Poetry evening at LOST-Beit Shema

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

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

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

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

“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

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

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

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

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

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.