Yemeni Non-Governmental Organization Visits LOST

 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