About us

THE LEBANESE ORGANIZATION OF STUDIES AND TRAINING

 Vision, Mission, Values, Capacity, and Programs

Vision

Empower and engage people in Lebanon to live in dignity and peace based on the respect, protection, and fulfillment of Human Rights.

Mission

Work with people, particularly women and youth to create a more developed and equitable society through reducing poverty, eliminating exclusion, and fostering a culture of peace.

Values

As an organization, LOST is committed to sustainable development with the fulfillment of Human Rights. It has a responsibility to safeguard the people with whom it works based on the following values:

• Mutual Respect: Recognizing the innate worth of people
• Responsibility and Responsiveness: Being responsive for and responsible to the needs of people
• Transparency and Rule of Law: Making rule of law customary and not leisure
• Equality and Equity: Ensuring equal opportunity to everyone, irrespective of gender, age, religion, sect, disability, or age
• Independence: Being not affiliated to any political or religion attachment
• Our values are applied in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993) and other international agreements which uphold the rights of all peoples including children and women. We are therefore committed to the protection of people from ‘all forms of physical or mental violence, injury and abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual violence’ as outlined in Article 19 and Article 48/104 of the UN. The policy aims to ensure that all staff and representatives implement policies and procedures which prevent abuse as well as behaviour that may be misinterpreted as leading to or constituting abuse.

Organization Summary

Established in 1998, the Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training (LOST) focuses on developing the ultra-conservative and underdeveloped communities of the Republic of Lebanon socially, politically and economically via programs to build and enhance communal capacity, to educate and train youth and women on matters of civic and intellectual nature and to engage them in civic affairs. The ultimate objective yet is creating a democratic and peaceful society where rule of law, justice, liberty and economic wellbeing are customary.

LOST’s programming focuses on developing the intellectual capital of the local society via programs for youth, women and kids. Since its inception, LOST has managed over USD 5 Million in community development projects funded by numerous international organizations and government institutions including but not limited to the UNDP, Embassy of the Netherlands, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), British Embassy, Action-Aid Denmark, GIZ (Germany), Danish Refugee Council (DRC), Mercy Corps, Search for Common Grounds (SFCG), Canada Fund, among many others.

Organizational Capacity and Management

LOST is headed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors who is the Executive Manager of the organization in charge of setting its vision and goals and also of overseeing its personnel, the Board and other personnel. The Board of Directors serves as an advisory role to the Executive Manager and is composed of seven officers including the Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Research Director, Public Relations Director, Media Director and External Affairs Director.

The Board along with the Executive Manager oversees a team of three branch coordinators, each of whom is in charge of leading a sub-regional branch of LOST. Currently, LOST operates three sub-regional branches located in Bedneyel, Hermel and Ein, and a centre in Baalbeck which serves as the headquarters of the organization.

Each of LOST’s branches has a coordinator, an administrative staff, and a fleet of trainers and field officers in various fields ranging from English language to Human Rights to Information Technology to Democratic Governance….

Strengths of the Organization

LOST prides itself primarily for the impact it is exerting on the Bekaa Region and for playing the leading role in lifting this region from the stagnancy of underdevelopment and ignorance to the springs of prosperity and enlightenment. In accomplishing this mission, LOST takes advantage of its strengths which it has been developing since its inception in 1997. These strengths are the following:

• Experience: LOST is the oldest organization of its type in the Bekaa Province dedicated to improving the lives of the locals socially, economically and politically. This strength allows LOST to gain from the experience it has accumulated over the years in running projects successfully and in delivering quality education and services to the local population
• Experienced, Highly Qualified Staff: LOST employs some of the brightest minds in the Bekaa region who are experienced in their fields of expertise and graduates from the top universities in Lebanon and some of the leading universities in the world. LOST Staff’s primary strength is the training they received from the leading international entities including the United States Agency for International Development and the British Council. This strength allows LOST to deliver high quality results to its stakeholders and to provide top-notch services to its target populations
• Well-Established Network: LOST has a very-well established professional network in the region with partnerships with over 50 educational and research institutions, local governments, Non-Governmental Organizations, public figures, government officials and news media. This strength allows LOST to gain access to any resources which may be necessary to accomplish its objectives and carry-out its plans.
• Impeccable Reputation: LOST garners an impeccable reputation gained from years of delivering quality results and services to the communities of the Baalbeck-Hermel Region and in fulfilling its obligations to its stakeholders, including donors and target populations. This strength allows LOST to gain the respect of the public at large and of government officials which facilitates its access to resources necessary to carry-out its mission and execute its plans.
• Experience Running Projects Funded by Major International Donors: LOST has managed projects funded by premier international institutions and Non-Governmental Organizations. Some of the donors which LOST has joint projects with include UNDP, USAID, Canada Fund, Mercy Corps, LIVCD, Embassies of the Netherlands United Kingdom and Australia, Action-Aid-Denmark, DRC, and SFCG among many others. LOST’s major achievement in this domain was its recognition as the first local NGO in Lebanon to receive and manage funds directly from the World Bank. This strength has given LOST the capacity necessary to manage donor funds responsibly and to deliver on its promises.
• Recognition by Government Institutions: LOST has been officially recognized by the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Lebanon and by the United Nations Development Program as an accredited institution. This strength allows LOST gaining the trust of the Lebanese public and of major donors and institutions.

LOST’s interventions for 2014-2017

LOST has managed more than USD 5 Million in development projects in the Baalbeck-Hermel Regions, Central Bekaa, and Akkar from grants and partnerships received from the several international donor institutions and governments. In order to achieve its objectives for the years 2014-2017, LOST’s intervention is currently focused on:

1. 1.    Promoting Good Governance

–       Identity and Citizenship

–       Political Empowerment and Participation (mainly youth and women)

–       Advocacy and Civic Engagement

1. 2.    Enhancing Livelihood and Economic Capacity

–       Micro Financing and Managing SMEs

–       Promoting market opportunities for local products

–       Building capacities of youth and women

–       Generating additional income by supporting value chains

1. 3.    English and Information Technology

–       IT training and career guidance for youth

–       Integrating ICT in education and tourism

–       Educational Counseling and Leadership

–       School teachers’ training

1. 4.    Human Rights, Legal Aid and Justice

–       Helping Lebanese stateless persons

–       Local Advocacy Initiatives

–       Women’s rights

–       Refugee programs (Education, Protection, and Livelihood)

1. 5.    Peace Building and Social Cohesion

–       Applied Research

–       Creating social cohesion platforms

–       Peace education and building capacities of peace activists

التأسيس تأسست الجمعية اللبنانية للدراسات والتدريب في ايلول من العام 1998، وحصلت على العلم والخبر رقم 37 أ.د.  في آذار 1999،هي جمعية لا تتوخى الربح، تعمل على محاربة الجهل والتخفيف من حدّة الفقر وانعكاساته الاجتماعية عبر تنفيذ برامج انسانية متنوعة تساهم في خلق واقع اقتصادي واجتماعي افضل للكثير من العائلات والاسر المقيمة على امتداد منطقة بعلبك الهرمل، وهي تهدف الى تعميق الوعي لدى الفئات المهمشة خاصة الشباب، النساء والاطفال .

مركز دراسات الجمعية مركز متخصص في إعداد الدراسات الإنمائية التي تتناول واقع القطاعات الإنتاجية في المناطق المحرومة، كما تعمل  على نشر الأفكار التي تساهم في تمكين المواطن وتوسيع خياراته مما يعزز دوره في المساءلة والمطالبة العلمية لرفع الحرمان عن المنطقة.

مركز تدريب

تعمل الجمعية  على تعزيز وتمكين الكفاءات المحليّة من خلال برامج تدريبية وتأهيلية علمية متنوعة في مجالات التربية،الادارة، اللغات والمعلوماتية. وتساهم من خلال الدورات التدريبية التي تنظمها بشكل مستمر في إعداد الكوادر البشرية وتأهيلها  في المجالات المهنية والعلمية كافة.

المبادئ ترتكز الجمعية في عملها على مبادئ أساسية تنطلق من مبدأ الإنتماء للوطن كشرط رئيسي وأساسي يترجم بقيام المواطن بكل واجب تجاه وطنه وباعتراف مؤسسات الوطن بحقوق مواطنيه عبر سياسات تنموية واضحة بالقول والفعل لتحقيق نهوض المجتمع وتقدمه. كما تعتبر الجمعية إن قضية رفع الحرمان واجب وطني لبناء مجتمع متماسك وان تنمية المناطق المحرومة ضرورة وطنية لترسيخ الشعور بالهوية المشتركة بين جميع أبناء الوطن وقضية ذاتية تتعلق بالإنسان والمجتمع وتقوم على إستنهاض كافة العوامل والطاقات للقضاء على الكسل ورفع مستوى الإنتاج وتحسينه .