media component involves youths in public relations and media campaigns to provide them with practical experience voicing their concerns and opinions to the public at large and to public figures at the local, regional and national levels.

Yes She Can: LOST Educates Women About Their Rights and Opportunities in Public Life, Empowers Them Politically

2011-12-15T19:01:00.000+02:00

As a second stage in the Women’s Political Empowerment (WPE) project funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Lebanon, LOST commenced the program with training sessions on the topics of Human Rights and Women’s Rights in six sub-regions in Lebanon including Baalbeck, Akkar, Ain, Beit Shema, Hermel and Ersal, thereby embarking on a five-month long mission to empower women in the marginalized communities of Lebanon politically and ushering in a brighter and more democratic society for them and their country.

Scheduled for two sessions per week with each session lasting approximately two hours, WPE includes a theoretical component and a practical one. The former covers several topics on civics including citizenship, human rights and women’s rights, advocacy and civic participation, and also information technology, social media and English language. The latter involves participants in a community project allowing them to partake in the policy-making process in their respective communities under the guidance of LOST.

In the Baalbeck branch of LOST, twenty six women are attending the training sessions; close to 50% of them joined WPE after graduating from the Women’s Economic Empowerment Project also run by LOST. In a partnership with Jusur organization LOST is managing WPE in Ersal while in Akkar LOST has partnered with the municipality of Tall-Abbass to manage it. Jusur and the municipality provide logistical and human capital support for LOST who in turn is providing leadership, expertise and funding for the implementation of WPE therein.

WPE aims at improving the lives of women in the marginalized communities of Lebanon by empowering women politically so they are active participants in the policy-making process of their communities and country. Also, it aims at strengthening the institution of women’s leadership in public life by educating women about their rights and opportunities in the public domain, involving them in projects which allow them to influence the policy-making process in their community, and offering them guidance on their endeavors in public life at any point in the future.
WPE is funded by the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands via its diplomatic representation in the capital city of Lebanon Beirut and is scheduled to last until April of 2012.

Local Youths Learn to Instill Change in Their Community and to Participate in the Making of Their Region’s History

2011-12-14T17:00:00.000+02:00

LOST concluded the first month of the execution stage of its “Advocacy Civic Initiatives in Baalbeck-Hermel” project, with training sessions on the theme of “Citizenship and Civic Participation” to youths at its four locations in Baalbeck, Beit Shema, Ein and Hermel.
The initiative commenced in September of this year when LOST conducted preliminary preparations for the project selecting and training its personnel, developing and executing a marketing campaign and designing a research plan related to the issue of public access to government data. In October LOST continued its preparation for the project and in this regard recruited 80 youths from various communities in the Baalbeck-Hermel Region to participate in the initiatives and completed a training guide to be used by trainers in their work. In addition, training of trainers sessions continued and a project launch ceremony was held to announce the project to the local communities of the region.
In November, the first training session of youths was held and like subsequent sessions it focused on the topic of citizenship and civic participation. Upcoming sessions will focus on various topics within the Civics domain including sessions on Good Governance and Civic Advocacy. Also, community service activities where participants gain a first-hand look at advocacy campaign execution in communities other than their own will be organized via field trips to different provinces around Lebanon.
The “Advocacy Civic Initiatives in Baalbeck-Hermel” is a LOST project aimed at developing the capacity of youth to advocate causes they care about in their local and national legislatures so as to fully reflect their will in the making of their future. Funded by the Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the project is scheduled to end in July of 2012.

LOST “Takes It To The Street,” Recruits 1,000 Local Youth To Participate in BLOM’s 9th Annual Beirut Marathon 2011

2011-12-03T13:04:00.001+02:00

As part of its Youth Academy curriculum and in an effort to contribute to the civic engagement of youth in the Baalbeck-Hermel region, LOST recruited over 1,000 local youth to participate in BLOM Bank’s 9th annual Beirut Marathon held in Beirut under the auspices of the Minister of Youth and Sports of Lebanon Faisal Karame.

In association with BLOM Bank and under the slogan “Take It To The Street,” the Beirut Marathon Association (BMI) organized the 9th annual BLOM Beirut Marathon 2011 in Beirut with the purpose of contributing to the making of the national unity of Lebanon and in creating an opportunity for the people of Lebanon and other regions as well to engage in sports. Attended by over 31,000 participants from Lebanon and other countries, the Marathon included eight races as follows: 42.195 K, 42.195 K—Wheelchairs, Relay 42.195 K, 10 K Fun Run, 10,000 Meter Run, 10,000 Meter Run—Wheelchairs, 5 K Youth Run, 1 K Run-with-Mom.

LOST, as part of the Academy of Youth curriculum, recruited over 1,000 youth from the Baalbeck-Hermel region to participate in BLOM Beirut Marathon 2011. LOST’s contribution to the Marathon went beyond recruitment to include provision of T-Shirts and food to local participants, management of logistics and marketing efforts in the region so as to publicize the event and spark youth’s interest in the activity.

Hussein Yazbeck, the Director of the Beit-Shema branch of LOST, served as the coordinator of LOST’s efforts in the Marathon. According to Yazbeck, LOST’s aim behind the project is “to ingrain in youth the feeling that they are citizens of Lebanon and have a right to participate in all activities at the national level based on the principle of equality of citizens, as well as position the Baalbeck-Hermel region on the Sports agenda of Lebanon via efforts to project a civilized view of the reality of the Lebanese progressive youth who are in need of new horizons and challenges. Also, it is the aim of LOST to unite the Lebanese youth to keep the spirit of charity and of affiliation, which characterize Lebanon so much, thriving.”

For information on BLOM Beirut Marathon 2011 official results, visit BMA’s web site at http:// www.beirutmarathon.org/blom-beirut-2011/.

“All For The Country, For The Glory, For The Flag”: LOST Observes The Nation’s Independence Day in Its Own Special Way

2011-11-30T15:18:00.000+02:00

In commemoration of the Lebanese independence from in 1943, LOST organized a celebration ceremony at the Headquarters of the Lebanese Youth Network (LYN) on the Ras-el-Ain Avenue in Baalbeck.
The ceremony aimed at thanking the Lebanese Army for its selfless contributions to the nation and at marking the 68th independence anniversary of the Republic of Lebanon. In accomplishing these objectives, LOST organized an event for the children and families of the Lebanese Army martyrs who have given their lives for their country and the well-being of its citizenry.
The Lebanese National Anthem rocked the opening of the event and was followed by a welcome address by Kilmar Asaad, the event host and a member of the Lebanese Association of Students (LAS), who thanked the audience for participating in the event and the Lebanese Army for their dedication to the security and sovereignty of Lebanon. After the address, LAS, LOST’s partner in the event, presented a talent show for the audience and which included a performance of patriotic songs by participating children, clown show, quizzes and drawing contest.
A sports show which was presented for the audience by LYN, LOST’s other partner in the event, trailed the talent show and enthralled viewers with an amusement factor beyond anyone’s expectations. A Judo match, gymnastics show and Ping-Pong performance were the main components of this section of the event.
Omar Bay’yan, the head of the Educational Committee at LOST, delivered the keynote address on behalf of LOST and, at the end of his speech, distributed presents to the orphans of the fallen martyrs of the nation’s Army. Speaking on behalf of the latter, First Lieutenant Mohammad Janbeyn thanked LOST, LAS and LYN for their efforts in making the event happen and recognized the fallen martyrs for their priceless contributions to their nation’s security and independence.
A lunch at Baytna Restaurant for the participating families and children marked the final section of LOST’s Independence Day celebration event.

LOST Hits-the-Ground-Running with Its First Women’s Economic Empowerment Project

2011-11-29T10:14:00.000+02:00

LOST embarked on the Women’s Economic Empowerment Project (WEEP) in the city of Baalbeck in an effort to enhance the social, economic and political status of women in the Baalbeck-Hermel region so they become more apt players in their community. The first training session of the project was held on the 17th of October 2011 from 10 am and until noon at LOST’s headquarters in Baalbeck.
LOST’s latest campaign comes at a time when women in the region continue to lack their basic civil rights and the means to access assets necessary for them to lead a life enjoyed by their male counterparts locally and nationally. In most communities of the region, for instance, women lack adequate access to the information necessary to build their character and career and are unaware of their political, economic, religious or social rights. Their presence in the national legislature and in local governing bodies remains nil and their participation in the workforce low, even though women have a constitutional right to participate in public life and to pursue their chosen careers. Furthermore, initiatives for the economic support of women are nonexistent in the region and as thus their chances of professional growth therein are severely undermined.
To alleviate this problem, LOST has launched WEEP on the 24th of September when it announced the project to the local communities and commenced a marketing campaign to promote the new initiative.
WEEP’s curriculum includes a theoretical part and a practical one. The former is scheduled to last until the first week of December and focuses on educating participants about the principles of entrepreneurship and management and also about information technology. The latter part begins in mid December yet its duration varies on a case-by-case basis. It focuses on providing participants with guidance during the implementation process of the projects incepted by individual participants. WEEP is the first project LOST undertakes which focuses solely on women’s issues in the region.
WEEP is managed by The Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training (LOST) in a joint partnership with Bridging the Divide, a non-profit organization based in the United States aiming at promoting peace, human rights and good governance around the world. WEEP is publicly funded via voluntary donations through a charity fundraising portal called Global Giving, which offers non-profit organizations an avenue to raise the funding necessary to carry out development projects. For more information on WEEP, visit the following link: http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/educate-women-and-girls-in-rural-lebanon/.

LOST Conducts a Training of Trainers Session for Its Women’s Political Empowerment Project

2011-11-28T16:58:00.001+02:00

In preparation for the Women’s Political Empowerment (WPE) project which has been made possible through a generous grant from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Lebanese capital Beirut, LOST started the Training-of-Trainers (TOT) sessions for the project staff at its Baalbeck Headquarters on the Ras-el-Ain Avenue.
Manar Za’ayter, a private practice Attorney-at-Law specialized in the Human Rights field in general and in the Women’s Rights sub-field in particular, led the TOT.
Za’ayter’s training curriculum included two components: Theoretical and practical. The former component provided trainers with a general overview of the women’s rights field such as the evolution of the concept throughout history while the latter component acquainted trainers with the technicalities of women’s participation in the political life of their community. An overview of the avenues to cross in empowering women to actively participate in the public life of their community is among the topics covered in this section of the TOT.
In an effort to allow trainers to be better equipped in leading WPE, training guides were distributed during the TOT session which is one of the two TOT sessions planned for the project. WPE is a LOST-managed project aiming at educating local women about their civil rights as women-members of the community, providing instructions on how to become involved in public life and equipping them with the skills and tools necessary to achieve their goals and ambitions.
WPE is scheduled to run until March 2012 when participants implement what they have learned in the classroom in the real world by organizing small community projects.

LOST Receives Funding for Political Empowerment of Women Project

2011-11-03T19:02:00.000+02:00

LOST is announcing the launch of its Political Empowerment of Women (PEW) project in the Baalbeck-Hermel region after it signed the funding acceptance agreement with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Beirut on Friday, the 28th of October, at the Embassy’s premises in Achrafieh in Beirut.

In line with LOST’s mission and agenda, PEW has a threefold objective. First, it aims at educating 120 women from the Baalbeck-Hermel region about their civil rights as women in the community. Second, it seeks to provide these women with guidance on how to participate actively in public and political affairs. Third and last, it aims at offering participating women a chance to acquire the tools and skills necessary to help them better advocate their rights and issues at the local and national levels.

PEW is scheduled to run for six months. The first month of the project will be of preparatory nature and include recruitment of participants, development of training material and selection of staff, while the following four months will be of academic nature and will tackle the learning objectives of the project. It is at this stage of PEW that participants will learn about civic and political empowerment issues such as citizenship and civic participation. Small community projects designed to allow participants to implement the learned material effectively will consume the sixth and final month of the project. The latter will involve the communities of Baalbeck, Shmestar, Ain, Hermel, Akkar and Ersal.

The anticipated impact of the project on the communities of the region is immense. Women are expected to develop their leadership aptitude to where they are more involved in their communities, socially and politically alike, and to learn the skills, knowledge and information technology tools which would allow them to accomplish such an objective. Development of an institutional support base for women in the Baalbeck-Hermel region is a long term expectation of the project.

LOST Launches Two New Projects

2011-11-02T17:31:00.000+02:00

On the evening of Thursday, the 27th of October, 2011, LOST celebrated the launch of two new projects in the Baalbeck-Hermel region in a ceremonial dinner at its headquarters in Baalbeck, in the presence of prominent community figures and supporters.
The Lebanon Civic Initiative project aims at providing youth with civic and IT education and training in order to allow them to lead local grassroots-organizing efforts and to advocate issues of concern for their community effectively. The Academy of Youth project is designed to provide local youth with education on civic issues including citizenship, conflict resolution and good governance, among others, and with training in English, Information Technology, Social Media tools and internet research. Both projects commenced in September of 2011 and are sponsored USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI/USAID).
Held at the Tammouz Hall in the Lakkis Building in Baalbeck, the ceremony hosted prominent community figures including Mr Duraid Yaghi, Archbishop Ilias Rahhal, Colonel Mardini and Major Haidar Mazloum, mayors, school principals, teachers, supporters and LOST staff.

Five speakers addressed the ceremony participants. Hussein Yazbeck, LOST-Beit Shema’s branch director delivered the opening address welcoming the attendees and thanking them for their continued support of the organization. Yazbeck announced the launch of the two new projects and provided an overview of LOST’s activities in the region. Duraid Yaghi, the Deputy Director of the Lebanese Progressive Socialist Party, followed Yazbeck’s address with a speech highlighting the need of youth in the region for education of civic and cultural nature so they are more apt to shape their future and that of their homeland Lebanon. Also, he welcomed LOST’s two new projects and emphasized their crucial role in fulfilling the aforementioned need.
Archbishop Ilias Rahhal called on the audience at large and the representatives of the local academic community in particular to join efforts with LOST in developing the region via education and development initiatives. Omar Yassin, the kaemakam of Baalbeck, commended LOST for its contribution to the local community and encouraged participants to cooperate with the organization in the implementation of its initiatives. Ramy Lakkis, Director of LOST, delivered the concluding remarks and presented flowers to USAID director in Lebanon in recognition for OTI’s generous support of the new LOST projects.

Baytna, a Baalbeck-based restaurant located on the Ras el Ain Avenue, catered the event and offered participants an exquisite taste of the Lebanese cuisine while the Lute player Nazyh Ghadban enchanted their imagination with melodies borrowed from the Lebanese musical heritage. A cake-cutting ceremony concluded the festivity.
After the dinner, guests had a chance to take a glimpse of the rich heritage of in a photo-gallery set up in the banquet hall and learn about parts of the Lebanese folklore that have never been displayed in public before. Turath.Com, a local nonprofit organization established for the purpose of reviving the Lebanese heritage in the region and to ultimately globalize it via photo-displays and internet technologies, organized the show.
OTI/USAID is the major donor of LOST’s two new projects. Since its inception in September of 2007, the OTI program in Lebanon has supported over 199 projects worth more than USD 17 Million all aimed at preserving democracy and developing civil peace in Lebanon. The OTI program is scheduled to end in 2013.

LOST Celebrates the Conclusion of the Summer 2011 Youth Academy, Graduates a New Class of TOEFL Students and Computer for Teachers Course Students

2011-11-01T18:20:00.000+02:00

The Academy of Youth has successfully concluded its Summer 2011 season in Beit Shema with a festivity celebrating the success of its Ksarnaba project and the graduation of a new class of students of its Computer for Teachers course, TOEFL Preparatory Course and Summer 2011 Youth Academy this past Saturday, the 23rd of October, 2011, in Beit Shema in the Baalbeck-Hermel region.
Attended by students and their parents, LOST’s Director Ramy Lakkis, faculty and staff, Action Aid Denmark representatives, local political figures and community members, the “Youth Lead, We Follow” project final ceremony event in Beit Shema denotes the completion of a five month-long process which included four months of training and workshops on the topics of Conflict Resolution, Civic Participation, Citizenship and Peace and Tolerance and a one month of engagement in community projects in the Baalbeck-Hermel region. Saturday’s program celebrated the conclusion of the summer 2011 project for the Beit Shema branch.

Hussein Yazbeck, the director of the Beit Shema branch of LOST, opened the program with a keynote address welcoming the program participants, recognizing the achievements of program and courses graduates and highlighting the activities and accomplishments of LOST in general and of the Beit Shema branch thereof in particular in the region. Yazbeck found especially noteworthy the Academy’s Ksarnaba project and its anticipated impact on youth in the community. “In this fascinating historic landmark in Ksarnaba our youth have found a way to undertake volunteering projects and to prove themselves capable of participating in the development of their region. They cooperated with relevant municipalities to illuminate the exterior section of the temple and locate signs and trash cans around the site. Also, they undertook a marketing campaign for this landmark by posting video excerpts on social media sites which they benefited greatly from during the academy.” He thanked Action Aid Denmark for their unyielding support of the Academy and in relation to LOST’s upcoming programming announced the organization’s newest course on computer networking titled CISCO Network Associate program commencing on the 19th of November, 2011.
After the keynote address, participants watched a video presentation produced by the participants of the Youth Academy on Ksarnaba’s historic landmark, a Roman temple which ranks among the most important Roman temples in the region. The video presentation is one of Youth Academy’s civic engagement projects designed to draw the attention of the Ministry of Tourism of Lebanon and that of the public at large to this little known yet historically significant historic landmark via a lobbying campaign coupled with a marketing agenda executed through social and traditional media outlets.
The video presentation was followed by a theatrical play and a mime show performed by the academy participants. The purpose of both shows was to translate the key educational tenets of the academy to the audience in an easy to grasp and entertaining manner and allow participants to “live” the learned lessons during the civic education part of the academy on stage and therefore better understand its message.

LOST-Beit Shema’s festivity is the fourth and final graduation ceremony of the Summer 2011 Youth Academy this year after the final ceremonies in Hermel and Ain. LOST-Hermel graduated its class of Youth Academy participants on Friday, the 22nd of October. The branch’s ceremony included a theatrical play addressing the issue of conflict resolution at the community level and ridiculed the established custom of resolving conflicts via violence and arms rather than dialogue. Also, it addressed the women’s rights issue and called for legislative reforms therein as women in the region continue to lack their basic civil rights. The ceremony highlighted the Academy’s civic engagement project in the area and which aimed at raising the local community’s and the national government’s attention to the Brisa Ruins via print material, social media outlets and information technology.
LOST-Ain graduated its class on the 21st of October. Its ceremony included a theatrical play targeting the women’s rights issue and criticized the status quo where women are empowered in the media only but in reality continue to suffer from discrimination and neglect. The academy’s project included an awareness campaign calling for the preservation of Ain’s historic housing sites and Labweh’s Roman Ruins and the historic train station via print material distributed to local schools and associations.
Action Aid Denmark is a major donor of LOST’s Summer 2011 Youth Academy and has been a strategic partner in fulfilling LOST’s mission in the Baalbeck-Hermel region. Thanks to the generous donations from Action Aid, LOST has been able to offer youth in the local communities with civic education and engagement opportunities which are fundamental to leading the way to a stronger, fairer and democratic Lebanon and plant the seeds for a nation built on the principles of democracy and justice. Casper Petersen, a volunteer worker for Action Aid Denmark and one of the program’s attendees, remarked his fondness of the theatrical play and the ingenuity of the program. “Acting is an international language and a great way to express your ideas. It goes beyond language since it targets different senses. Youth seemed to be very engaged and that will facilitate the learning process for them,” Petersen commented.
Planning and execution of the 2012 Youth Academy are ongoing. For information on participation in the academy, please visit LOST’s web site or one of LOST’s locations in Baalbeck, Ain, Beit Shema or Hermel.

FORSA Completes its Project, Celebrates Success

2011-10-25T17:28:00.001+03:00

In celebration of the success of its vocational training program, FORSA held a graduation gala at the Tammouz Hall in the Lakkis Building in Baalbeck at 3:00 pm on Wednesday, the 19th of October, 2011.
Attended by FORSA’s trainees and their parents, project manager and coordinators, OTI representative Sarah Sakaheel and other prominent local personalities, the graduation gala denotes the completion of a six month-long process which included workshops on citizenship, tolerance and conflict resolution, in addition to vocational training workshops on topics including painting, building and flagstones.

The Lebanese National Anthem opened the ceremony and was followed by a documentary film depicting an unemployed young man from Baalbeck and how he managed to get a job. While sharing with the audience one of the project’s success stories, the film served as an information tool describing the purpose of FORSA and the latter’s role in aiding young men and women in building their careers and shaping their future.

Ali Raad, the project’s administrative officer, delivered a speech where he emphasized the importance of vocational training in helping youth to obtain job opportunities and become economically independent. Due to the gloomy job prospects and the high level of unskilled labor in the Baalbeck-Hermel region, youth finds itself immersed in less than desirable activities which lead to personal and as a consequence social paybacks of negative nature. To prevent this problem from further escalation, the FORSA project came into being,” Raad asserted. “The FORSA project aims at developing the personal skills of youth, enhancing the concept of work and production and training youth on the careers that comply with the job market” added Raad.
On behalf of the student body of the FORSA project, Yaser Taleb delivered an address thanking FORSA for its generous support of youth in the region and regarding it instrumental in providing them a chance to win job opportunities which would allow them to realize their dreams and ambitions.

At the end of the ceremony, Sarah Sakaheel and Hammoud Shall, the project manager, awarded graduates with program completion certificates in recognition of their academic and vocational achievement.

LOST Announces the Launch of the “CISCO Certified Network Associate” Program

2011-10-22T16:42:00.000+03:00

In the pursuit of a more developed and globally integrated Baalbeck-Hermel region and in an attempt to further the technological prowess of its residents, LOST is announcing the launch of the CISCO Certified Network Associate program (CCNA) at its headquarters in Baalbeck starting November 19th, 2011, at 3:00 pm.
CCNA is an internationally recognized program based on CISCO’s infamous Networking Academy and aims at educating students and professionals alike on ways to design, build, troubleshoot and secure computer networks so as to provide them with increased access to career and economic opportunities in their communities. CISCO is a US-based international corporation specialized in computer networking and technology solutions and ranks among the leading corporations in the United States and around the world. Object Technology CISCO Academy is providing the technical know-how and training for the project.
The anticipated outcome of the project extends beyond sound technology education for the Baalbeck-Hermel communities to include cultural and economic components. “This is a new opportunity for students and practitioners in the region to get CISCO certificates and good quality education. Also, it helps youth and others to get a job quickly,” emphasized LOST’s Chief Executive Officer professor Rami Lakkis. Beyond education and economics, the project promises to serve among the leading agents in the process of transitioning the culture of the region to a knowledge based one and also to usher in a more equitable future for the generations to come.
To sign up for the program, kindly visit LOST’s corporate offices on the 3rd floor of the Lakkis Building on Ras-el-Ain Avenue anytime between 9:00 am to 8:00 pm, Saturday through Thursday.

LOST Celebrates the Successful Completion of Summer 2011 Youth Academy, Graduates a New Class of TOEFL Students

2011-10-19T18:10:00.001+03:00

A theatrical play, TOEFL graduation ceremony and cocktail party marked LOST’s program for its annual Summer Youth Academy this past Saturday, the 15th of October 2011, in the Ras-el-Ain district in the city of Baalbeck.

Attended by students and their parents, LOST and community members, the “Youth Lead, We Follow” project final ceremony event denotes the completion of a five month-long process which included four months of training and workshops on the topics of Conflict Resolution, Civic Participation, Citizenship and Peace and Tolerance and a one month of engagement in community projects. Saturday’s program celebrated the conclusion of the summer 2011 project.

Omar Bay’yan, a member of LOST faculty, commenced the program with a speech welcoming the event participants, emphasizing the importance of the project and discussing the accomplishments of the participants throughout the past five months. “We launched the youth academy project based on the solemn truth that youth in our region are facing enormous challenges in belonging to, proving their presence in and enhancing their participation and presence in decisions which impact their lives,” Bay’yan noted. “Also, they lack the education in cooperation, communication and dialogue which has been compromised by the sectarian extremism, the familial and the religious thereof.”

At the end of Bay’yan’s address and as part of the project, a group of students participating in the academy performed a theatrical play which delivered the key learning objectives of the project in an easy-to-grasp manner. Humorous yet meaningful, the play emphasized the unequivocally important role that youth plays in civil society and especially on its ability to lead change and embody it in their daily lives.
After the play, Bay’yan commenced LOST’s TOEFL graduation ceremony where he congratulated the TOEFL course participants for their successful completion of the course and awarded them diplomas in recognition of their achievement.
The Youth Lead, We Follow project is fully funded by Action Aid Denmark, a nonprofit organization which focuses on various areas of development including education, governance and emergencies and conflict and whose scope of operation spans numerous countries across the globe including Lebanon and many other nations in the Middle East region.

The project is a part of Action Aid’s Academy of Active Citizen, a summer program set up for the purpose of civic education and engagement via workshops and training on a variety of issues including tolerance and conflict.
“We support these kinds of projects because we believe in youth and their ability to do social change needed. We believe they are the changing agents,” said Hadia Ghadban, a project coordinator for Action Aid in Lebanon. “The result, to a big extent, has been good. We touched the impact of performing arts through their performance today and the show they presented.”

Local Advocacy Initiatives in Baalbeck- Hermel

2011-10-16T13:23:00.002+03:00

“Advocacy Initiatives in Baalbeck-Hermel” is the title of the project funded by OTI/USAID and implemented by LOST. This project kicked off in September 2011 and will extend over 10 months.
The major objective of this project is to empower 100 youth from Baalbeck-Hermel with civic education and advocacy tools in addition to social media tools to make them capable of mobilizing their local communities and participating in local advocacy initiatives.
Two main issues-problems are tackled in this project. The first one is conceptual and is related to youth misunderstanding of their role in society. And the second one is more practical and it deals with the poor involvement of youth in real community affairs especially in local municipality services.

The Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training through this project tries to solve these issues by educating youth to become active citizens and helping them to understand their right and crucial role in making things change for the better in their society. Moreover, this project empowers youth with social media tools that can make their opinions more heard. These new acquired skills and techniques will be utilized as part of advocacy initiatives to push youth to handle the problems that they are facing.

The Academy of Youth: A new project supported by OTI/ USAID

2011-10-16T13:20:00.000+03:00

After implementing more than five projects of youth activism, The Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training considers working with youth as a strategic issue to manage any process of social and political change. So that, LOST is going ahead in a new project supported by USAID which is entitled: “The Academy of Youth”. This project aims at training and engaging more than 10 youth clubs from different academic and vocational institutions in public issues. This will be done by training youth on citizenship, conflict resolution, good governance, municipal governance in addition to IT and English sessions. These trainings will be followed by various activities that will be implemented to crystallize the different concepts discussed in training.
Through this project, youth will gain new skills and they will have the chance to use these newly gained skills to participate in the development of their communities.

Launching small community projects by youth in Baalbeck-Hermel

2011-10-05T18:02:00.000+03:00

The Academy of Youth- Summer 2011 which is the first joint project between LOST and Action-Aid Denmark launched 4 developmental projects in Baalbeck in the presence of Dr. Ramy Lakkis, the founder of LOST, Mrs. Hadia Ghadban, the representative of Action-Aid Denmark in Lebanon and several social and academic figures in addition to the participants of the Academy.After the Lebanese Anthem, Mr. Hussein Shouman from LOST welcomed the audience and explained the program of the Academy and its objectives. Mr. Shouman’s welcoming note was followed by a speech delivered by the founder of LOST Dr. Ramy Lakkis who stressed on the role of the Academy in promoting local development. “The final stage of the Academy’s program includes the engagement of youth in 4 community projects in order to use their newly gained skills to push for positive change in their communities”. He added.Four youth members of the Academy presented the 4 community projects that will be executed in Baalbeck, Hermel, Ein and Ksarnaba.Hermel and Beit Shama projects are based on protecting the monuments of Brisa and Ksarnaba. These projects include sending letters to the Ministry of Tourism in order to protect the archeological sites in these regions. The project that will be executed in Ein is based on protecting the archeological old houses in this region by communicating with the owners and presenting short films that show the archeological importance of these houses.The Academy’s members in Baalbeck presented their project which is based on the rehabilitation of Al Makased Park in Baalbeck through meetings with the neighborhoods and the municipality of Baalbeck and distributing brochures to raise public awareness to protect public places.

More than vocational education! Job opportunities

2011-10-02T15:15:00.002+03:00

The Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training inaugurated the Electronics and Commercial Arts Center “ECC” in an opening ceremony in Baalbeck in the presence of a large audience of political, academic and social figures.
“More than vocational education! Job opportunities” said Dr. Ramy Lakkis, the founder of LOST. This is the essential feature that distinguishes “ECC” from other vocational institutions. “ECC” provides career guidance and job opportunities to its students in collaboration with Forsa, a local NGO.

“ECC” provides the following technical degrees “BP-BT-TS”, and it offers a wide range of majors such as IT management, nursing, Business administration, management information system, Construction and public works.
Furthermore, “ECC” offers a variety of courses and certificates in Languages (English& French), hairdressing & make-up, first aids, flowers’ arrangement, engineering & architectural drawing, photography, executive secretary, head accountant, computer and general accountant.

Rejecting “Violence Against Women”

2011-09-26T18:32:00.000+03:00

As part of the Women Political Empowerment (WPE) project that is funded by the Canada Fund, the Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training in collaboration with the Canada Fund organized a seminar entitled “Violence Against Women” delivered by the lawyer and social activist Ms. Manar Zayter at LOST-Baalbeck center on the 24th of September 2011 in the presence of more than 60 women.

Ms. Zayter identified “violence against women as any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.”

Ms Zayter highlighted several legal issues that perpetuate “Violence against Women” in the Lebanese Law. She considered that women's role is acknowledged only in texts; however, in practice women are confined to their biological classical functions. She added that the Lebanese laws threaten women with divorce, homelessness and polygamy. Women are also subjected to the prevention from compensation, children's custody and from inheritance. The laws also encompass different degrees of domestic violence against women. Violence in Lebanon remains without any legal protection and expose women to disgrace in case of disclosure or talk. Such laws still confirm the accessory role of women and allow various forms of moral and physical violence against them. Such unfair discrimination against women clearly appears in the law of divorce and the impacts resulting from it. The consequences of divorce, separation or dissolution of marriage comprise many aspects of injustice towards women. There isn't any measure set forth in such laws to prevent family violence.

Ms. Zayter emphasized that such violations of women’s rights are also clearly shown in the Lebanese Penal Law. She talked about what is called "Crimes of Honor" which demonstrate great discrimination against women. She affirmed that the Lebanese Penal Law still preserves the principle of killing women by family men members and that domestic violence is a major type of violence practiced against women.

“Dignity is indivisible between men and women. And rights are not privileges given to women but they are part of their dignity. So the violence against women is not acceptable under any religious, social or cultural pretext.” Ms. Manar Zayter concluded.

The seminar was followed by a long and interesting debate and finally all participants were invited to a cocktail at Baytna Restaurant in Baalbeck.

Celebrating Success in LOST’s 10th Annual Iftar

2011-09-20T10:57:00.000+03:00

The Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training (LOST) organized its 10th annual Iftar in Baalbeck on August 15th , 2010 in the presence of H.E. Ali Abdullah, Minister of Youth and Sports to celebrate its 12th anniversary. Several religious, military and social figures attended the ceremony which counted an audience of over 450 persons. Distribution of certificates was held during the event. Fifteen certificates were issued to trainees who have attended an Educational Counseling Course, in addition to certificates distributed to 70 students who have completed successfully 100 hours of TOEFL exam preparation course.
“Educational Counseling was something far from reach and LOST made it reachable. There was no chance in our deprived region to even know that such course exists; however, LOST made it available. I was just a teacher, now I feel I can be a counselor and an educator” said Alaa a teacher from Chmostar.

Academy of Active Citizens

2011-08-09T17:56:00.002+03:00

The Academy of Youth is preparing youth to be more engaged in civic affairs. After a series of interactive workshops on citizenship, civic participation and conflict resolution for around three months, youth became more aware of their role and duties in society. They became more involved in community affairs. In fact, they decided to respond to the call of the Ministry of Culture to clean the inside of the ruins of Ballbeck. On Saturday the 23rd of July more than 160 youth participated in the cleaning campaign for more than four hours of hard work. The campaign by itself was a practical call to draw the attention of local authorities to do its work more than an event to clean the temples of Baalbeck. This is the right based approach that youth have learned in the Academy.
The engagement of youth in community issues was reflected by drawing murals with different messages visualizing their calls to draw attention to issues they found relevant in their communities. In Hermel, youth preferred to send a clear message for people to take care of their environment, in Baalbeck, youth decided to draw different road signs signaling a special care to road safety since they believed that many citizens of their ages are victims of car accidents and damages.

Meaningful movies at LOST

2011-08-07T11:47:00.000+03:00

The Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training organizes weekly meaningful movies for children in Arabic and English languages in its 4 branches.
This activity organized by LOST is targeting groups of less fortunate children in Baalbeck- Hermel.More than 30 kids are attending these movies every week. Such activities give kids the opportunity to learn English through enjoyable modes. These kids miss every entertaining activity in a region which lacks recreational facilities. The movies bring them more than happiness.

Conflict Resolution for teachers in Baalbeck

2011-08-04T18:31:00.000+03:00

LOST is organizing a conflict resolution training course in Baalbeck. This new course aims at training teachers on how they can resolve the various types of conflicts that usually occur between students and teachers or between students’ parents and the teaching staff in any school.
In the first course offered this spring more than 20 teachers from different schools in Baalbeck- Hermel participated. Such course included training on the following topics: the roots of conflict, the different skills of conflict resolution such as dialogue, negotiation, mediation and adjudication.
“It was a chance provided by LOST to help us solving the problems that we face in teaching.” Was a statement repeated by all trainees.

A Cleaning campaign in the ruins of Baalbeck

2011-07-24T17:46:00.003+03:00

The Academies of Youth in Baalbeck, Ein, Chmostar and Hermel (LOST) in collaboration with the Directorate of Antiquities and the Lebanese Army launched a cleaning campaign in the Ruins of Baalbeck on Saturday July 23rd. More than 160 students from various high schools of Baalbeck- Hermel participated in this campaign. Ali Meqdad, a youth club member confirmed that “this campaign is a remarkable activity that teaches youth how to be more connected to their heritage and culture.”
Dr. Ramy Lakkis, the founder of LOST explained that the campaign is one practical activity of the Academy of Youth that LOST is conducting for summer 2011 in cooperation with Action Aid- Denmark. Dr. Lakkis added that such Academy aims at building the capacity of youth men and women and helping them to participate effectively in the development of their local communities.
The Academy of Youth 2011 project consists of two main components. The first one is made up of numerous workshops on citizenship, civic participation and conflict resolution. The second part includes theater training and several civic activities.
“It was a day of special taste. It was a chance provided by LOST to serve our community and protect the famous archeological sites in our region” said Zeinab Ismail from the Academy of Youth.

Poetry evening at LOST-Beit Shema

2011-07-12T17:53:00.006+03:00

As part of the Academy of Youth and Municipal Work program, LOST-Beit Shema branch organized a poetry evening for the Lebanese poet Mr. Sleiman Jomaa in the presence of several political, social and academic figures.
After the Lebanese Anthem, Miss Hanine Mahfoud from LOST welcomed the audience and explained the main objectives of LOST. “LOST seeks to contribute to the social and economic development of the community of Baalbeck- Hermel by enhancing youth capacities and developing youth talents” said Miss Mahfoud.
Following Miss Mahfoud's welcoming note a speech delivered by Mr. Alaa Abi Raad from LOST who explained the various programs offered by LOST which include: Medical English, Women’s Empowerment, IT and Social Media courses in addition to English Summer School and French Summer School. Mr. Abi Raad affirmed that these programs are intended to help, train and educate local residents, be they women, teenagers or young children in order to create a more developed society.
In his turn, the Lebanese poet Mr. Sleiman Jomaa delivered to the audience a set of his most beautiful poems.
The event ended by distributing English and IT certificates to LCEC students who have successfully completed English and IT courses at LOST center.

English and IT Certificate Distribution in Hermel

2011-07-09T14:42:00.000+03:00

The Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training organized a graduation ceremony on June 26th, 2011 at Hermel in the presence of the manager of Mabarrat in Hermel Mr. Mohammad Saaid and several social and academic figures.

After the Lebanese Anthem, a short film highlighting the different educational programs offered by LOST was presented. Mr. Ahmad Sahely from LOST talked about the projects implemented Hermel in 2011 and its importance in reducing poverty and eliminating exclusion in local communities.

In his turn, Dr. Ramy Lakkis, the founder of LOST delivered a speech in which he affirmed that the Academy of Youth and Municipal Work is part of LOST’S strategy in helping youth to become active citizens capable of participating effectively in public life.

The event ended by handing a honoring shield to Mr. Mohammad Saaid who thanked LOST for her nice gesture and by distributing more than 40 certificates to English and IT trainees.

Distributing certificates to English and IT trainees

2011-07-04T19:22:00.000+03:00

The Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training organized a graduation ceremony on June 20th, 2011 in Baalbeck in the presence of several political, social and academic figures. More than 60 trainees were handed certificates in English and IT.
Among the trainees were four Mokhtars from Baalbeck who have attended a computer course, 20 women who have attended English and IT courses at LOST center in addition to doctors of different medical specializations who have subscribed in an English Medical Course in order to enrich their background of medical terminologies and idioms. More than 20 teachers have successfully completed a “Methodology of Teaching” course and received certificates.
At the end, Dr. Ramy Lakkis handed “Thank You” letters to the sports’ teachers of Baalbeck-Hermel for their participation in the Baalbeck Race “Run for Lebanon” that was held in May 2011.

Poetry Evening at LOST- Ein

2011-07-02T10:00:00.004+03:00

The Academy of Youth and Municipal Work at LOST-Ein branch organized a poetry evening for the Lebanese Poet Mr. Hany Soukarieh with massive participation of political, social and academic figures.
After the Lebanese Anthem, Mr. Hussein El Mawla from LOST welcomed the audience and explained the role of the Academy in developing youth talents.
In his turn, the Lebanese poet Mr. Hany Soukarieh presented a bouquet of his most beautiful poems.
Moreover, Nibal Harba from Ein Youth Club talked about the “hosting program” organized by LOST as part of the “Academy of Youth and Municipal Work” program. She stressed on the importance of such program in breaking ice and reducing sectarian divide among youth from different sects.
“Such activity had a deep impact on us since it helped us to accept our friends and partners from other sects”, added Nibal Harba.
The poetry evening ended by offering a honoring shield to the Lebanese Poet Mr. Hany Soukarieh.

Youth and Tourism

2011-06-29T18:06:00.000+03:00

“The role of youth and technology in tourism” was the title of the ceremony organized by LOST on June 20, 2011 at Tammouz hall-Baalbeck in the presence of Mr. Elie Saba representing H.E. the Minister of Tourism Mr. Fadi Abboud, Dr. Ramy Lakkis the founder of LOST in addition to several social and academic figures. After the Lebanese Anthem, Miss Tahreer Awde from LOST welcomed the audience and considered that the Academy of Youth and Municipal Work is not just four words but it is four seas full of movement, change, energy and creativity. This creativity is shown by the skillful use of technological tools by youth in order to advertise and market many touristic places in Baalbeck- Hermel.
Following Miss Awde’s welcoming note four short films prepared by the youth of the Academy were shown to pinpoint the beautiful touristic attractions of Baalbeck, Fakeha, Chmestar and Hermel.
Mr. Salah Zayter from LOST delivered a speech in which he stressed on the active role of the Academy of Youth and Municipal Work in developing Youth talents and enhancing the youth activism. “Citizens may help in developing tourism provided that the public institutions involved become more receptive. Government must cooperate with the various organizations of the civil society in order to expand touristic milieux in Lebanon”, added Mr. Zayter.
In his turn, Mr. Elie Saba thanked LOST for her generous efforts in serving local societies. Mr. Saba affirmed that the Youth of Baalbeck-Hermel are able to serve their community and participate in the development of their society. He considered that the short films prepared by youth reflect their patriotism and how much they love their villages and their country Lebanon.

Enjoy Poetry in Hermel

2011-06-19T18:02:00.000+03:00

The Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training-Hermel branch organized a poetry evening for the Lebanese poet Mr. Bassam Mousa.
This event was a part of the “Academy of Youth and Municipal Work” program that LOST is implementing in its four branches in Baalbeck-Hermel. Several political, social and academic figures attended the event with massive participation of youth and their parents.

Miss Rouba Makhour from LOST welcomed the audience and stressed on the role of the Academy in engaging youth in social activities so that they become Lebanese active citizens capable of developing their country.

In his turn, the Lebanese poet Mr. Bassam Mousa thanked LOST for her nice gesture and delivered to the audience a set of his wonderful poems.
At the end, Dr. Ramy Lakkis, the founder of LOST handed a honoring shield to Mr. Bassam Mousa.

“Mapping peacebuilding knowledge production in the MENA” by Dr. Ramy Lakkis

2011-06-07T17:16:00.001+03:00

Dr. Ramy Lakkis, the founder of LOST presented a research entitled “Mapping peacebuilding knowledge production in the MENA” in Comodore Hotel –Hamra. This research was prepared for the Peacebuilding Academy Project in Lebanon in cooperation with Permanent Peace Movement.

After a speech delivered by Miss Sonia Nakad from Peacebuilding Academy, Dr. Ramy Lakkis presented his study which is a qualitative evaluation of existing studies of conflict and peace in the MENA region. He started by defining the concept of peacebuilding distinguishing between the notions of “Positive peace” and “Negative peace”.

In his research, Dr. Lakkis attempts at spotting four categories of peacebuilding writings according to various contents: peacebuilding and conflict resolution, peacebuilding and governance, peacebuilding and youth engagement and peacebuilding and democratization. The study reveals two general methodologies used in peacebuilding writings: the normative approach and the analytical one.

The normative approach is more utilized by international agencies and organizations. However, the analytical one is mostly used by independent studies of researchers. Moreover, the research enlists a group of organizations that are issuing peacebuilding researches in MENA region mainly in Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Palestine and Libya. This list could be considered as a database for future networking and cooperation. The research also acknowledges the shortage in peacebuilding writings and recommends the multiplication of efforts in networking and coordination among state and civil society organizations.

Cleaning campaigns go ahead in Baalbeck- Hermel

2011-06-06T21:00:00.013+03:00

On the occasion of “World Environment Day”, the Academy of Youth and Municipal work at LOST launched several cleaning campaigns in various regions of Baalbeck- Hermel.

The campaigns started in the morning of Sunday 5th of June in Iaat, Hermel, Labwe, Tamnin, Nabi Osman and other regions. While the campaign kicked off the in Iaat public garden with a group of youth, other groups were cleaning Labwe public square, Tamnin square, Hermel square and Nabi Osman public garden.

Farah Lakkis, a youth club member confirmed that “this campaign is one of the most remarkable activities that LOST is doing in Baalbeck- Hermel. So, we, the lovers of environment and plants, thank LOST for this voluntary work which urges cooperation among youth to support and preserve the environment”.

In his turn, Mr. Ali Abdel Sater, the mayor of Iaat municipality valued highly the role of LOST in enhancing the youth belonging to their community and helping them to achieve environmental benefits.

After cleaning Tamnin square, the youth participated in the cherries’ festival which was attended by the Minister of Agriculture Dr. Hussein Haj Hasan, the Italian Ambassador in Lebanon in addition to representatives of the Lebanese security forces.

“It was an event to remember. It was a chance provided by LOST to serve our community and to prove how much we love Lebanon”, said Hanan Zein from the Academy of Youth and Municipal work.

Social Media Training for 30 NGOs

2011-06-03T14:27:00.000+03:00

More than 30 NGO representatives attended workshop on social media in the 4 centers of LOST (Baalbeck, Hermel, Ein and Beit Shema) during the month of May.
These workshops are part of a series of training sessions organized by LOST in order to empower NGOs of Baalbeck-Hermel in different fields. Mahmoud Bwary was leading the training in Baalbeck, Alaa Abi Raad trained 4 NGOs in the region of Chmostar, Ahmad Sahili and Hussein Mawla trained many NGOs in Hermel and Ein. The training sessions offered different models of social media tools (Facebook, Blog, and Twitter) and explained the importance of social media in the development of any NGO.
“Such workshop is very new to us in Forsa. It helped us develop our communication and technical skills. It was a chance to learn how to use the social media tools in developing our NGOs” said Mahdi El Masri from Forsa.
The workshop was followed by a lunch at Baytna restaurant.

The Academy of Active Citizens: A New Partnership Between LOST and ActionAid Denmark in Bekaa

2011-05-24T16:16:00.006+03:00

The 20th of April was a day for celebration as the Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training (LOST) and Action-Aid Denmark signed the agreement of their first joint project: the Academy of Active Citizens. This project will be the corner stone of a long future partnership between the two organizations.
The Academy fits perfectly into both partners approach of building the capacity of young men and women and encouraging them to engage in projects that they will have a positive social impact in their communities. The project started in mid May and will be implemented through LOST’s centers in Baalbeck, Ein, Beit Shama and Hermel.
The project consists of two main components. First, the youth will participate in several workshops and trainings on citizenship, civic participation and conflict resolution. Through a theater course and various exchange of drawing activities the youth will gain skills to counter the negative impact of sectarian lines.
After participation in the civic education and peacebuilding program, the youth will engage in 4 different community projects, based on what they feel relevant. This way they will have a chance to use their newly gained skills to push for positive change in their communities.

“Run for Lebanon”: the Biggest Youth Race in Baalbeck

2011-05-23T18:59:00.000+03:00

As part of the “Academy of Youth and Municipal Work” program, LOST organized a youth race on May 13, 2011 in Baalbeck, the City of the Sun with remarkable presence of political, social and academic figures.
More than 1700 students from almost every high school in Baalbeck-Hermel participated in this event in addition to runners from the Lebanese Army, ISF, and several sports clubs.

The race was a new breaking record in term of participation, and it was creative and civic oriented in the banners and slogans raised; “balanced development”, “the respect of human rights” and “living together” were the slogans lifted by the participants. The race kicked off at 8 am from the Maronite National School and ended at Ras El Ein Street.

Young runners were competing in a joyful environment; music was filling the air in Ras El Ein, the biggest green Park in Baalbeck. “If we run for Lebanon we are all winners” said a young girl participating in the race.
After hours of singing and dancing with the singer Rony Kasar and Hayakel Baalbeck group, Dr. Ali Abdallah, the Minister of Youth and Dr. Rami Lakkis, the founder of LOST offered medals and cups to the winners.

The winners are:

Intermediate Cycle:

Males:

Ali Naser El Din
Hussein Ayoub
Ahmad Chabchoul

Females:

Aline Mahdi
Ayda Jaafar
Lara Zein

Secondary Cycle:

Males:

Ali Makhour
Yousef Raad
Mohammad Houry

Females:

Hala Zaiter
Batoul Sleiman
Hala Faytarouni

Free runners:

Hanna Abu Farhat “ISF”
Ali Yazbeck “veteran runners”
Bilal Bayan “Lebanese customs”

Above eighteen:

Hoda Raad
Joumana Alame

Zahi Wehbe in Baalbeck

2011-05-16T12:58:00.000+03:00

The Academy of Youth & Municipal Work at LOST organized a poetry evening for the Lebanese poet and writer Zahi Wehbe at LYN in Baalbeck. Several social, political and academic figures attended the event with massive participation of youth and their parents.
After the Lebanese Anthem, Mr. Omar Bayyan from LOST welcomed the audience and explained the role of the Academy in developing youth skills and talents and giving them better opportunities to meet famous people in Lebanon.
In his turn, the Lebanese poet and writer Mr. Zahi Wehbe presented a package of his featured poems, patriotic and love poems. Mr. Wehbe thanked LOST for her nice gesture and expressed his happiness for being in Baalbeck.

Moreover, Abbas Asaad, a youth member of the Academy of Youth and Municipal Work talked about the importance of this academy in strengthening the social bonds among youth. “The Academy of Youth and Municipal Work has a special flavor. It helps us accept friends from other sects and makes us understand positively the confessional diversity of our country,” said Abbas.
At the end, Dr. Ramy Lakkis, the founder of LOST handed an honoring shield to the Lebanese poet Mr. Zahi Wehbe.

Budget Advocacy with MARC

2011-05-09T19:31:00.000+03:00

During the month of April, The Middle East Advocacy and Research Center (MARC) in collaboration with the Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training (LOST), conducted three focus group sessions related to budget advocacy in the Northern Bekaa region. The sessions were held at LOST’s offices in Baalbak, Al Ayn and Bait-Shaama and the participants from each focus group shared with MARC representatives a detailed account of the socio-economic situation in their respective region. After discussing of the issues that currently face the region, the concept of budget advocacy was introduced and discussed with the participants. The sessions were interactive as well as frank when giving an assessment of the obstacles that currently face the region. The participants expressed their interest in future collaboration and the MARC team felt that the representatives of LOST provided a strong foundation for effective budget advocacy in the region.

International donors met local NGOs in Baalbeck

2011-05-05T19:39:00.000+03:00

The Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training organized a general meeting titled “The strategies of international donors in Lebanon” at the center of the Lebanese Youth Network (LYN) in Baalbeck. Representatives from more than 52 NGOs, 14 municipalities from Baalbeck-Hermel region and 5 international donors attended the meeting.
After the Lebanese Anthem, Mr. Salah Zayter from LOST welcomed the audience and insisted on the importance of such activity in empowering local NGOs to become active agents and institutions in order to encourage positive changes in the region. Mr. Zayter’s welcoming note was followed by a speech delivered by Dr. Ramy Lakkis, the founder of LOST who stressed on the role of civil society organizations in promoting local development. He added that such meeting acts as a framework for international donors and local NGOs to communicate and interact. It helps NGOs to cooperate with international donors to implement new developmental projects at grass-root levels.
Throughout the meeting, representatives from UNDP, OTI Lebanon, ActionAid, Mercycorps and FAO explained their objectives, scope and schemes of funding and procedures and informed NGOs about different grants available in Lebanon that could be of a special interest to the region of Baalbeck-Hermel.There were two Q/A round table breaks in which representatives from international and local organizations communicated directly.

At the end, discussion focused on the possibility to establish an office for supporting NGOs in the region to achieve the following goals:

Training NGOs on different managerial and technical skills.
Communicating with international donors.
Helping NGOs to write project proposals.

LOST organized such activity in order to help t civil society organizations to benefit from different programs managed by the various international donors acting in Lebanon.

Major Fairs at LOST centers

2011-04-18T20:16:00.000+03:00

LOST organized 3 Major Fairs in its centers in Baalbeck, Ein and Beit-Shama. The three exhibitions were held in March and were attended by more than 2000 students from 48 colleges and high schools in Baalbeck Hermel.

Many colleges and universities from Bekaa participated in the events to explain more about the available majors, admissions and the different scholarship schemes offered to students: AUL, AUST, CNAM (Baalbeck branch), HCU, Islamic University, LIU and The Lebanese Center forEnglish & Computer (LCEC) were there.

LOST usually organizes such activities to help students become more informed about different academic majors and university life in general. These career guidance events are tracked by TOEFL preparation courses that get students ready for TOEFL exams before going to university.

The forestation campaign goes on in West Baalbeck

2011-04-07T18:37:00.000+03:00

The forestation campaign that was launched by the Youth Municipality in Baalbeck kicked off in several villages in west Baalbeck.
The students of Chmestar’s Youth Academy planted more than 60 trees in Chmestar where the director of Chmestar public high school thanked LOST for organizing this big campaign to achieve environmental benefits and consolidate youth belonging to their country. While a group of youth was planting in Chmestar, other group was planting in Hawch El Rafka in collaboration with the municipality of the village.
Mr. Riyad Yazbeck, the Mayor of Hawch El Rafka municipality expressed his gratitude to LOST for her nice gesture. He considered that such activities teach the Lebanese youth in Baalbeck-Hermel the real meaning of cooperating together and help them to work seriously to preserve the environment.
At the same day, a group of youth started the forestation campaign in Bednayel Technical Institution where Mrs Mayda Sleiman, the director of the institution participated personally in planting trees. Mrs Sleiman stressed on the importance of involving youth in such public work in order to strengthen social bonds among them and break sectarian barriers.

LOST celebrates Teachers’ day in Ein

2011-04-07T16:44:00.000+03:00

The Academy of Youth and Municipal Work at LOST expressed its gratitude to all teachers on their day by celebrating teachers’ day at LOST Ein branch. More than 300 teachers attended the celebration in addition to friends, parents and several social and political figures.

The exhibition included graphics, poems and handicrafts created by students for the occasion. Mr. Nazih Ghadban presented a short movie about “Oud” music followed by a splendid music show.

At the end, Dr. Ramy Lakkis, the founder of LOST handed a honoring shield to Mr. Nazih Ghadban.

It was an event to remember. It had a special taste since students were honoring their teachers who are playing a crucial role in developing local community in Baalbeck-Hermel.

Sports Festival in Bednayel

2011-04-05T15:50:00.000+03:00

Under the auspices of LOST, Al Machaal Sport Club in Bednayel launched its four week annual sports festival in Bednayel on Sunday 6 February. The sports activities included Backgammon, Pin-Pong and Chess.
Mr. Mohammed Nour Sleiman, the president of Al Machaal club, thanked LOST for her generous support. He stressed in his speech on the importance of such sports activities in developing youth potentials.
In his turn, Mr. Hussein Yazbeck from LOST said “such activities aim at strengthening social bonds among youth.” Mr. Yazbeck emphasized on the importance of cooperation among different organizations of the civil society in order to develop the capacities of the Lebanese youth in sports, languages, IT and internet.
The event ended by handing cups to the winners.

Honoring teachers at LOST-Hermel

2011-04-01T12:37:00.001+03:00

Hermel Branch hosted an eminent ceremony on the occasion of Teachers’ Day. This event was part of the “Academy of Youth and Municipal Work” program that LOST is implementing in its four branches in Baalbeck-Hermel. Several social, political and academic figures attended the event with massive participation of youth and their parents.
The exhibition included graphics, handicrafts and poems created by talented students for the occasion.
The event ended by presenting a short film on social media to spectators and distributing flowers to all teachers.

It was an event of special taste in Hermel. It was a chance to express gratitude to all teachers who play an indispensable role in educating youth and developing society.

Celebrating Teachers’ day at LOST-Baalbeck

2011-03-24T17:03:00.000+02:00

“We highly estimate your crucial role in educating youth and developing our society”. By this expression, The Academy of Municipal Work in LOST addressed the teachers of Baalbeck-Hermel by celebrating teachers’ day on March 15, 2011 Baalbeck. More than 400 teachers attended the celebration in addition to Academy members, friends and parents.The exhibition included different graphics, poems and handicrafts prepared by talented students for the occasion. LAS and LYN youth members participated in this event. Some talented students from LAS presented a catchy musical recital. Moreover, the LYN trainees presented a parade of defensive and combative arts and a wonderful gymnastic show.

The event ended by a splendid folkloric performance presented by Hayakel Baalbeck group.

It was an event to remember. Students were happy mixing informally with their teachers in a very rare occasion. It was a chance to say “thanks” for all teachers whose role is indispensable for developing our society.

Youth are planting trees in Hermel

2011-03-12T18:31:00.008+02:00

Despite the cold and rainy weather, young participants of the Academy of Youth and Municipal Work insisted on carrying on the forestation campaign in Hermel. The campaign started in the morning of Sunday the 27th of February with remarkable participation of students’ parents and local inhabitants who showed up to offer help and support. Mr. Mokhles Amhaz , Hermel High school’s director, was planting trees alongside with students.
The Youth of the Academy of Hermel enjoyed the participation in the forestation campaign as their friends from LOST did in all branches. Mohamad Jawhary from Kasr- Sahlat Al May high school said “this event is wonderful; it teaches us the real meaning of cooperation”. Rawan Hamadeh, a youth club member confirmed that “this campaign is one of the most remarkable activities that LOST is doing in Hermel. So we, the lovers of environment and trees, thank LOST for this voluntary work which urges cooperation among youth to support and preserve the environment.”
Marleine Dandach from Namouzajiya Technical Institution felt very satisfied to be an active member of her community, she enjoyed planting trees but what she loved most was the sense of cooperation and responsibility that her friends in the Academy were showing during that day. She thanked LOST by saying “I cannot imagine that LOST let us plant 104 trees today.”

Planting trees has a special taste for youth. It helped them work together to protect the environment and serve their community.

Accepting each other by visiting one another

2011-03-07T19:35:00.001+02:00

As part of the “Academy of Youth and Municipal Work” program Lost organized the Hosting program for more than 100 youth from diverse villages in Baalbeck-Hermel region. The program started in Baalbeck and it will reach the other three centers of LOST. In this program students visit each other from different sects to break ice and reduce sectarian divide.
This program aims at strengthening the social bonds among youth and breaking sectarian barriers. It assists youth to understand positively the confessional diversity of their country.
“Such activity has a special taste because it helps us accept our friends and partners from other sects” said Omar a youth club member.
Hussein Chouman, a youth coordinator from LOST, confirmed that “it is our mission to strengthen youth relationships, to help them understand each other and eventually empower them to work together to achieve a positive change in our society.”
The Hosting program is continuing throughout the month of March and it will involve more than 30 visits.

The forestation campaign goes ahead in Nabi Othman, Ein and Ras Baalbeck villages

2011-03-02T19:38:00.000+02:00

In February 2011, the Youth Municipality of Fakeha started the forestation campaign in Nabi Othman, El Ein and Ras Baalbeck villages with remarkable participation of youth and representatives of actual municipalities.

The campaign kicked off in Ras Baalbeck where the director of Ras Baalbeck high school delivered a speech in which he expressed his gratitude to LOST for organizing this big forestation campaign to achieve environmental benefits and consolidate youth belonging to their community. While a group of youth was planting in Ras Baalbeck, other groups were planting in Nabi Othman and El Ein in the same day.

Abbas Haj Hussein, a youth coordinator from LOST said that this campaign aims at expanding the green areas in Lebanon due to the importance of forestation in purifying air.He added that such kind of activities helps in strengthening the spirit of cooperation among youth.

“This campaign is a chance provided by LOST to serve our community and to prove how much we love Lebanon” said Nibal Harba from the Academy of Youth and Municipal Work.

Launching NGOs Training Program in Bekaa

2011-02-28T19:09:00.001+02:00

On Friday February 25, The Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training launched in Baalbeck a specific training program for Bekaa NGOs in the presence of Mr Omar Yassin, the Kaemakam of Baalbeck and representatives of more than 40 NGOs from Baalbeck-Hermel region. After the Lebanese Anthem, Mr Ahmad Tfaily from LOST welcomed the audience and explained the program and its objectives.

“The purpose of this program is to empower local NGOs to become active agents and institutions in encouraging positive change in the region” he said. Mr Tfaily’s welcoming note was followed by a speech delivered by Mr Omar Yassin who stressed the role of civil society organizations in promoting local development. He added “we are always used to creative and innovative programs and activities that LOST is doing in the region, however, this program has a special consideration because it involves more than 40 NGOs in the region. I believe that such projects can have a great impact on human development in Bekaa.”

The objective of the NGOs Training Program is to empower local NGOs from Baalbeck-Hermel and to develop their managerial and technical skills. The program is made up of six training workshops as follows:

How to manage an NGO
How to write a project proposal
Two workshops on social media training
Managing communication and media relations
NGO Networking.

Mr salah Zaiter, LOST’s training director lead the first workshop on NGO Management in which he presented to participants different models of management, and he explained how to establish an NGO according to Lebanese laws. Mr Zaiter also distributed to participants different specimen that could be needed to uphold legally an NGO in Lebanon. At the end of the workshop LOST created a blog for the NGOs Training Program.

The workshop was followed by a lunch at Baytna restaurant. The second workshop will be on Sunday March 6 at 10 am at the center of the Lebanese Youth Network in Ras El Ein, Baalbeck.

Youth are planting trees in Baalbeck

2011-02-22T13:42:00.010+02:00

As part of the “Academy of Youth and Municipal Work“ program that LOST is conducting for the academic year 2010-2011 in the region of Baalbeck-Hermel, the Youth Municipalities of Baalbeck, Chmestar, El Fakha and El Hermel launched a forestation campaign in Baalbeck on Saturday 19 February 2011.

Youth from the Academy of Baalbeck decided to launch the campaign in the campus of the Lebanese University-Faculty of Science in Baalbeck with a massive participation of youth from the Lebanese University, youth clubs and the Youth Municipality of Baalbeck. While a group of youth was planting trees in Baalbeck other group was planting in Iaat in collaboration with the municipality of Iaat. More than 75 trees were planted in the same day by more than fifty members of the Academy and their friends.
Such campaign aims at achieving environmental benefits and consolidating youth belonging to their country. “The involvement of youth in public work and their participation in such activities reinforce their patriotism and strengthen their relationship with the community” added Omar Bayan, a youth coordinator in Baalbeck.

Youth participating in the campaign carried different messages and believed that the event was more than planting trees. “I am here today to participate in protecting the environment and I work with other friends in the Academy to strengthen the spirit of cooperation and partnership among youth from different sects,” said Mohamad Othman a young member of the Academy of Municipal Work.

“We found out that the more we work together, the better we serve our community” was a statement repeated by many students of the Academy.

Youth from Chmestar visited the Municipality of Baakleen

2011-02-03T16:37:00.003+02:00

As part of the “Academy of Youth and Municipal Work” program that LOST is conducting for the academic year 2010-2011, the Youth Municipality of Chmestar visited the municipality of Baakleen where they met the mayor Dr. Noha Ghasini and other municipality members.

Dr. Ghasini stressed on the importance of local governance to promote balanced development in Lebanon. She discussed with youth the various projects implemented by the municipality in Baakleen such as the waste management plant and the agricultural research center. The mayor valued highly the role of LOST in helping youth to engage in municipal affairs and make them learn more about the responsibilities and authorities of municipalities in managing community affairs.

After meeting the municipality, the youth toured in Baakleen and visited the different sites of the city; they were impressed by the national library of Baakleen where they had the longest stopover.

At the end of this visit, the Director of Beit-Shama Branch Mr. Hussein Yazbeck handed a honoring shield to the mayor of Baakleen Dr. Noha Ghasini and thanked her on behalf of LOST for hosting the youth municipality of Chmestar.

Launching the Academy of Youth and Municipal Work for 2011

2011-01-18T20:01:00.000+02:00

Under the auspices of Dr. Ali Abdallah, the Minister of Youth and Sport, LOST launched the “Academy of Youth and Municipal Work” for the first season of the year 2011 on January 15, 2011 at Tammouz Hall- Baalbeck. Several political, social and municipal figures attended the event with massive participation of youth and their parents in addition to remarkable presence of many Mukhtars and CSO representatives.
Dr. Ramy Lakkis announced the new programs offered by the Academy for the year 2011, and explained the importance of conducting such programs in Baalbeck-Hermel. In his speech, Dr. Lakkis affirmed that through these programs LOST aims at engaging youth and helping them to become active citizens capable of participating energetically in public life. “These programs, he added, have new methodological approaches that involve youth in instigating positive change in society.”
Dr. Lakkis added that the Academy of Youth and Municipal Work is part of LOST’s strategy in 1) helping people to participate in the development of their society, 2) in demanding national governmental institutions to perform their roles in solving various problems of a deprived region such as Baalbeck-Hermel, and 3) in cooperating with international donors in order to implement new developmental projects at grass-root levels.
At the end, Dr. Lakkis presented the general programs of LOST for the first season of 2011 which includes: women’s empowerment courses, English and computer training courses for youth and teachers, in addition to several social and developmental activities.
Dr. Lakkis’ speech was followed with a speech by the Minister of Youth and Sport Dr. Ali Abdallah who stressed on the role of LOST in developing the skills of youth in different domains. Dr. Abdallah thanked LOST for her generous efforts and hoped that “all the Lebanese ministries and institutions work in the same spirit.”
In his turn, the Kaemakam of Baalbeck Mr. Omar Yasin said that LOST goes ahead in its national course. He added “LOST launches today the project of the Academy of Municipal Work due to the significance of the municipal works in developing local societies”, and he hoped that the Academy can maintain itself as a long term project.
At the end, Dr. Abdullah, Mr. Yasin and Dr Lakkis handed “Thank You” letters to the journalists of Baalbeck-Hermel for their efforts in servicing their society.

“Learn by Visit”: Youth Municipalities of LOST visited 3 municipalities in Lebanon

2011-01-11T17:39:00.001+02:00

As part of the program “Academy of Youth and Municipal Work” three visits were conducted by youth from three different Youth Municipalities in Hermel, Fakeha and Baalbeck in December 2010 and January 2011. The purposes of the visits were 1) to engage youth from Baalbeck-Hermel in municipal affairs outside their villages in order to help them know and learn more about successful municipal work and projects, 2) to help youth visit different places in Lebanon in order to understand positively the confessional diversity of their country.

The Youth Municipality of Hermel headed by the director of El Hermel Branch, Mr. Hasan Taha visited the municipality of Zahle where they met the mayor Mr. Joseph Maalouf .The youth discussed with Mr. Maalouf different issues focusing on the role of municipalities in promoting local development. After the meeting the Youth Municipality visited Joseph Skaff Park, the municipal library and the tour ended by a lunch in Anjar.

The Youth Municipality of Fakeha chaired by Mr. Abbas Hajj Hussein, the director of Al Ain Branch visited the municipality of Rashaya and met the mayor General Marwan Zaky on 28 December at 9 am. After accepting the purpose of the visit, the Mayor estimated the essential role of LOST in educating youth on national values and in helping them to become Lebanese active citizens. Mr. Marwan Zaky explained to youth the role of the municipality in building a stable community on the basis of “equality, justice and tolerance”.

On January 7, youth from the Academy in Baalbeck visited the municipality of Tyre. They were welcomed by the Mayor Mr. Hasan Dbouk. After discussing the various municipal affairs with the municipal members, the youth toured in Tyre and discovered the archaeological sites and the waterfront of the city.

These visits had a special taste. They helped youth to learn about the importance of municipal work by discovering successful experiences and meeting peoples who had real success in the field. Moreover, the discussions made allowed youth to understand more about the powers and authorities of municipalities in managing community affairs.

Celebrating Human Rights Day at Al Ain Branch

2010-12-28T15:57:00.000+02:00

“We highly estimate your nice gesture and your role in consolidating youth belongingness to their country”, by this expression, the MP Dr. Marwan Fares expressed his gratitude to LOST which organized an eminent ceremony on the occasion of the International Day of Human Rights at Al Ain Branch.
In his speech, the MP Mr. Marwan Fares stressed on the importance of assuring women rights and improving the status of prisons in Lebanon.
In addition, Mr. Mohammad Sokariya from LOST delivered a speech in which he spoke about the importance of celebrating human rights in the region, and he considered that such events help in the dissemination of Human Rights values. He thanked USAID/OTI Lebanon, the Ministry of Education and the various high schools and technical institutions in Lebanon that are in partnership with LOST in this program. He finally addressed the audience by declaring that “it is our mission all to help developing the talents of youth and enhancing their belongingness to their country”.
The event ended by a play performed by students of the Academy reflecting their understanding of human rights values and application.

150 Youth celebrate Human Rights Day together

2010-12-28T15:52:00.001+02:00

LOST organized a special ceremony on the International Day of Human Rights at El Hermel Branch in the presence of several social, political and municipal figures in addition to more than 150 students from the Academy of Youth and Municipal Work.
The exhibition included graphics, handicrafts and plays created by students which reflected their various expressions of human rights principles.
“It is the first time that we celebrate the International Day of Human Rights”, was a statement repeated by many students of the Academy.

Mr. Shemran El Rashiny from LOST delivered a speech in which he emphasized the role of the Academy of Youth and Municipal Work in spreading the culture of peace in the region and in helping all youth to become Lebanese active citizens.
In his turn, General Dr. Abbas Nasrallah said that human rights are the basis of laws in all countries. These rights represent a turning point in the dignity of human being and his/her personal liberties.
At the end, students showed different graphics and handicrafts prepared for the occasion. “It was an event of special taste in Hermel.”

Human Rights Day at Beit Shama Branch

2010-12-28T15:49:00.001+02:00

LOST celebrated the International Day of Human Rights on December 19, 2010 at Beit Shama branch with massive participation of youth from the Academy of Youth and Municipal Work. Mr Ahmad Diab, the General Director of Vocational and Technical Education attended the event in addition to several academic, political and municipal figures.
“I felt overwhelmed by this crowd and I really felt exited to be one of the organizers of this big event”, said a youth club student.
Mr. Hussein Yazbeck, Director of Beit Shama Branch delivered a speech in which he considered that human rights principles should be the basic values of each society. He stressed the importance of the Academy of Youth and Municipal Work in educating youth on peace, tolerance and human rights and in developing their skills by using modern technological tools in computer and social media. Mr. Yazbeck thanked the General Director of Vocational and Technical Education and all participants for their generous support.

Mr. Yazbeck’s speech was followed with a speech by Mr. Ahmad Diab who stressed on the role of Lebanon in drafting the International Declaration of Human Rights.
At the end, Dr. Ramy Lakkis, the founder of LOST handed a honoring shield to the General Director of Vocational and Technical Education Mr. Ahmad Diab.

The Lebanese Army thanked LOST

2010-12-18T14:04:00.001+02:00

“We highly estimate your generous sensations” by this expression, the Lebanese Army Commander, General Jean Kahwaji expressed his gratitude to LOST.

Dear the Administration of the Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training,
We highly estimate your nice gesture to invite the children of the Lebanese Army’s martyrs to attend the special ceremony on Independence Day on November 21, 2010 at King Restaurant-Baalbeck.

As we considerably estimate your sincere patriotism and your genuine solidarity with the military institution, we hope for your generous organization the continuance of prosperity and success.

General Jean Kahwajy
The Lebanese Army Commander
Yarze, on November 29, 2010

Human Rights Day at Baalbeck

2010-12-14T16:33:00.007+02:00

“The International Day of Human Rights is my Day!” was the label of an event organized by the Academy of Youth and Municipal Work on December, 11, 2010 at Tammouz Hall –Baalbeck in the presence of Mr. Kameel Semaan representing the General Director of the Ministry of Education Mr. Fadi Yarak and Dr. Ramy Lakkis, the founder of LOST. Several academic, political and municipal figures attended the event in addition to more than 300 high school students from Baalbeck.
“This is the first time that we celebrate the International Day of Human Rights” was a statement repeated by many students of the Academy.
Mr. Salah Zayter from LOST delivered a speech in which he considered that “the International Day of Human Rights represents a turning point in the dignity of human being and his/her personal liberties”. Mr. Zayter stressed on the importance of the Academy of Youth and Municipal Work in educating youth on peace, tolerance and human rights and in developing their skills in using modern technological tools in computer, social media and Internet in general.
Mr. Zayter’s speech was followed successively with a speech by Mr. Kameel Semaan who thanked LOST for her nice gesture and her role in consolidating youth belongingness to their country, and a play Majless al Wali performed by youth from the Lebanese Association of Students LAS.
The event ended by offering a honoring shield to the General Director of the Ministry of Education represented by Mr. Kameel Semaan.

Celebrating Independence at LOST- Hermel

2010-12-06T19:18:00.000+02:00

LOST celebrated Independence on December 4 at El Hermel branch with massive participation of youth from the Academy of Youth and Municipal Work. More than 450 people attended; several academic, political, social and municipal figures were invited. The exhibition included graphics, handicrafts and poems created by students which reflected various meanings of independence. Coordinators and students of the Academy were very enthusiastic.
“Here, I felt that independence is a national day. This exhibition reflects our sincere patriotism”, confirmed Iman El Rashini from El Kasar High School.
“Celebrating Independence with LOST gave this day inmost meaning. I found out that the more we work together the better we become. We shared and exchanged the various meanings of independence through different ways (poems, handicrafts) in this exhibition”, said Nour El Nemr from El Hermel High School. Youth in this event tried to prove how much they love Lebanon through this special activity. Mohammad El Makhour, a youth club member said “ I am proud to be a member of the academy. This academy helps us to become Lebanese active citizens. This is the first time that we celebrate independence in Hermel.”
This ceremony ended by distributing flowers and Lebanese flags to all participants.

400 youth celebrate Independence together

2010-12-05T14:07:00.003+02:00

“Independence : Sovereignty and Dignity” was the label of the Independence exhibition which was organized by the Academy of Youth and Municipal Work on December 2, 2010 at Tammouz Hall - Baalbeck. More than ten youth groups representing eight high schools and two youth municipalities participated in this event. “I felt overwhelmed by this crowd and I really felt exited to be one the organizer of this big event. It is the first time that we celebrate Independence Day outside school. Here, I felt that Independence is a national day” confirmed Mohamad Hassan, a youth club coordinator.
The exhibition included graphics, handicrafts and poems created by students which reflected various meanings of “Independence”. All students signed and carved different opinions and expressions on a big Lebanese Flag expressing their sincere patriotism. “The enthusiasm that we saw here is very rare, it looked like we were in a national competition and everyone is trying to prove how much he loves Lebanon: I am proud to be a member of the Academy” said Ahmad Houjeiry. This ceremony ended by distributing flowers and Lebanese flags to all participants.

Medical English at LOST-Baalbeck

2010-12-04T17:51:00.000+02:00

Medical English Class

“Medical English” was something far from reach and LOST made it reachable in Baalbeck. There was no chance in our deprived region to even know that such course exists. However, LOST made it available.
Doctors of different medical specializations are attending an English Medical Course at LOST-Baalbeck. Such course is offered by LOST to help medical doctors enriching their background of medical terminologies and idioms.
Most importantly, this course helps satisfying the communicative needs for doctors.

Integrating Technology in Teaching

2010-12-02T17:51:00.000+02:00

“Integrating Technology in Teaching” was the title of a training workshop organized by LOST in Baalbeck. Mrs Claire Ross, the English Project Manager at the British Council in Lebanon addressed the workshop in the presence of more than 30 English teachers from the region. Mrs Ross talked about the importance of integrating technological tools in teaching. She also discussed the significance of using songs, stories and games in explaining grammar and vocabulary lessons. Mrs Ross guided the trainees on how to use online resources especially English websites in teaching.

The workshop ended with an informative coffee break during which teachers shared with Mrs. Ross some problems they face in teaching English.
Ms. Claire Ross was warmly welcomed by LOST teachers and staff and her support was highly appreciated.

LOST celebrated Independence with the children of the Lebanese Army’s Martyrs

2010-11-23T17:48:00.001+02:00

LOST organized a special ceremony on Independence Day to the children of the Lebanese Army’s martyrs at Ras El Ein public garden in Baalbeck in the presence of the martyrs’ parents.
Dr. Rami El Lakkis, the founder of LOST, delivered a speech in which he considered that “this ceremony reflects our patriotism and our respect to the martyrs who sacrificed themselves for protecting the independence of our country”. In his speech, Dr.Lakkis announced that LOST offers free English and computers courses to the children of Lebanese Army’s martyrs. He thanked the Lebanese Army and its Command, the municipality of Baalbeck, the mass media representatives and LAS and LYN which participated in this activity.

Dr. Lakkis’ speech was followed successively with a speech by lieutenant “Mohammad Janbeyn” who thanked LOST for its nice gesture on behalf of the Lebanese Army Command and the martyrs’ parents.
The ceremony included entertainment games, sports, music and theater, and it ended by offering gifts to all children of the Lebanese Army’s martyrs in Bekaa.

... and Mr. Zein Al Atat will Run for LOST this Marathon

2010-10-30T12:54:00.000+03:00

Zein Al Atat visited LOST headquarters in Baalbeck and discussed with Dr Ramy Lakkis and senior executives in LOST the possibility of joining efforts in different projects LOST is conducting this year. Mr. Al Atat will support the participation of more than 2600 runners from Baalbeck Hermel in Beirut Marathon 2010. He also showed deep interest in sustaining needy people from the region through different social and economic programs that will be agreed upon in further meetings and discussions. Mr. Al Atat promised to donate 2500 kits of Zein soap and toothpaste. These kits will be distributed by LOST after the Marathon.

Mr. Al Atat was warmly welcomed by LOST executives and staff and his support was highly appreciated. The meeting ended by taking photos and celebrating the beginning of a promising cooperation in the future.

Massive Participation in Beirut Marathon 2010 from Baalbeck Hermel; More than 3000 persons will break the record

2010-10-20T19:43:00.000+03:00

“The number of participants that will run for LOST will exceed 3500 persons this year; more than 2600 will come down from Baalbeck-Hermel. It is a new breaking record in the Marathon”, said Hussein Yazbeck, director of Beit Shama Branch in LOST.

Participants from almost every high school in Baalbeck-Hermel will participate in this Marathon. “We are very excited, preparing almost everything we can to make this Marathon a very special day,” affirmed Rana Solh from Baalbeck.

LOST will manage to provide every logistical detail to help runners from Baalbeck-Hermel to participate actively and make the Marathon this year a great day. They will run to reinforce a message that LOST is promoting all times “We live together, We run together!”

Mrs. May Khalil supports Women’s Empowerment Program in Baalbeck

2010-10-17T19:22:00.000+03:00

Mrs. May Khalil
President of Beirut Marathon Association

Mrs. May Khalil the president of Beirut Marathon Association supported and funded special English and IT training courses for more than 40 women in Baalbeck. This course is part of the Women’s Empowerment program that LOST is managing in its four branches in Baalbeck, Ein, Beit Shama and Hermel. LOST would like to greet and thank Mrs. Khalil for its generous support.

Honoring Mrs. May Khalil and Dr. Zuhair Chokr

2010-10-17T19:05:00.000+03:00

Dr Lakkis
honoring Mrs Khalil and Dr Chokr

Sunday October 10 witnessed the honoring of two Lebanese great figures; Mrs. May Khalil, the president of Beirut Marathon Association and Dr. Zuhair Chokr, the president of the Lebanese University. The event was conducted in Baalbeck and was attended by more than 400 academic, political, social and municipal figures.

The special event started at 12:30 pm with the Lebanese National Anthem followed by a warm welcoming speech by Mr. Hussein Yazbeck, the director of Beit Shama branch in LOST, who launched the Beirut Marathon participation campaign in Baalbeck Hermel. Dr. Ramy Lakkis, the founder of LOST then declared that “this year the participation of Baalbeck-Hermel is going to be massive.” He added that “we took the occasion of this honoring event to announce that the participation in the Marathon this year is dedicated to support an IT and career guidance program that will target 600 Lebanese University students. The program will start on November 13 in all LOST branches in Baalbeck, Ein, Beit Shama and Hermel.”

Dr. Lakkis’ speech was followed successively with a speech by Mrs. Khalil and Dr. Chokr. Mrs. Khalil thanked LOST and Dr. Chokr for the great efforts that they are doing for the Marathon and called for a substantial participation on November 7 to make this day a “national day”. In his speech Dr. Chokr thanked LOST and said “I think that LOST, Mrs. Khalil and Beirut Marathon Association that deserve to be honored today for the great achievement and contribution that they are doing for the Lebanese youth in our days.” The event ended by handing two honoring shields to Mrs. Khalil and Dr. Chokr.

Women’s Empowerment kicks off on Wednesday Sept. 22

2010-09-19T17:30:00.002+03:00

Women’s Empowerment program will kick off on Wednesday 22 September. A new training program that LOST is conducting this fall. Eighty women in all LOST branches will attend special English classes and computer basics training. Each twenty women will be grouped in one class for two months. This program will help participants enroll in other business management courses that are continuously offered at LOST.

Women’s Empowerment program this year would not have happened without the generous support of Mrs. Rabha Eidi who visited LOST last summer and met executives and senior staff there. Mrs. Eidi is a native of Lebanon, living in Toledo, OH since 1965. Since 2001 she contributed to many successful programs to help Lebanon. She became actively involved with two non-profit organizations to help Lebanon (Dar Al Hanan and Sadr Foundation). She currently is the International Director for Sadr Foundation U.S.A and Canada. In 2009, Mrs. Eidi received the “Expatriates Medal” from the General Directorate of the Lebanese Ministry Foreign Affairs.

A Life Changing Step

2010-09-04T17:36:00.001+03:00

     “I’ve always believed that I have a role play in my life” said Sabah the determined mother and housewife. She continued talking about her decision she once made to change her life. So, she has thought a lot how to leap the first step in the long way which wasn’t paved for her. She was fought by her fellow-women “who were only used to gossiping, visiting each other without thinking how to take advantage of their time and to be productive members in society.”

    Sabah lived a dream that tickled her imagination day and night, and began blooming when she told her understanding husband and sons who agreed to support her. “I wanted to have steady steps and to have a unique role and make a difference in my life as a mother and as a citizen. I realized that I had to learn English to help my sons to be successful in their studies especially they were at crossing roads in their life. This is the way that led me to know LOST and its staff who helped me to make my dream come true.”

“ At first, I took two English courses that gave me the chance to meet new people who I permanently compared myself to, and I secretly decided to be good at computer as Suzan, one of my ambitious classmates, and to do a teaching course as Ola, another young fresh-graduate student who wanted to be a professional English teacher.” Yes, believe or not, Sabah has done both courses and she has been one of the brilliant students in her classes. She has never been absent only when she had lung surgery. You know what? A week after she left the hospital, she was in her class asking her teacher to make-up what she had missed.

“LOST is the right place that I recommend to everyone I like. My husband and sons are proud of my achievement there, and they tell our visitors about my commitment and devotion of doing a very good job. Ah, I forgot to tell you, my son is doing an English course at LOST to improve his English because he wants to pass his high school official exam after he failed last year. The good thing is that I can help him at home now since I took the same course.”

Celebrating Success in LOST’s 10th Annual Iftar

2010-08-24T17:08:00.002+03:00

The Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training (LOST) organized its 10th annual Iftar in Baalbeck on August 15th , 2010 in the presence of H.E. Ali Abdullah, Minister of Youth and Sports to celebrate its 12th anniversary. Several religious, military and social figures attended the ceremony which counted an audience of over 450 persons. Distribution of certificates was held during the event. Fifteen certificates were issued to trainees who have attended an Educational Counseling Course, in addition to certificates distributed to 70 students who have successfully completed 100 hours of TOEFL exam preparation course.
“Educational Counseling was something far from reach and LOST made it reachable. There was no chance in our deprived region to even know that such course exists; however, LOST made it available. I was just a teacher, now I feel I can be a counselor and an educator” said Alaa a teacher from Chmostar.

I learned the meaning of Peace

2010-08-17T11:25:00.000+03:00

When he first took part in the Youth Academy of Peace, Mohamad felt worried because he had to work with people from different religions and sects. In his opinion, people are grouped according to their sectarian identities. He has the judgment of a divided society and he could not make any change alone. However, this conviction has changed after he joined the Academy for three months in Ein. He found in LOST a place to learn, share and exchange ideas with others. He realized later that sectarian difference is not a negative thing; on the contrary it could be a motive for creativity and innovation. He also shared his experience with others and built up his communication skills in a manner that he didn’t do before.

“In the Academy of Peace I learned how to communicate with others, I participated actively in workshops and debates about tolerance and building peace in society. I learned the meaning of peace and I felt that I really want to build it in my neighborhood. Most importantly, I found out that the more we work together the better we become.” The Academy is not only a place to make friends, but it’s a program to empower and engage youth in social and public life. Although it’s only a three month program, however, it offers a type of education and learning that is unique in the region.

“Youth are not protected in our society, they are easily infected by the diseases of sectarian divide, but our job here is to shelter them. In fact, we organize special workshops and debates about citizenship and civic participation, peace and tolerance in order to make youth more aware and confident of their existence and their vigorous role in society. We help them to become Lebanese active citizens away of sectarianism!” affirmed Ali Nazha, the Academy coordinator at Ein Branch.

The Youth Academy of Peace is a youth engagement program that LOST is continuously running every three months throughout the year. It comprises a set of civic workshops and a 32-hour social media and IT training, in addition to a number of activities that participants suggest and implement themselves. It makes a difference when hundreds of youth participants attend every year, they learn the meaning of peace and they can create it.

Summer Camps: More than Fun

2010-08-14T11:25:00.000+03:00

"I've never enjoyed summer time as this summer” said Assil Raad, an eight-year- girl in the kids’ summer camp that the Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training (LOST) is organizing this year. Her mother said: "this camp is a good opportunity for my daughter to discover her abilities and talents.

It is more than just fun and games; it is a real life experience for children of her age. It is a prospect in places where there are no many.”
On the 6th of July 2010 the" Summer Camp for Kids” was launched by LOST targeting groups of less fortunate children in Baalbeck-Hermel. One hundred and sixty nine kids are attending the daily camp in the four branches of LOST. The main activities of the camp are: teaching English and IT, trips, and talents shows, in addition to different recreational activities. It gives them the opportunity to learn English and participate in activities such as visiting the zoo, reading stories and watching movies. Also, it promotes their environmental awareness and amuses them in a process of learning which is unique in the region. These kids miss every entertaining activity in a region which lacks recreational facilities. The camps bring them more than happiness!

Computer Training

Team Work

Women's Empowerment through Educational Counseling

2010-08-11T11:24:00.000+03:00

Educational Counseling workshop

“Life has not given me the chance to finish school. Sometimes, I feel embarrassed if I cannot understand what my two little children want. After attending the educational counseling course at LOST, I really felt that I am a real mother, I learned how to react wisely, slowly and I can understand what they need. I am very happy to realize that my children are protected by my knowledge and experience in life” said Sawsan after accomplishing the new educational counseling course that was run at LOST this summer.

“Educational Counseling is a step toward women empowerment” affirmed Omar Bayan the Director of the Educational Commission at LOST. “This course is a wonderful opportunity for women being mothers or teachers especially for those who live in hardship. It offers them the capacity to learn and practice new models and techniques of education that could be applied in school or at home” he added.

Educational Counseling workshop

This course is divided into two parts: the first one is a set of workshops on the main theories of educational counseling and its importance in real life practices; the second part has many evaluation sessions concerning the different problems that teachers and mothers might face. Theoretical views and practical ways on how to be successful counselors are dealt with throughout this course.

Educational Counseling gives trainees many ways to improve their roles as educators and counselors. This course was made to allow participants to promote their participation in society and to satisfy their kids' educational and psychological needs, even when social and economical situations are bad.

Women Empowerment

2010-07-23T11:24:00.000+03:00

With its Women’s Empowerment project for enhancing women’s entrepreneurial skills, LOST organizes a program that includes a micro-enterprise management course for 40 women between 20 and 40 years of age from different rural areas in Northern Lebanon, as well as English and IT courses, to become more economically independent.

Youth Programs

2010-07-14T11:24:00.000+03:00

In the efforts of lessening deviation towards sectarian violence and promoting constructive communication among youth of different sectarian backgrounds, LOST announced a three month course covering citizenship, conflict resolution, and civic participation through the Academy of Peace project. More than 60 young citizens enrolled in 3 different locations in north Bekaa. The participants learned to share their opinion on issues deeply related to their lives. The project was concluded by an art exhibition and three plays that reflected participants understanding of the project.

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Farah Mahfoud
16 years old
A Participant of
Academy of Peace

When they first told me about the host program and that I have to visit strangers from a different sect, religion, and region, I was frankly reluctant, hesitant, and a little afraid of going to visit strangers and the way in which they might react.
I was really amazed and surprised by their warm welcome. They were teenagers who shared my interests and many of my points of view with respect to the different subjects we are being trained on such as citizenship and conflict resolution .We found that we have similar ideas that we can discuss and share. I was very happy to meet them and that I got the opportunity to break the ice and to change my pre-judgment and to understand others.
I learned from this experience that I should be open to others and try my best to communicate before I build thoughts. Although some people live in another place and have different beliefs, they belong to the same country and all their ideas serve our country but we just have to share it.

Camps For Kids

2010-07-08T11:25:00.000+03:00

Zoo visit

LOST has launched a series of Camps for Children between 7 and 12 years of age in the hopes of creating alternative spaces for the expression of creativity. A hundred children participate in the project, lasting 3 weeks, which includes at least two of five activities: Theater, Drawing, English, Sports, and field activities.

About us

2010-06-28T11:23:00.002+03:00

The Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training -LOST- is a non profit organization aiming to raise public awareness, especially among youth. It seeks to contribute to the social and economic development of the community of Baalbeck-Hermel by enhancing local capacities and participation in order to create a more developed and equitable society. LOST hopes to make this vision a reality by reducing poverty and eliminating exclusion. Its programs are intended to help, train and educate local residents, be they women, teenagers, or young children.