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

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

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:

1. Ali Naser El Din
2. Hussein Ayoub
3. Ahmad Chabchoul

• Females:

1. Aline Mahdi
2. Ayda Jaafar
3. Lara Zein

Secondary Cycle:

• Males:

1. Ali Makhour
2. Yousef Raad
3. Mohammad Houry

• Females:

1. Hala Zaiter
2. Batoul Sleiman
3. Hala Faytarouni

Free runners:

1. Hanna Abu Farhat “ISF”
2. Ali Yazbeck “veteran runners”
3. Bilal Bayan “Lebanese customs”

Above eighteen:

1.  Hoda Raad
2. Joumana Alame

Zahi Wehbe in Baalbeck

 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

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

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

 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

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

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

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

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.